Helping Children Cope with Separation Anxiety

Spending time away from their parents can be difficult for infants and toddlers. It is natural for your child to become sad and worried when you leave them at the daycare center.

Here are some ways daycare centers can alleviate this worry and make the child feel safe and secure.

Encourage Parents to Practice Being Apart

Daycare owners can encourage parents to practice being apart from their young ones so that they may learn to feel more comfortable in their absence. Parents can start by leaving the child with someone else for short periods of time.

At first, the child may become upset when you leave. However, over time, they will learn to become comfortable without you and enjoy their time even when their parents are not there.

Be Specific About What to Expect

Daycare providers need to inform the parents of what will happen during the course of the day. This is particularly true when the child is starting daycare for the first time.

Parents can then communicate this information to their little ones, let them know there will be lots of friends and toys to play with, and that their parents will be back soon to get them.

This can help ease the child’s anxiety and make the transition smoother.

Create a Positive Goodbye Ritual

Daycare owners should encourage parents to create a small goodbye ritual with their kids that can help them feel more comfortable and confident when they are left in daycare. It also allows a special moment to connect with your little one.

For children who are prone to separation anxiety, a goodbye ritual before drop-off can help establish a routine that the child will look forward to daily.

Follow a Set Morning Routine Every Day

A set routine every morning will help your child understand what to expect. Daycare owners should advise parents to follow a specific regimen every morning, including brushing the child’s teeth, dressing them in play clothes, and feeding them breakfast before they perform a loving goodbye ritual.

This ritual will teach your child to become more independent and help ease their anxiety. If your child is able to spend time in daycare without becoming upset, you should show pride and give them praise.

Provide a Favorite Toy or Object

Daycare owners can ask parents to let their child bring in a favorite toy or a familiar object with them. This will give them a sense of comfort and familiarity in a strange setting.

Although this doesn’t seem like it can make much difference, this simple exercise is very effective in calming down your child and grounding them at a daycare center where they do not know anyone.

Create a Transitioning Process

To ease a child’s anxiety in the first few days, daycare providers should encourage parents to remain with their child for a while until they become engaged with the other children or become immersed in an activity.

Daycare providers should also allow parents to visit their child once or twice throughout the day for a few days to help the child understand they have not been abandoned and their parent will come for them.

Stay Positive

It is not just the child who feels anxious on the first day of daycare – it is the parents as well. Daycare providers should advise parents to keep their emotions in check and stay strong for the sake of their child, who will be looking to his parents for visual cues. If the parent shows they are upset about leaving the child in someone else’s care, then that worry will transfer to the child as well and make them more fearful.

That’s is why it is important to encourage parents to show a smiling face to the child and have a tears-free goodbye.

The First Day Makes All The Difference

Although separation anxiety is very common and normal in children who are just starting their daycare, there are some things that daycare providers and parents can do to ease the transition.

It is important for daycare providers to talk to parents about their routine and what their child should expect during drop-off. It is also a good idea to let parents examine the daycare facility before they let their child attend it.

At Standout Daycare, we can help parents find out ways to resolve separation anxiety in toddlers and preschoolers. If you have any concerns about your child in daycare, please contact us at www.standoutdaycare.com. We also offer a host of resources and blogs for daycare providers and parents to show how to manage toddlers and how to run a thriving daycare center.