Dealing With Separation Anxiety at Daycare
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Separation anxiety usually rears its ugly head for the first time at daycare. If your child is suddenly very anxious when you drop them off at daycare or even when you are getting them ready to go to daycare, you may find yourself confused and unsure of how to respond. Separation anxiety is difficult for the parent and the child, but the majority of children will go through at least one stage of it. Knowing how to deal with separation anxiety will ease the pain and frustration that you both experience.
How to Deal with Separation Anxiety
The first thing you can do is talk to your child about what is going to happen. Let them know where you are going to bring them, who will be there to take care of them, and when you will return. When you give them information about your return don’t simply give your toddler a time, but give them a milestone such as, “I’ll be here to get you right around the time that you finish your afternoon snack.” This will give your child something to look forward to during the day and will take their focus off of you leaving.
If you are having problems with a new daycare, you may want to go see the daycare together. You can bring your child in to see the new surroundings, meet some of his or her classmates, and meet the teachers or care providers. This will allow your child to be able to envision where they will be and who they will be with. Many times it is anxiety about being left in a new setting that really sets off separation anxiety, you can often nip this in the bud by visiting together.
When your child has separation anxiety you may want to build up to being away for a whole day. The first day you may only want to leave your child for an hour or two, the next day for three hours, and the next day for five, and then the full eight or however long you need to be away. Building up will build your child’s tolerance for being separated from you. Your child simply needs to learn that it doesn’t matter how long you go away, you will always come back.
Keep your good-bye short and sweet. Simply get down on your child’s level, give them a hug and kiss, tell them where you are going and that you will be back. Try to get the caregiver to come over and get your child interested in something so that the goodbye will be easier for you both. The longer you drag out the process the more difficult it is going to be for them and you!
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