Conquering Separation Anxiety

As this second lock down comes to a close, so starts the beginning of school again. For many of us, this means tearfilled drop offs and little hands clinging to our legs. For parents and children who are new to school, separation anxiety is a struggle under normal circumstances, but THIS YEAR? It's a whole other thing entirely. They were in school, then they were out, and now they are going back in. Who can blame them for wanting a little consistency. They've gotten used to having the comfort of a familiar face around them 24/7, and let's be honest, so have we - giving that up is going to be hard for the both of us. As parents, we understand the struggle and we have a few tips to help the process along:

1.Practice separation as much as possible before school starts again - we know this is difficult with COVID and lockdowns in place.

2. Develop a quick "goodbye" ritual - come up with a special way to say goodbye just between the two of you (a special handshake, a hug and kiss, a high five, a wave through the window). The ritual is reassuring and will provide comfort.

3. Keep it short - resist the urge to stick around until they calm down and try not to make a big deal of the goodbye. Simply let them know that you love them, you are leaving, and you will be back to pick them up later.

4. Try to keep routines and rituals consistent - if you are sending them to preschool, try to stick to the same days and times and try to keep the same morning routine for school. It provides much needed reassurance and comfort that everything will be fine!