Your child may have passed all the requirements for preschool, but have you? Your little one is ready to go out into the world, make new friends, learn new things, but is your own separation anxiety making this transition extra hard?
Your job as a parent is to protect your child, and this means having a close relationship. So of course, when you are apart, you’re going to be sad and worried. This is totally normal. However, you can’t keep your child by your side forever, so when it’s time for school you need to learn to let go. Here are a few bits of advice for managing your separation anxiety.
Three Back to School Tips for the Parent With Separation Anxiety
- Develop a goodbye ritual. Whether it’s a song, a secret handshake, or a special little phrase, coming up with a unique goodbye ritual is a great way to reinforce your bond and comfort you and your child before you part for the day.
- Put on a brave face. Kids pick up on our emotional cues, so if you’re crying, your child might start crying. Your uneasiness will make your child feel uneasy. If you put on a brave face and act like everything is normal, he or she will be more likely to feel the same way. And guess what? So will you. Fake it ‘til you make it, as they say.
- Have faith in your child and in the school. Remember that your child is in good hands and that a high-quality education is one of the most important gifts you can give him or her. There are so many benefits of academic preschool, and research shows that 25% of at-risk children are more likely to drop out of high school if they don’t get a quality preschool education. Have faith that the school will know how to teach, protect, and nurture your child. Most importantly, have faith that your son or daughter will thrive even when you’re not around.
We’re often too worried about how our little one will react on their first day of preschool, not realizing that we might be the ones who end up crying like a baby the whole way home. It turns out that there are a few requirements for preschool that parents must pass as well, one of which is learning how to let go.