Helping with Separation Anxiety:
- Stay calm and patient when your child experiences separation anxiety.
- Assure your child that you love them and will return. Relate your return to their activities or schedule to help them understand.
- Stick to your established good-bye routine, even if it’s difficult. Wave, smile, and speak comforting words before leaving.
- Acknowledge your child’s fears without trying to dismiss them.
- Let your child decide when they’re ready to separate from you and join in.
- Leave something tangible of yours with your child to help them cope with your absence.
- Give your child something to look forward to upon your return if possible.
- Avoid sneaking out without saying good-bye as it may make your child feel abandoned.
- Leave immediately after saying good-bye to minimize stress for your child.
- Project a positive attitude to reassure your child.
- Follow up with a phone call to check on your child and ease your own anxiety.
- Set aside extra time to help your child through difficult transitions.
- Allow for proper closure at the child care center before leaving.
- Establish family rituals for departure to provide a sense of security.
- Encourage your child to hug their special possession (lovey) when you leave.
- Record yourself singing or reading a story for your child to listen to in your absence.
- Understand that it’s normal for children to struggle with transitions and separation.
- Prepare and support children who go back and forth between separated parents’ homes.
- Use a calendar with stickers to create a predictable schedule for the child.
- Avoid speaking negatively about the other parent in front of the child.
- Remember that as your child grows, separation anxiety will diminish. Acknowledge their feelings and communicate sensitively and honestly.