Pre-School Separation Anxiety And How To Deal With It
Any parent who has had to deal with sending their child off to pre-school for the first time knows exactly how this can easily become a stressful ordeal. This can be a stressful event not only for the child but for the parent/s as well. There are several steps you can take in order to decrease the stress for your child and make the process a little easier.
Choosing a pre-school is not like purchasing a cameron cookware stainless steel stovetop smoker. Making sure you are placing your child in a safe and fun environment can make the process run smoother as well. Talk to the teachers before you enroll your child. Make sure they are friendly, welcoming, and most importantly, qualified. Look over the curriculum to make sure they are incorporating fun activities in the classroom.
While eating a healthy breakfast (part of your personal weight loss program) praise your child about what a big boy or girl they are. You can tell him/her how special and grown they have become. Reassure them that you have confidence in how they will be great at pre-school while you are at work.
Children are curious creatures. Let them know what you will be doing when you are away. This helps them know that going to school is not a bad thing and it is not because you want to be away from them. Also discuss what they have to look forward too at school as well.
Let your child know when they will see you next. If you are picking them up from school or they are getting dropped off, let them know what will happen. Make sure you are honest because in order to decrease separation anxiety you have to build trust with your child. When they know what to expect, it will help lessen the anxiety.
When you are a parent sending a child to pre-school you need to know that you can trust the school you are sending your child to. This will give the parent piece of mind. This is a major stress-relieving factor for any parent, because when you know your child is safe you can go about your business.
Firmly say good bye to your child. Do not hang around or baby the child. This will only give mixed signals. Are you staying or are you going? You have to make this clear to the child, who is anxious enough and will clearly feel your anxiety as well.
A lot like diets that work, sending your baby off to school is a big step and it has a lot to do with determination. It is not out of the ordinary that a first time pre-schooler will resist. You may even experience tantrums. A very important step is to give your child consistency this way they know that you are not going to cave in to their tantrums.
