Separation Anxiety Tips

The first few weeks of school or daycare for a toddler are always a time of adjustment and many children (and their parents) feel a sense of separation anxiety which is perfectly normal. Separation anxiety is often caused by fear of the unknown when it comes to a new situation or it can relate to something that is happening at home or to something that the child has just experienced before arriving at school. The biggest fear among many of the children when entering a new school is that we will make them stay at school while they are crying the entire time. That is not the case at Pallies and we let the kids and parents know this. No matter what the cause, separation anxiety is tough on everyone and in the end, we want the experience of going to school to be a positive one. Please be assured that the staff at Pallies will work together with you and your child to make sure this settling in period is as smooth as possible.
How we handle separation anxiety at Pallies:
​
Free Trial Session:
After a tour of the facilities, Pallies always offers to schedule a free trial session where your child can come in and participate with other age appropriate children for an hour or two. A parent or nanny may also participate with your child during the session to let the child slowly settle in and make sure that the child feels safe.
​
First 2 Days of School:
Assuming that you have decided to send your child to Pallies after the free session, the first 2 days of your child's first week, a parent or nanny will be allowed to participate for up to a half day.
​
First Week of School:
For the remainder of your child's first week, a parent or nanny may stay to participate with your child for the first hour. We then will encourage you or your nanny to say a quick goodbye and let your child know that you will be back. This may create separation anxiety for both the child and the parent, but we encourage that you give Pallies' staff a chance to work this situation out with your child. We help by gently taking the child, giving him love, and getting him involved in an activity. We will also text and possibly send a picture to let you know how your child is doing after you or the nanny have left.
​
Second Week of School and Going Forward:
Gong forward, we encourage you to drop-off your child with a short routine such as a hug and letting them know that you will be back to pick them up. Pallies staff will be available to assist you in your departure if needed. If your child is crying persistently, we will keep you posted by text and photos of your child's progress. The last thing we want to do is make going to daycare/preschool a negative experience.
​
​
​
