Blog Post

Prevent Separation Anxiety During the First Week of Preschool

  • By Admin
  • •
  • 05 Jan, 2018
  • •
Florida Preschool Childhood Development — Prevent Separation Anxiety During the First Week of Preschool in Sunrise, Fl
If your child is one of the 4% of all children who suffer from separation anxiety disorder, or if they just seem a little anxious about spending hours each day in a new facility, then you may wonder just what you can do to ease this anxiety during their first week of preschool.

Don't worry; you can easily help your child make the transition from home to preschool as seamless (and tear-free) as possible.

Read on to learn four tips for preventing separation anxiety during your child's first week of preschool.
1. Plan a Meet-and-Greet With Staff
Whether or not you took your child with you while touring their new preschool, consider visiting the preschool with your child again before their first official preschool day. During this visit, they can get to know a few staff members and maybe even participate in a group activity or two with the other children.

  These short meet-and-greets with staff and other children can help your child view their first day of preschool as their next visit with new friends instead of their very first day in a room filled with strangers.
2. Ensure Your Child Is Well-Rested and Well-Fed
Although you take steps to help ensure your child gets a good night's sleep every night, you will especially want to ensure that your child sleeps well the night before their first day of preschool. Also, ensure that they eat a hearty breakfast the morning of the big day.

According to child psychology experts, children are most prone to separation anxiety when they are tired, hungry, or ill.
3. Maintain a Calm Demeanor
As a parent, you may be excited to know that your child will soon become more independent as they officially start their academic journey in preschool. However, you may also experience your own anxiety over your child's new venture and feel very sentimental about how your little one is growing up so quickly.

Make sure you maintain a calm, cool, positive demeanor when speaking with your child about their new preschool. This will help ensure that your child does not pick up on your anxious feelings, which could cause their anxiety to escalate.

Also, hold back your own tears if you are feeling emotional on your child's first day of preschool because this could make them begin to cry as well. While you may simply be feeling sentimental, your child could pick up on your tears as sadness and become fearful of their new preschool.
4. Pack a Favorite Object From Home in Their Backpack
One fun activity your child can perform for the first time before starting preschool is picking out their very first backpack. Instead of picking out their backpack for them, let them choose it themselves. This will help them view the preschool experience as fun before they even enter the facility.

In addition, when packing your child's backpack for the first time, allow them to choose one reminder of home to pack in it. This can be a favorite stuffed animal or any other favorite small object from home. Your child can then self-soothe with it when they are missing home.

After about a week or two, ask them if they are ready to leave the keepsake at home. If they say yes, then that is a great sign that they have acclimated to their new preschool and are now enjoying their newfound independence.

For more tips on preparing your child for their first week of preschool, contact the staff at Neighborhood Kids Preschool. They will be happy to answer all of your questions about your child's upcoming preschool journey.
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