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Discussion: Separation Anxiety 2/4 - Page 8

12/1/2015

37 Comments

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Think back to a time when you have helped a child that was experiencing separation anxiety.

What did you do?
Did it help to ease the situation?

Discuss!

37 Comments

Sharon Hatley

12/28/2017 12:31:50 pm

when thhe child comes to dacare i always make sure i am there to greet him we talk about he did at home and where his dad is fishing and if he is catching fish and how he is helping his mom while his dad is gone

Michelle Nugent

12/29/2018 09:56:52 am

One of my preschoolers started having very rough arrivals. Between Mom and I we figured out that he transitioned easier if one of the teachers went with him to watch Mom depart.

Elida Carrillo

12/29/2017 08:32:42 pm

Recently, there was a girl in kindergarten at my site who was crying for a good while. I went to talk to her and asked her what was wrong. She informed me that she missed her mom, so I gave her a hug and reassured her that her mom would be there to pick her up soon. I suggested playing a game or finding an activity to do with her while her mom got there, and she agreed. We were able to have fun and before she knew it, her mom was there to pick her up.

Deborah

12/30/2017 05:50:25 pm

I ask all children to bring a favorite toy and pictures of family the first week. When I have children that are having difficulty with separation I ask if they would like to cuddle their toy and choose a picture until they feel like joining others. I then offer several choices based on what I know about the child. They may choose the quiet house, go to the "good-bye window" or help me.

Jessica

12/31/2017 11:41:02 am

I teach Pre-k and whenever we have a child who is reluctant to leave his or her parents we always say, "Ok, 1 more big hug!" and if that isn't enough for the child, we have a goodbye window where they can wave goodbye to their parent or guardian. It has worked very well!

Kathleen Sullivan link

1/1/2018 09:09:53 am

Since I am a mother as well as an educator I am going to answer this one as a parent. Two of my kids are neuro typical ; two are a neuro typical . Many of the comments I read were reasonable and what we might expect to work with your average kid. Special needs kids given their particular challenges might have far more difficulty with self soothing. The process of addressing the separation anxiety between parent and child at drop off can be far more complex. What I learned is that the process can take longer and might require a higher level of out of the box thinking.

Barb Smith

2/22/2018 08:03:01 am

Yes it has eased the situation by using different techniques for different ages, toddlers would be greeted with the same person and reassure them that mom and dad will be back and talk with them about the day planned, pre school would have a different activity sitting at the activity table so they can engage in right away and hardly even notices mom and dad leave. Works well.

Jodi

3/1/2018 12:50:32 pm

I brought them over to our schedule and showed them where we were in the day. What fun things we had to do on the schedule and what time their mom would be back on our schedule. Yes it helped a ton

Eustralbert Mathis

7/25/2018 07:27:35 pm

Holding and comfortin the child .

Amy

7/31/2018 08:50:59 am

One particular experience comes to mind, I was subbing in our three year old room so I was a new face in a room where the kids were very familiar with their regular teachers - one little boy wasn't having it. I did my best to comfort him by holding him for awhile then I eased away by giving him an activity. Yes, it did work. He became engrossed in the toy he was playing with and comfortable with the familiar students at his table.

Eva

8/2/2018 02:44:42 pm

When a student has separation anxiety, we try to keep the goodbyes quick and reassure the child that mom or dad will be back soon (after snack time). We guide them to a center or activity and talk with them until they are able to settle in. This usually works and helps the child calm down after a few minutes.

Teresa Max

8/7/2018 06:13:45 pm

I have helped many children over the years with separation anxiety and with each child it may be different. With infants I have noticed just holding them and walking around looking at different things in the room while talking to them tends to calm them down quickly. Toddlers also feel at ease when they are able to stand at the window and wave goodbye to their parent. Consistence is key!

Cheree

8/9/2018 09:37:12 pm

Many times I find having the child focus on a new activity is the best to help them with their seperation anxiety. When this has happened with a child in my classroom I first get down on the child's level and try to find an activity they would like to participate in. I also find with my pre-K age group that explaining the schedule or activities for the day will often get their mind off of the separation anxiety and focus on the days tasks.

Amanda

8/13/2018 04:21:00 pm

I had a sweet little girl in my class that was new. She would cling to her mom or dad every morning. I would sit with her and play at free time until she would warm up and get more comfortable and as the days went on she slowly warmed up and eventually was comfortable with me as a teacher, the students in the class and our routine.

Teresa Presler

8/20/2018 08:41:16 pm

I work with 2 year olds so comforting them helps a lot also having mom or dad hug them tell them they love them and they will be back and then leave without staying to long helps. takeing them to a center and getting them interested works wonders.

Niki

8/27/2018 09:25:38 pm

When a child is having separation anxiety, we either hold them/sit by them for a minute and then try to get them involved with an activity or buddied up with a friend to play. It usually only takes a few minutes for them to calm down.

Christine

8/28/2018 08:33:21 am

1. What did you do?
When a child experiencing separation anxiety enters the classroom we say a quick goodbye to Mom or Dad and ensure the child that Mom or Dad will be back soon. We comfort them and distract them by taking them to a center/ art activity/ offering for them to wave goodbye to Mom or Dad out the window.
2. Did it help to ease the situation?
Yes, this works well with most of the students. They'll usually settle right in. If for some reason they don't we might take them on a quick walk or try to distract them another way.

mary

8/29/2018 12:49:51 pm

when I've had a student that struggles with separation anxiety, i make sure to get down on their level and greet them in the morning. After a quick goodbye to mom and dad I engage them in their favorite activity or whatever they are interested in at that time. If they aren't interested in anything I just continue to reassure them that mom and dad will be back after we do our fun activities, and then I enplane to them what we are doing for the day.

Michelle

8/29/2018 03:47:01 pm

When I have a student with separation anxiety I make sure to reassure them that their parent will be coming back. I get down to their level and try to comfort them. I try to distract them with games or toys. Also, finding them a buddy to play with usually helps too. After a few minutes they are usually past the anxiety and ready for the day.

Sheetal

8/29/2018 05:02:26 pm

I have one girl in my classroom who has separation anxiety. Usually we make sure only two specific teachers greets her in the morning with whom she is very close. Then we divert her to her favorite activity. Teacher sits with her & play with her until she starts talking with her other friends. This really helps.

Judy

8/30/2018 12:31:11 pm

In dealing with a child with separation anxiety I always make sure to get down so I can look them in the eye and reassure them. Sometimes that is with a hug, reassurances that mom will be back, the distraction of an activity or talking about the day ahead. Whatever is done the child needs to feel safe, heard and genuinely cared for.

Ana-Maria Sanchez-Guilbault

8/31/2018 08:18:09 pm

I worked through many separation anxiety situations especially at the beginning of the school year. I try to be respectful, understanding and mindful of their situation however, I do encourage parents to make quick-ish exit as their lingering may add to their child's anxiety a bit. I always talk to the students and have them stay near me. Some will feel comfortable holding my hand as we walk and talk to the carpet area. Sometimes I bring up something they could help me do, something they would be interested in. This is when knowing your students is important.

juliet

9/18/2018 08:05:57 pm

I hug him and showed him different activities that he might be interested and showed him some friends to play with.

Erin Baker

10/6/2018 02:48:01 pm

I have had several children in my care that have experienced separation anxiety. I always encourage parents to keep a positive attitude and say a quick cheerful goodbye. I also encourage parents to chat in the car on the ride to daycare about how fun the day will be. Once the parent leaves, the little one becomes my special buddy until they are comfortable to go play with friends. I also have in my library several books on missing mommy or daddy that we read regularly.

Dan

10/23/2018 06:21:11 pm

I would hold the small child and comfort them. Usually once the parent leaves there isn't any problems.

Caitlin

10/23/2018 07:24:54 pm

There have been a couple 2 year olds that have come in with some separation anxiety at drop off, it typically helps if they are able to bring something special from home to hold onto while they get situated and used to the environment. Once comfortable they are usually happy to give the items back to put in cubbies until parents come back at the end of the day. Also having activities set up and ready to play with as the children arrive is always helpful, maybe something that you know the children with separation anxiety like to play with and will be happy to join in.

Norma

11/4/2018 08:34:23 pm

One time a child was crying because his mom left, he was holding a blanky. I approached him and I asked why he was crying and he said that he wanted his mommy. I told him that she will be back and then I started asking about his blanky . His face changed with a big smile as he began to tell me all about his special blanky. He then saw some playdoh on the table and told me to make cakes for his blanky because it was his birthday. After that he was a happy and more reloaded students for the rest of the day. By focusing on his blanket rather than his mom, he was able to forget about being nervous or anxious, and making him feel comfortable in this classroom allowed him to feel welcome.

Kimberley Williams

11/6/2018 09:15:29 pm

I have had several children with anxiety separation! At first I let the parent try to work through getting the child to come into the class on their own! I let the parent know when they are ready I am ready to help out! Once the parent is ready, we invite the child into the classroom by offering them our hand and talking about the day and all the fun things that are planned! If that doesn’t work, It is good to be perceptive to the materials that they love to work with in the classroom or ask them to help you with a project! Another good trick is to distract them with their favorite topic! I have found that once they are in the classroom, it takes them 10-15 minutes to recover and then they are off and busy with their friends and materials.

Alpana

11/20/2018 09:13:53 pm

when a child has a separation anxiety we try to keep goodbyes quick and reassure that mom and dad will be back soon . I used to have a very sweet 2 years old boy he was having separation anxiety and i use to tell him when we will have lunch, nap and snack mom or dad will be here to pick you up and some times walking around with him holding his hand or giving hugs and that helped a lot for him.

Anna Vosk

11/27/2018 03:07:55 pm

I asked the parent to bring in a comfort object (in this case a blanket) from home. The child (a 1.5 y.o boy) was brought in arms wrapped up in the blanket and transferred to a teacher. The transition with the comfort object and the warm/friendly hand-over helped a lot with soothing the child during drop-offs.

Nadejda

12/4/2018 08:54:05 pm

We tried to tell a quick goodbye to parents and hugged a child and looked at our schedule and talked with her/him. Usually it took 3-10 minutes to get back to normal.

Cheryl

12/6/2018 05:12:30 pm

We use positive redirection with children who are having a difficult time separating from their parents. We will talk to the child and ask them to come and look at something that would be of interest to the child to take his mind of of the situation at hand. Sometimes, with a child who is having a chronic problem, we will prepare a work in advance that the child will be interested in.

brittany

12/7/2018 06:44:53 pm

Holding and comforting the child. Offering a distraction.

Mardi Gauthier

12/24/2018 10:03:46 am

With most children, I find simple redirection to be the best tool to ease these transitions. One girl often sobs on the floor as her parent leaves. I sit on the floor next to her, acknowledge her feelings and offer hugs. If she is not willing to be physically comforted, I will pick up nearby toys and play with them while narrating. She generally finishes crying quickly and begins playing.

Judi Dorsey

12/31/2018 10:19:09 pm

Have a 6 month old who started having anxiety at drop off after being here for 3 months. He loves books so I started having one in my hand at his arrival. Also had his Mom shorten how long she was staying. Both actions helped him.

katrina

1/19/2019 12:08:39 pm

I have seen transition anxiety often with new kids. Having a spot where they put their backpacks and blankets are important. It allows them a chance to know where their belongings are and mom is coming back to get them.

Maria Valerio

2/9/2019 02:19:41 pm

I have a four year old that has separation anxiety, as soon as dad walked out of classroom, he starts to cry, I get close to him and welcome him into class then I asked, what is wrong, he just answers daddy, my classroom has big windows so I tell him lets go to the window and say bye to daddy, he agrees then I offered him a hug and reassure him his dad will be back soon to pick him up, also i offered him an activity.

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Discussion: Separation Anxiety 2/4 - Page 8

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