Toddlers: 24 Months+
Chuck1906
member
Any tips for separation anxiety?
Chuck1906
member
So far my son will be 2 next week, has been watched by family during the day since he was born and he is used to being around family and kinda having his own routine through the day. Starting in summer 2014, I would like to put him in a summer camp and see how that goes then get him enrolled with a pre-school here in the area if he does well with the camp and being away from family. I've tried to leave him in the nursery with other kids when I go to church and no more than 5-10 minutes later they are coming to get me because he won't stop crying! I figured he would do okay since there is other kids and toys in the room but nope! He wanted his Daddy! LOL!
I want to make the transition smooth and as painless as possible. The teachers in the church nursery told me to bring him every week and drop him off and see how long hell last. They said eventually he will get used to seeing the same kids and it won't be as hard any more. Sounds weird but I guess they have dealt with this with other kids. The other idea is I could sit in there with him but then that defeats the purpose of me trying to get him used to being away from his parents or family.
Any ideas or suggestions you can recommend?
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Re: Any tips for separation anxiety?
My advice is first of all be sure you want this. If you are wishy washy, it won't go well. I made that mistake last year - DS was right around your LO's age
How is your LO in the nursery with you there? Assuming he isn't crying with you there, if you think he isn't feeling secure at the nursery, you can stay with him for a day or two for a short while - just enough for him to feel that it is a safe place.
After that, I have become a big believer in the band-aid approach. Tell him you are leaving, you will be right back after xyz. Hug, kiss, and leave. This is assuming the caretakers are ok with him crying it out for a while.
At home, read about school. Maisy Goes to Preschool is a great one showing kids having fun. There are books with Curious George, Froggy and many others with characters having fun at school. Llama Llama Misses Mama is a great one. The Kissing Hand is good if your son has the attention span - mine didn't. I'm sure you can search others. Depending on your take on tv - many tv shows have episodes about it as well. (off hand - Bubble Guppies, Wonder Pets)
All that and my DS is probably screaming through his nursery school class as I type this. It's his third week and still cries through most of the time...