Appropriate age:
Preschool and Younger

Description of technique:
Children are different when it comes to letting their parents leave them at school. A lot of what you will end up doing is ôtrial by fireö, e.g. responding to the way your child reacts. Your goal is to help your child to have a happy transition between home and school and feel okay that you are leaving him or her at school.

Instructions:
1. Create a special way that you and your child agree upon to comfortably separate each morning.
2. Make a game out of achieving a smooth transition.
3. Prepare your child by setting boundaries of what you will do to get the day started, e.g. I will come in your class for 5 minutes. IÆll go with you to your cubby and start to build blocks with you, but then I have to leave.
4. Give your child a point of reference as to when you will return, e.g. Today you will have story time, sand play, blocks, a nap, a snack and singing, and then I will be here to pick you up.
5. Ensure your child of your confidence in his or her teacher.
6. Hand your child off to the teacher. This can help your child to trust the teacher and know that it is okay to be left at school.