Preschoolers
What We Saw: A child that
is fairly new to the classroom arrives at the door. She
is grabbing onto her dad's leg and does not want to take
off her coat. The teacher walks over to the child and holds
out her hands. The child goes to the teacher, but begins
to cry. The teacher hugs her and says, "I know that
you are sad but dad has to leave, and he will be back to
pick you up later." The teacher waves goodbye to the
child's father, and encourages the child to do the same.
The teacher then brings her over to the other children,
but keeps the child on her lap. They look out of the window
and watch as the father drives away.
What It Means: It takes time for a
child to establish trust with a new teacher and a new environment,
so it is completely normal for a preschooler to experience
Separation Anxiety. Talking with the child about
exactly what will happen in school and being honest with
her will decrease the pain of the separation. Telling the
child that her parents will be right back, or encouraging
the parent to sneak out will lesson the trust that is developing
between the two of you. Let the child know that preschool
is a special place for children and teachers, and emphasize
that Mommy/Daddy always comes back. It is important to acknowledge
that she feels sad, scared, angry, and that it's OK to feel
that way. For some children, separation is easier when the
parent comes into the classroom for a few minutes. In other
cases, this would be a disaster and it's best to say the
good-byes at the classroom door. Children are individuals
so teachers and preschool programs need to be responsive
to these individual differences. When teachers
are sensitive to the individual needs and feelings of the
child, the tears that may accompany the first few days of
preschool shouldn't last too long.
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