Identify and Avoid Anxiety Triggers

Pay attention to the days when your child has trouble separating. See if there is a common thread that is triggering tears. Make sure you’re not pressured and rushing through the steps of the morning ritual.

Our middle daughter is always clingier when she arrives at daycare before her two closest friends. If I help her identify a child looking for a playmate, she’ll scurry off happily.

Or, I just give an extra long hug and tell her the fun things we’ll do that evening.

Mondays are hard for many households. You may want to give some extra time and affection on the first day of child care after a weekend or vacation.

I’ve also noticed that my girls hit an emotional wall after 8 hours in child care. If I can pick them up at 5:15 pm instead of 5:45 pm, it makes a world of difference. When I tell my 4-year old that I’ll pick her up early -- even by just a half hour -- she finds it much easier to say goodbye.

Enlist Your Child’s Caregiver

The transition to child care is like a football pass. You can set everything up perfectly only to have your child’s caregiver fumble the reception. Make sure the two of you are working together.

If your child is struggling with separation anxiety, ask her caregiver what might help. A plan the two of you agree on will be much easier to implement than something you dream up on your own. If you have success taming separation anxiety, please share your techniques in the working moms forum.