Separation Anxiety: When Goodbyes Are Hard To Do

I'm lucky in that all three of my kids mostly happily bounce from situation to situation, with hardly a casual "bye mom" and then they're off on their new adventure. Many families are not so lucky, however. Any child care provider can tell you that the howls of one anguished child who is adjusting to a new situation can also lead to a group sob-fest if the separation is not properly managed. So, what can parents do to help ease the separation anxiety between a child and parent? Here are some tips to make the transition a more smooth one.