Dreaded Drop-Offs

Preschool and daycare drop-offs can be rough! As a teacher I watched all kinds of difficult drop-offs brew. Some parents lingered too long, said too many good-byes and then, just as the child began to get teary-eyed, they’d walk out the door, leaving me to mop up the tears. Other parents would ask their child to do something like put away their backpack, or distract their child with a toy and then slip away without a good-bye. Once the child noticed the abandonment, the water works would start. Later these children are the ones that have to be pried of their parent’s leg with a crow bar…

As a parent, I’ve been on the other end of the dreaded routine. One child loves to be out and about with people. She walks through the door, and barely gives me a second glance. I’ve been very tempted to prolong the goodbye. It’s not easy to accept that she can be without me so comfortably. The other child wails when he leaves my arms. I’ve learned to just walk away, and without fail, the cries end before I even open the door. I knew that would happen from day one, but of course, I went through weeks of lingering in hopes of soothing him, until I finally got past the emotional reaction and learned to soldier through.

Drop-offs are rough for everyone, but I think it would be helpful for all of those involved if teachers and caregivers could take a moment to let parents know about typical drop-off behaviors and best practices. Many parents arrive the first day with no idea what to expect, or the feeling that theirs is the only child having a hard time.

This winter my daughters school started a routine where a teacher would meet the child at the car. Parents loved it! I think it was so successful because it created a situation where the parent wasn’t leaving the child. Instead the child was leaving the parent. What have your drop-off experiences been like? What has worked well? What hasn’t?