Admittedly, I'm not the "mother hen" type, and I really didn't experience the level of separation anxiety that I know lots of moms have. My anxiety was more about the quality of the day care facility, the qualifications of the staff, the quality of teaching staff at the school, the safety of the school - not so much about whether or not my child would survive a day without me (or, vice versa).
My hubby, on the other hand, balances the scale and is the one who suffered separation anxiety. Even on the day he realized we were officially empty nesters, he wanted me to call the kids a dozen times to make sure they were okay. Put this in perspective: our oldest will be 30 next year, lol!
I do agree with the rituals Tina mentions. I think that the child takes cues from the parent in how to behave, any anxieties and fears. If being dropped off in day care or school is treated as a happy event to look forward to, it will be. My boys were very adventurous (okay, another, kinder, gentler word for precocious), while my daughter was very shy. All the same, it seems that, as long as they sensed I was okay with things, they could be, too.
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Admittedly, I'm not the "mother hen" type, and I really didn't experience the level of separation anxiety that I know lots of moms have. My anxiety was more about the quality of the day care facility, the qualifications of the staff, the quality of teaching staff at the school, the safety of the school - not so much about whether or not my child would survive a day without me (or, vice versa).
My hubby, on the other hand, balances the scale and is the one who suffered separation anxiety. Even on the day he realized we were officially empty nesters, he wanted me to call the kids a dozen times to make sure they were okay. Put this in perspective: our oldest will be 30 next year, lol!
I do agree with the rituals Tina mentions. I think that the child takes cues from the parent in how to behave, any anxieties and fears. If being dropped off in day care or school is treated as a happy event to look forward to, it will be. My boys were very adventurous (okay, another, kinder, gentler word for precocious), while my daughter was very shy. All the same, it seems that, as long as they sensed I was okay with things, they could be, too.
Clingy parents create clingy kids.
August 14, 2008 - 4:14pmThis Comment
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