Leaving your child with someone else for the first time can be really unsettling for you and/or your child…
At Our Yoga we see a lot of “first time away” moments with families and their 1, 2 and 3 year olds.
The Our Yoga model is perfectly built for it by having up to 1 hour experiences with mom, dad or grandma being away, in the next room doing yoga. And as a preschool teacher, Becca knows a thing or two about saying goodbye for the betterment of the caregiver, kid and teacher.
Here are a few examples of ways we recommend saying goodbye to your kid at Our Yoga or a new daycare, preschool, or even grandma’s house:
“Mommy/Daddy/I always come(s) back.”
“I will be next door and I’ll see you in 1 hour or after [story time].”
“This is [Ms. Becca] she’ll be your teacher, [while I do yoga in the next room].”
“I know it’s sad to say goodbye, but I will see you in [one] hour. I love you.”
You can always check in with the teacher (or grandma) about the routine to cue you and your kids in on what the end of day and “mommy returns” will be like.
For instance at Our Yoga, we always end with a Story or Song. Our classes are 45min to 1 hour and you can even show your kids where you’ll be so they know it is not so far.
It is also really important that your kid feels like you are confident in the situation.
So a firm, loving goodbye where you actually leave is necessary. We always recommend a kiss and a hug and you being the one who initiates and requests the goodbye routine.
If your kid is really little (2ish or under), or you or they are really nervous about it, it’s best to hand your child directly to the teacher WITH CONFIDENCE after your goodbye hug to show you are putting your trust in that person and they can too.
Oh, and I know you have the urge to sometimes just leave once your kid is playing and not looking at you, but that only makes it worse for your kid and the teacher. Have pity on us. Please. As hard as it is seeing or hearing your kid cry or being tugged on at goodbyes, it is way less scary for your little one having you tell them that you are leaving and for how long while also seeming confident in the situation as you leave instead of them turning around and all of a sudden you’re not there anymore.
And ALWAYS REMEMBER any time you’ve been gone from your kid, they’ve been missing you. So be prepared for lots of hugs, kisses and good-old genuine loving to bring a calm, smiling, energetic kid back to life.
Ways to bring your kid back in and fill their cup after a long day, or even an hour, away from you:
Just a good long hug 🙂
“I missed you. I’m so excited to see you.”
“I always come back. I was thinking about you [all day] and hope you had fun.”
*try to always walk up to them instead of make them come to you to show you missed them, your enthusiasm and general love of who they are*
Be well!
Ms. Becca