I don't know if any of us here have taught preschool. After working in extended day kindergarten for 5 years, I have been assigned to preschool this year. I love it, but I am looking for tips on helping the kids who won't let mom or dad go. I am just the aide, not the teacher, but I am more importantly a mother and I know the parents hearts must be getting ripped out hearing their children screaming for them when they leave. The teacher I work with does not have children so I am wondering if she "gets it" the way I do. She's more of a toughen up kind of teacher, whereas I am a more of a "they are only little kids and need their mother" kind of teacher. Going anon on this one because of my job, but just go to Eve's post and you can figure out who I am. I just want to help these kids and their parents. I never put mine in preschool, so I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing.

By Ilovetom on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 08:54 pm:

I teach preschool and here is what I do. Doesn't always work, but it mostly does. I usually have something fun out for them to do. Playdough, stencils, pictures to color. We do a craft every morning so I sometimes will make a big deal about that days craft. Mostly I love them. I hug them and tell them how much I missed them.

By Cat on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 11:17 pm:

When Robin started preschool he had a terrible time with seperation anxiety. Every day I would draw a picture of a clock that read 11:30--the time preschool ended. He kept that clock in his cubby and knew when the clock on the wall looked like the clock in the picture I'd be back. It took him a couple months until he didn't cry when I left (he did have other issues going on though--although we didn't know it at the time). One teacher told me maybe he wasn't ready for preschool. He was going to start kindergarten the next year so he had to get over the seperation anxiety before then. His other teacher was more accepting of the problem and said we'd get through it--which we did. It's hard though. I see this in some of my daycare kids. I usually suggest that the parents make the goodbye short and sweet and then try to distract the child with something I know they like. I also love on them. Good luck.

By Andi on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 11:47 pm:

I was a preschool teacher for 4 years and I think the best thing to do is stay with the kids for 5 minutes or so when you drop them off. Get them playng with playdough or some other activity. Tell the parents to give them a kiss and hug and let them know that they will be back to pick them up later. Then the parents need to leave. The longer they hang out and the more the child fusses then the harder it will be. One of you (the teachers) need to come over and hold the child when the parent goes. Tell the parent that if they want to wait outside (Out of sight) or in the office and you will let them know when the child has calmed down...it will usually take about 5 -10 minutes and some kids take a bit longer.

I know this is very hard to do. When I dropped DS off at Sunday School the other day he asked me not to leave him and he was upset when I left. I handed him to a teacher, walked away and started crying as soon as the door closed. I had another parent go check on him about 2 minutes after I left and he was fine. He is also going to have his first full day of Preschool on Thursday and I'm sure I will be in the Directors office crying and waiting to hear that he is doing fine.

As for the other teacher in the class, I'm sure she knows how hard it must be for everyone involved but I'm sure if she has been doing this for a while she knows what to expect and she is handeling it the way she thinks is best. You could talk to her and maybe the two of you can come up with a way to calm down the upset kids and make the parents feel better about leaving.

Sorry if my post is all over the place but I wanted to post and I have to go feed DD.

By Imamommyx4 on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 12:55 am:

When I drop my dd daughter off, the teacher always has centers set up for them to play at or a craft going. My dd loves to go. On the rare ocasion that she is weepy about it, I sit down with her, and hold her until she's ready (usually not more than a few minutes) and as she gets out of my lap I kiss her.

My dd loves the kids and all the fun stuff to do. That usually gets her attention.

By Feona on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 08:18 am:

Also give the children who cry extra attention when they come in. You know greet the child. (some teachers don't do this.) So they know you are happy to see them.

By Kittycat_26 on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 - 08:45 am:

I'm coming from the opposite end of the spectrum in that I am the parent dropping my 2 year old off. For whatever reason after two years of doing daycare, Timmy is all of a sudden having days that it is hard for me to leave.

For us, it helps when the teacher meets us at the door and makes him feel special. Sort of like she is there waiting just for him. She knows his routine is to come in and eat breakfast so she makes a big deal about him going to get a spoon and napkin. This just sort of seems to get him into the school frame of mind. I keep it brief and try not to linger too long.

The hardest part for us has been dealing with the other kids that run up and want to play right away. Timmy is more laid back and needs to "test the water" before he jumps in. Instead what happens is we come in the door and four kids are running straight at him. Timmy almost scales my legs to get away from them.