If you are reading this after dropping your kids off, this post is FOR YOU!
Every school drop-off is a chance to build emotional resilience.
The science is clear that repeated transitions shape emotional wiring.
If drop-offs feel unpredictable, rushed, disconnected, that that stress stays in their body.
But if drop-offs feel safe, warm and predictable, they learn something profound: “I can do hard things and still be okay.”
That makes it all sound VERY DIFFICULT, but it’s actually not!
A great dropoff ritual can take less than 60 seconds and set a positive tone for their whole morning.
4 simple steps:
1. Predictable goodbye phrase [‘See you later alligator’ has stood the test of time!]
2. A moment of physical connection [doesn’t need to be a hug if your kid hates it]
3. No sneaking out [even if tempted]
4. Calm adult energy [even if you fake it]
BONUS – You can also create a visual or verbal “bridge” between home and school.
E.g. “I’ll think of you at snack time. You can think of me too.”
I’ve put some more detail in the carousel below.
