3 Tips For a Great Morning Drop Off

One of the biggest stresses for most parents is morning drop off, and understandably.  You are anxious about the day you have ahead of you at work, you are going to miss your kid all day, you know your kiddo is going to miss you, you might have some guilt, don't worry though it's all very normal! Just remember you spent a lot of time researching, that daycare/school that you are sending your kids to, you picked that school because you believed it was the perfect fit for your child and your family.  When all else fails, think of those smiles you see when you go to pick up and you watch from the window and see them laughing with their friends, learning with their teachers.  I have three tips below on ways you can make morning drop off a little easier for both of you.  

Start early - by starting the day earlier you are leaving more room for a longer breakfast, some extra hugs and kisses, and your less stressed.  Our kiddos notice when are stressed or worried and it makes them stressed.  Enjoy your mornings by making them a little longer while not compromising morning drop off or being late for work. 

Keep Drop Off Quick - most teachers will tell you that as soon as you drive out of the parking lot (and in a lot of cases even before that) the kids are fine, tears are gone, and they are playing nicely with their friends.  Keeping drop off quick helps by reducing the goodbye time which is good for both of you.  

Have a Goodbye Ritual - Create a special handshake, a special little phrase that is easy to remember and something you are able to do even if you're short on time.  Once you start doing this, the days you miss it, could be very hard on your child. Keep it simple, but memorable. 
Mama Bear, Papa Bear is a favorite of my daughter...baby bear gives very soft hugs, mama bear gives regular hugs, and papa bear gives big gigantic crazy fun hugs.  She loves it and I almost always add a tickle during papa bear's hug. It's fun thing for both of us.  Now that she's older we don't do this because she just hops out of the car in the school drop off line and I'm the one sad.   

This post is sponsored by Foundations Learning Academy in Hilliard, OH.  You can learn more about them here.