Easing Separation Anxiety and COVID-19 Concerns this Fall 

Whether your young child is just learning to walk or attending preschool, leaving your child can be hard. Seeing your child upset and cry out to you is tough for any parent. We spoke with Heilicher school counselor Andrea Hansen, and she shared a few key strategies to help ease these transitions.

1. Be quick, yet loving — don’t linger. You don’t want to prolong the inevitable, so be firm in saying goodbye and giving hugs and kisses. Then it’s your turn to leave. Don’t sneak out; it can create distrust.
2. Create goodbye rituals. If your child is old enough, come up with a fun way to say goodbye. This can be a handshake, special hug — whatever works for your family.
3. Be positive: your child feeds off your energy, so stay positive and reassure them that you will return at the end of their day. Being on time for pickup is important for establishing routine and trust with your child.
4. Practice. Start leaving your child with familiar people for short amounts of time. Gradually increase your time away and the situations your child is in.
5. Be realistic and consistent. kids have good days and bad days just like adults. Being consistent can help children understand boundaries and learn independence — stick with your plan.

Leaving your child at school is that much harder in the midst of a pandemic. Here are a few highlights of how Heilicher is handling COVID-19 to keep your children safe. *As children are starting to get vaccinated and other changes occur, Heilicher's protocol will adjust.

1. Every person must wear a mask at Heilicher.
2. All faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated, including a booster shot.  Heilicher held a vaccination clinic Sunday, November 7, to make protection against COVID-19 easily and promptly accessible for our students and community.
3. K-5 students do not mix with students outside of their grades at school.
4. The building’s air circulation system exchanges fresh air throughout the day, and air purifiers are placed in all classrooms. High-touch surfaces are cleaned daily and as needed. Students and staff use water bottles instead of a shared water fountain.