Mom Shares Simple Way to Ease Your Child’s Drop-Off Anxiety

Whether it’s baby’s first time at daycare or your little one’s first day of school, drop-off time can be a doozy for anxious parents and kiddos who might feel some type of way about spending their first time apart.

To help quell worries on both sides and make this transition smoother, one mom, Abbey Wedgeworth (@abbeywedgeworth on Instagram), is sharing the impactful call and response she does with her toddler. “I just dropped off my almost three-year-old in the nursery and he’s screaming and having such a hard time,” she says in her now-viral Instagram reel. “So I give them the same speech and it really helps me too.

The call-and-response goes as such: Abbey says, ‘Mommy would never leave you somewhere you weren’t…’ and her child says, ‘Safe.’ Then Abbey says, ‘And I would never leave you somewhere where you couldn’t have…’ and her son says, ‘Fun.’”

After this adorable back and forth, Wedgeworth leaves things with a short summary speech. “I say, ‘You are safe, and you can choose to have fun. I’m going to leave now, but I would never leave you somewhere you weren’t safe or couldn’t have fun. So you choose to have fun, and I can’t wait to hear about all the fun you had,’ and then I hand them to a worker, and I walk out.’”

In the comment, parents and childcare workers praised Wedgeworth for her comforting technique. “I love this! As someone who has worked in the church nursery for more than 15 years, this is so helpful. I have often told upset children this too, and it does help,” wrote one childcare volunteer. “I love this! My little almost 2-year-old boy has been having trouble when we drop him off at nursery. But I love this so much and am going to start saying it,” added another parent.

If you or your child is struggling with daycare dropoffs or nights spent at the grandparents, you are far from alone. Check out these tips for dealing with separation anxiety and remember, the goodbyes will eventually get easier!