Easing the Transition to School by Strengthening Attachment

The transition to school for preschoolers aged three to five years old can be extremely challenging, more so due to the fact that separation anxiety is considered developmentally normal for children ranging from nine months to three years of age, regardless of attachment style. However, children with insecure attachment styles, such as anxious-ambivalent or avoidant, are especially vulnerable during this transition (Verywell Health, 2023). Children who exhibit insecure attachment styles often face several negative consequences that affect both their school experience and their overall development (Evans et al., 2018). Although the fear of separating from one's parents or primary caregiver is developmentally appropriate, it becomes a cause for concern when it leads to children adamantly refusing to attend school. In order to address this issue, I developed a two-day parent workshop for Hartnell Colleges Child Development Center located in Salinas, California. The workshop aims to inform parents about key factors, including attachment style, temperament, and emotional regulation, and it provides effective strategies on these topics to ease this difficult transition to school.