Routine can ease the transition when a child enters day care or school, says Robin Box, director of Ball State's Child Study Center in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

"Following a consistent arrival and departure routine can help children feel more comfortable about separation," Box said.

Parents should enter the classroom with the child and involve the child in arrival routines. And children should be told when the parent will return.

"Never leave without saying goodbye," Box said. "Always say goodbye with a hug or a kiss, but don't linger if the child starts to whine or cry. That only makes it more difficult."

If teardrops should fall, children shouldn't be ridiculed for feeling anxiety.

"The child's feelings should be respected," Box said. "Adults may know the child will be OK, but the child doesn't know that."

Links with home and family are important in giving the child a sense of security in a new environment.

"Allow the child to take a transitional object they love like a stuffed animal or blanket," Box said. "It can also be an object belonging to the parent like a key ring. Having some pictures from home to look at also helps."

Fear of the unknown creates much of the anxiety for a child leaving a parent for the first time.

"Some children need several days to understand that they're going to day care or school," Box said. "They need to see and think about their new environment."

Ball State's Child Study Center coordinates class lectures with on-site experience in an infant/toddler and preschool environment. This mix allows family and consumer sciences students to combine classroom knowledge with observations of children enrolled in the center's preschool and infant/toddler programs.

Each student in the infant/toddler program is assigned children to care for and supervise. Assignments include daily reports and developmental exercises with the children. This interaction better prepares students for the challenges they will encounter in their careers.

The center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Tips for dealing with separation anxiety are offered at the NAEYC Web site: www.naeyc.org.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about this story, contract Robin Box at (765) 285-1987 or 285-8744 or e-mail rbox@bsu.edu.)