Children attending school for the first time, or transitioning to a new classroom for the school year, might experience challenges with separation anxiety. While it’s a perfectly normal developmental milestone, there are tools and resources to help you navigate the moment.
To help prepare your child for going to school in the Fall, our Early Childhood Division Director Colleen Goddard recommends reading these books, either together or for yourself!
Separation Books for Children
Goddard recommends the below list of classics for supporting your child with the transition away from home:
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Piglet & Mama by Margaret Wild
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Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
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You Go Away by Dorothy Corey
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Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
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Bunny My Honey by Anita Jeram
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Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
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I Love You Little One by Nancy Tafuri
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The Good-bye Book by Judith Viorst
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When I Miss You by Cornelia Maude Apelman
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The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
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Oh My Baby, Little One by Kathi Applit
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I Love You All Day Long by Francesca Rusackas
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Even If I Spill My Milk by Anita Hines
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Benjamin Comes Back by Amy Brandt
Separation Support Books for Adults
Parents and caregivers may find the below parenting books helpful to reassuring their child through transitions to school, according to Goddard:
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Attachment Parenting by Katie Allison Gran
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Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love by Robert Karen
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Connection Parenting by Pam Leo
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Creating The Capacity for Attachment by Karen Walant
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The Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce
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Parenting for a Peaceful World by Robin Grille
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The Way Back Home: Essays on Life and Family by Peggy O'Mara
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Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain by Sue Gerhardt
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Everyday Blessings: Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn
