Dear Parent,‍

Tonight is a big night. You’ve tucked your little one into bed, knowing that tomorrow marks the beginning of a new chapter — the first day of Junior Kindergarten. It’s a milestone that brings with it excitement, pride, and often, a swirl of emotions that can feel both tender and overwhelming.

Transitions like this touch both children and parents deeply. For your child, kindergarten is a new world filled with routines, friendships, and expectations. For you, it can feel like a letting go — the first step in a journey of increasing independence. Both of you are adjusting, both of you are growing. And it’s normal if this feels hard.

From an attachment perspective, your role as your child’s secure base remains steady and essential. Kindergarten is not a replacement for that bond, but an expansion. As your child begins to form new relationships with teachers and peers, they are building what researchers call an “attachment network.” These new safe connections give them confidence to explore and learn, while you remain the anchor they come back to for comfort and stability. The tears that may come tomorrow at drop-off are not a sign that something is wrong; they are an expression of attachment. They mean, “I know who my safe person is. I know where I can return.”

‍You may also feel your own wave of emotions — worry, pride, even grief. This too is normal. Let yourself feel it. Children are remarkably tuned into their parent’s cues, and when you model calm reassurance (even if your heart aches), you show them that separations can be weathered, and reunions are reliable.

A few attachment-informed ways to support your child through this transition:

1) Connection rituals: Create a simple goodbye routine — a hug, a special phrase, or even a hand squeeze. Predictability makes separations easier.‍

2) Name and validate feelings: Help your child put words to their experience: “It’s hard to say goodbye. You feel sad, and I’ll miss you too. But I know you’ll have fun, and I’ll be right here at pick-up.”‍

3) Highlight reunions: Focus on the return as much as the separation. Talk about what you’ll do together after school, so they know the bond continues.‍

4) Stay steady: Children borrow your nervous system. Your calmness, even with your own tears, helps regulate theirs.

Most importantly, trust that you’ve already given them what they need. Every hug, every bedtime story, every moment of comfort has wired their brain with the message: I am safe. I am loved. I can return when I need to. That foundation is what allows them to bravely build new connections tomorrow.

So if there are tears at drop-off, know they are a sign of attachment, not an indication that something is wrong. If your heart aches as you walk away, know that is part of love. And if you feel a mixture of grief and pride, you are not alone. This transition will stretch you both, but it will also open doors to new joys, friendships, and discoveries.Tonight, your child sleeps under the roof of the love that has carried them this far — yours. Tomorrow, they begin expanding their world, with you as their anchor.

Cheering for us all,

~ Laura