How to use it
Choose a few goodbye steps that feel like your family. Short is good.
Practice at home first, with a stuffed animal doing the drop-off.
Print it and keep it in the backpack, by the front door, or with your child’s teacher.
Do the same steps in the same order every time, then go, with a smile.
Make it last: print on cardstock, laminate it or slip it into a sheet protector, and use a dry-erase marker or Velcro dots so you can use it again.
Questions parents ask
Is it better to slip out so there are no tears?
Many families find a short, predictable goodbye goes better than slipping away. Your child learns how goodbyes end, and that you come back.
What if my child still cries?
Tears at drop-off are common, especially when something is new. A warm, quick goodbye and a friendly hand from the teacher can help. If goodbyes stay very hard for a long time, talk with your child’s teacher or pediatrician.
What should the last step be?
Something your child does after you leave, like playing or finding their teacher. It shows the goodbye has an end and the day keeps going.
Is my child’s name saved anywhere?
No. A name you type stays in your browser so it can print on the sheet. It is never sent to us.
Is it really free?
Yes. One email unlocks this and every other tool in the library, and you can print as many as you like. Your email also brings one short story each Tuesday, and you can leave anytime.
Read it with a story
This is a simple visual support for everyday routines, not a therapy or a treatment. If your child works with a teacher or therapist, they can tell you how it fits with what they already do. Picture symbols: Mulberry Symbols, CC BY-SA 4.0.
