Say goodbye
At the preschool door a child has to handle several things at once: a body that does not want to let go, a lump in the throat, and the words to actually say. The visual support below handles one thing at a time.
♂Say goodbye
A cartoon boy waves with a speech bubble showing a waving hand and musical notes, indicating he is saying goodbye.
♂Waving goodbye
A close-up of a smiling man raising his hand with motion lines to wave goodbye.
♂Raised hand to say goodbye
A man in a blue T-shirt holds up an open palm and smiles as he says goodbye.
♂Say goodbye
A smiling boy raises his hand and waves.
♂Boy waving goodbye
A boy smiles widely and holds up his hand to wave goodbye.
♂Smiling boy waving
A smiling boy in a blue shirt raises his hand and waves farewell.
♂Wave goodbye
A person waves with a raised hand and smiles.
♀Say goodbye
A cartoon girl waves with a speech bubble showing two waving hands, indicating she is saying goodbye.
About this visual support
Goodbye at preschool or school is not one action but a stacking of several. The separation itself is one thing, the fuzziness about when you will see each other again is another, and then there is the actual expression, a hug, a wave, a word, that has to come out of a body that is already tense. For many children it is the unclear time that weighs most, not the farewell itself.
When the goodbye is given a visible shape, it becomes graspable. One picture for the hug, one for the wave, one for who is picking up and one for the activity waiting at home. The gaze moves forward toward the reunion instead of getting stuck in the moment. The small sequence can be done the same way every morning at the same spot on the floor.
A concrete tip: pick one specific place where the goodbye happens, a cross on the floor at the cloakroom, the tree just outside the gate. The body knowing exactly where it will happen keeps the farewell from drifting around the room and dragging out. In the Routined app you can place the afternoon pickup as its own image in the sequence.
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