Good Bye Rituals

A couple of years ago, when my Sunshine was in Practical Life at the Montessori school in which I taught, she had a bit of "separation anxiety."  We tried just about anything you could think of to make the transition a positive one. I would let her wear my favorite necklace, we would spray my lavendar pillow spray on her shirt and her napping pillow, we even resorted to her wearing my favorite socks... nothing seemed to ease her anxiety and it was breaking my heart.  Then, one afternoon when I stepped into her classroom to pick her up, they were chanting this goodbye song. I absolutely loved it. She was beaming and swinging her hips in time with the chant.  I asked her teacher for the words. The rest of that year, we started doing the little chant before I walked away from her door to my own classroom. She left with a smile every day of the rest of that school year. We still do it now at bedtime with Little Angel and anytime they go and visit Grandma. It always leaves us feeling very joyful.                     

See  You  Later,  Alligator

See  you  later,  alligator

 After  awhile,  crocodile

 Bye-bye,  butterfly

 Give  a  hug,  ladybug

 Toodle-ee-oo,  kangaroo

 See  you  soon,  raccoon

 Time  to  go,  buffalo
Can’t  stay,  blue  jay

 Mañana,  iguana

 The  end,  my  friend!

adapted by Nellie Edge

Nellie Edge Anthology – Copyright 1988, revised 2004

www.nellieedge.com/freepoetry/seeyouAnthology.doc


Here are some other great "good-bye" poems, chants, songs:

http://santacoloma.co.cr/goodbyesong.html
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems92.html
http://www.supersimplesongs.com/cd2-20.html