Gradual Separation is the preschool and nursery school teaching philosophy that acknowledges the immense attachment that a child feels to his or her parent - especially their mother.http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep95/attach.html

If a child is simply "left to cry" at a preschool without an adequate separation, a child will become scared and future separation's will be equally traumatic. When a parent leaves a child at school, a child often cannot comprehend and may be uncertain that their parent will ever return. This is what leads to such fright. Gradual Separation avoids the unnecessary trauma and pain that an abrupt separation causes a child. http://www.magicyearsnurseryschool.com/FAQ.html

Gradual Separation begins with the parent being in the classroom. The parent will usually sit in the corner of the room while the child plays. As the child becomes more comfortable in the new environment, the parent, after informing the child, may "go to the bathroom," "go for coffee" or "go to buy Popsicles." http://www.magicyearsnurseryschool.com/FAQ.html

Many times, the parent will simply wait in another room so that if the child begins crying for their mom their parent can return quickly. After a while, the trips away from classroom will grow longer and longer. As the child becomes more comfortable at school, their is no longer a need for a parent to enter the school at all. The length of time a gradual separation lasts varies from child to child. Depending on various circumstances, some can last as little as a few days, while others may last a lot longer. The result is a trauma-free separation.