In the nursery school world, we sometimes think of "separation" as a specific event – a moment in time when a child has made the adjustment to school and is able to feel secure as he moves beyond the stage of complete dependency on his caregivers at home and is able to comfortably be at school. Parents often anxiously await that day and they imagine their child eagerly running into the classroom, barely taking the time for a quick hug and goodbye kiss, and excitedly rushing over to play with his friends. Sometimes it is with mixed emotion that a parent breathes a sigh of relief and reports, "he hardly needs me anymore; finally, he can separate."