My 4-year-old daughter Grace isn’t starting school this year, but her best friend, Aoife is. It must be tough – although their birthdays are a year apart the pair are great friends, and have been going to day care together since they were two. It is a big change and Grace just doesn’t understand why she is being left behind. She is devastated.

With thousands of children starting school this year, I’m sure she isn’t the only child experiencing the loss of a friend. Early childhood educator Alison Bonanno says that she sees it happen every year.

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