M2 has started not wanted to go to school on certain days. We'll get there, he walks in and everything, then when I kiss and hug him and tell him goodbye, he starts clinging to me telling me he wants to go home!
It really breaks my heart!!!
He's gone through phases like this in the past, but I just hand him to the teacher and she'll hold him while I leave. Now, I can't do that. He's too strong for the teacher and will kick, so then she puts him down and he'll run out of the class after me.
He doesn't do it everyday, but it has been twice this week. And it makes me dread taking him tomorrow morning!
Anyone else have problems at dropoff? What do you do?
It is hard. I have not personally had that much of an issue with it. One of our teachers had their son bust away from the teacher and run across the campus to her classroom.
It will pass. I know it sucks, but it is a phase.
Has something changed? Home or school?
Getting enough sleep? I find when Allison is tired she gets like that in the morning.
His sleep is definetly off. He's at the point where he doens't need a nap, but they still take them at school. He doesn't have to take one, but has to have quite time. Of course he falls asleep. Then at bedtime he's not tired. I put him in bed at regular time and he'll just lay there, or play until he gets tired. Last night he went to sleep at 9:45, which I know is way too late. Then he is tired in the morning, thus is tired at nap time.... It's a vicious circle.
I don't think it's just school. I don't really leave him too often, but even if I want to run to the store or something, he wants to go with me. Or going out to play with Daddy, he always seems to want me with him. Then I start to feel guilty about having to leave him all day...
The only thing that has really changed is that they are in the process of changing classrooms around at his school. They are making the classrooms 3-5 year olds, instead of all one age. So there are now younger kids in his class. I wonder if that has anything to do with it? His teacher tells me that he's always helping out with the younger ones, showing them they way they should be doing things and such.
His good friend Ryan, is in his class. I've tried telling him Ryan wants to play with him, and Ryan will even come over and try to get M2 to play, but M2 wants no part of it.
His teacher did tell me the other day when he did this, he was fine after I left.
We go through cycles with this and I see other kids doing the same thing.
Mike said Charlie's friend Parker was freaking out today because his dad didnt' stay long enough with him this morning.
Charlie's teachers had to go let him visit with Josie one morning because he was freaking out because he forgot to give me a kiss goodbye.
I think it's the age. They are so independant sometimes and other they are so clingy.
Is there any way you can stay a bit longer? Drop him off a bit earlier? We've found that when we are in one of these cycles, staying just 5 minutes more seems to make a big difference.
We have to sunscreen in the morning and by the time we are done that, he's anxious to run off and play with his friends.
Our bad cycles are ALWAYS related to not enough sleep. It's been awful here lately with late bedtimes and crazy schedules so I know the kids are both tired and it has made daycare dropoffs and pick ups a nightmare.
Hopefully our move will settle everything back down but it is going to be a rough ride for the next few weeks.
Sonya, that's a good idea to stay an extra 5 minutes or so. We're always in a hurry in the morning, but what's 5 minutes. I bet that would help. I'll try tomorrow. maybe I'll stay while he eats part of his breakfast, I'll have to expain to him that i"m only going to stay 5 minutes. Hopefully it works.
Maybe tomorrow won't be a problem anyway, since it's friday. We'll see. -- Edited by Chrissie on Thursday 20th of August 2009 03:24:48 PM
-- Edited by Chrissie on Thursday 20th of August 2009 03:26:11 PM
We haven't been in the exact same situation, but both of mine cried every school day at drop off for probably the first month. It was so hard. Especially with Kate because 1) I had to walk her in, whereas Anna has a drop off line and 2) I had to stay in the building last year because she wasn't 2 yet. It sucked. I was not allowed anywhere near the classrooms until it passed.
Which is did. But every school day was hard on everyone. I *knew* they would be fine and that they had fun at school, but I still felt like such a schmuck for putting them through it. Anyway, at our school (which is a church preschool, no daycare element, so it may be different from other scenarios), they do not way parents of upset kids ANYWHERE near the classroom. They say it really makes matters worse, and that dragging it out makes it harder on the child, the parent, and of course the teachers too. So I dropped, kissed and ran.
They both stopped eventually. IHNI what will happen this year. We haven't started back yet, but summer is a long time for a kid!
Chrissie, Ethan has been doing this too. He moved up to pre-K last week and was excited but he cried twice this week at drop off.
He told me that he misses preschool because he got to play with cars more. We reached a compromise that we would get to school a little earlier so he can be in that room first (preschool and pre-K are combined until about 8 am when they split). I think part of it for us is also that he was eating breakfast at school when I'd drop him off around 8 but that's right when the classes split. They only serve it in preschool so he was eating at home. I think the transition is easier for him when he has something to do, like sit at the table and eat. At pre-K, it's just kids playing and he has to go over to a group and join.
Not sure if this is helpful in any way. Maybe if you got him set up with a toy first or do they offer breakfast?
Chrissie, Ethan has been doing this too. He moved up to pre-K last week and was excited but he cried twice this week at drop off.
He told me that he misses preschool because he got to play with cars more. We reached a compromise that we would get to school a little earlier so he can be in that room first (preschool and pre-K are combined until about 8 am when they split). I think part of it for us is also that he was eating breakfast at school when I'd drop him off around 8 but that's right when the classes split. They only serve it in preschool so he was eating at home. I think the transition is easier for him when he has something to do, like sit at the table and eat. At pre-K, it's just kids playing and he has to go over to a group and join.
Not sure if this is helpful in any way. Maybe if you got him set up with a toy first or do they offer breakfast?
We take his breakfast to school in morning. Basically I get him up and dressed and we go to school. I pack a breakfast which is usually ceral and a banana and yogurt or something along that line. When we get there, we put milk in his cereal and I get him all set up at the table ready to eat. Then I usually hug and kiss him, and he likes his teacher to hold him so I hand him off to her.
We did make a deal this morning though. I told him I would stay for 5 minutes while he was eating part of him breakfast, but then I had to go to work. He told me that when he was talking I could leave.(he doesn't talk to anyone at first)
So I stayed for prob. 5 minutes after he sat down and he seemed to be ok today.
I know this is an old thread but Lucas didn't start school until Sept 1st. The first 3 days were easy... now it is a PITA!!!! I usually have to get a teacher (sometimes it is TEACHERS... one day I had 4!!!) to help pry him out of the car....
He is fine getting ready in the morning usually until we pull on the school property. Then he starts saying he hates school, covers the buckles to his carseat and digs his feet into the seat in front of him....
