The first couple of weeks are hard - and you've probably hit the hardest day. She's realized that this is a regular part of your schedule. She misses you. She hasn't really bonded yet with the teachers or made any friends with the kids. It's hard. It DOES get better. My ds started daycare 3x a week at age 2. It took him awhile to adjust, but he was fine. He looked forward to going, he enjoyed himself there. It was just the time of separation that was really hard.
DD Not Liking Preschool So Far :(.......
Today is her 3rd day & she cried as soon as we entered the room. I think she was anticipating me leaving. I couldn't keep it together & I cried in front of her. I tried very hard not to do this. I've been crying all morning just thinking about her so upset & cuddled on the couch in the classroom. Around 9:00am though, someone told me she was not crying & they saw her playing with a ball
![]()
I should mention that this preschool is at my place of employment & is really great, but the temptation to go peek is so strong sometimes that I go peek at the wrong time - when she's upset. On Tuesday, I peeked in & I heard her crying down the hallway & she saw me! She came running toward the door, so I just had had to go in the room & I sat next to her while she ate her lunch.
I was told by one of the teachers that on her first day, Tuesday, she cried on & off throughout the day-sometimes crying while going down the slide (that makes me smile a little). Yesterday, I was told was a little better than the first, although she was crying when I went to pick her up & they were sitting down for a snack.
Anyone have any similar experiences with a sensitive toddler & a difficult transition that turned out great? Any support & experiences are welcome!
Thank you!
I should mention that this preschool is at my place of employment & is really great, but the temptation to go peek is so strong sometimes that I go peek at the wrong time - when she's upset. On Tuesday, I peeked in & I heard her crying down the hallway & she saw me! She came running toward the door, so I just had had to go in the room & I sat next to her while she ate her lunch.
I was told by one of the teachers that on her first day, Tuesday, she cried on & off throughout the day-sometimes crying while going down the slide (that makes me smile a little). Yesterday, I was told was a little better than the first, although she was crying when I went to pick her up & they were sitting down for a snack.
Anyone have any similar experiences with a sensitive toddler & a difficult transition that turned out great? Any support & experiences are welcome!
Thank you!
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We learned from that experience and did subsequent transitions much differently: we set a very predictable, consistent schedule and did not do what I did the first time (i.e., rush over and pick him up early as much as possible. It just confused him -- he never knew when I was coming or how long he was going to be there and I think that was hard on him.)
I would ask the daycare providers what they have seen work with children with her general personality. I suspect that they will suggest some version of ripping the bandaid off quickly, and FWIW, our experience with a sensitive kid has taught us that that really is the easiest on everyone. If I were you, at least for the first little while, I would either not peek in until the end of the day or always go at the same time every day. You might also want to talk to them about exactly what they do after you leave -- you could work with them if it doesn't sound right for your DD, or, more likely, it will make you feel better to know that they are cuddling her and engaging her in an activity to help her feel safe and cared for. My last tip is that we found that always handing DS off to the same person was helpful, so if that's an option, that might be something to try.
FWIW, he likes "school" a lot now. Good luck and hang in there! It gets better!
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