DS hating nursery

[yellowsunflowers]

Hello!

I’m really hoping you may have some pearls of wisdom to help me...
My DS who is nearly 2 and a half, has recently started hating going to nursery. He struggled to settle in when he first started going at 12 months and as a result we reduced him going form 3 days to 2. Up until about 4 weeks ago he was happy to go and talked about all the fun things he would be doing that day.

In the last 4 weeks, on the 2 days he goes, when I say he’s going there he immediately bursts into tears and says he doesn’t want to go and he wants to stay at home. It’s heartbreaking because I have to go to work, so he has to go. He cries on the way there in the car and when I say goodbye. When I pick him up I ask how he’s been and sometimes they say he was initially upset but soon cheered up and was fine, but increasingly lately they say he carries on crying on and off through the day.

My husband thinks this is all linked to the fact that about 2 weeks ago we stopped him having his dummy in the daytime – he can only have it at nap time and bedtime. I agree this could be a factor, but he was getting upset before we changed the amount of time he has the dummy, so I’m wondering what else is making him dislike going?

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just a phase? Is there anything else I should be saying to nursery or asking them to do? I keep telling them how he doesn’t want to go and he gets upset and they are concerned as they don’t want him to be upset either. I can’t bear to see him unhappy and it’s making me unhappy too.

Many thanks!

[Nevercan]

My dd2 went through a phase like this. We always made sure she took her favourite teddy/comforter with her. May be the dummy was this and perhaps you could go a choose a new teddy to take with you. The nursery also suggested taking something home from nursery and bring it back next time to reinforce the link between home and nursery eg a book or small toy. Have their been any staff changes?