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Transitioning rooms at nursery and sudden separation anxirty

5 replies

Joneseygirl77 · 18/03/2016 19:49

My DD turns 2 in 3 weeks and has spent the past 2 weeks transitioning rooms at nursery. She goes ft and has been in the same nursery for 14mo now. Really settled and we've never had any issues apart from usual clingyness at drop off when she first started. Over the past 2 weeks they have gradually started taking her into the next room. She's been fine and it's been a slowly slowly approach and very child led. However over the past week she's suddenly become really clingy at drop off and also at bedtime. Everything is mummy mummy mummy and she has become as my Dh describes her 'one ball of emotion' She seems to teeter between laughing and crying A LOT!

Is this usual 2 year old behaviour or a mix of turning 2 and changing rooms? One thing is her key worker who she loved left to manage a different branch of nursery just before she transitioned but she does know all the other nursery girls really well and lots of her friends were already in the big room. We are doing drop offs from next week in the next room and I'm dreading it. She is fine once I've gone but we've got tears now when I leave her

I'm after advice from those who have been there and got the tshirt as I might be being very pfb about this! Sure it's a phase and will pass but any tips please.

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Joneseygirl77 · 19/03/2016 08:31

Anyone?

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Eminado · 19/03/2016 08:35

I think this is a phase that will pass - she just needs to find her feet. I imagine the excitement of all the new toys and activities in the new room will kick in soon.

She could also just be finding it more tiring.

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boopdoop · 20/03/2016 09:51

No advice but my DS who was 2 this week and is going through the same nursery room transition is exactly the same. Been settled for nearly a year and currently needing to peel him off me whilst he's sobbing in the morning. And also similarly clingy etc at bedtime etc. Hopefully someone can give us a bit more advice and wisdom, but thought I'd share we are struggling with the same.

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Baboooshka · 20/03/2016 14:30

Exactly the same happened when my DD switched from the toddlers room to preschool room. She knew all the staff; she was happy doing transitional activities there; she'd been at the nursery for more than a year and was always happy at drop-off. After a few full sessions in preschool, I think she suddenly realised that she couldn't go back to toddlers, and that set it off: huge tantrums every single morning. (And she was just getting to that tantrum age, too.)

It was exhausting all round. But she did settle once I'd gone; at first, it would take 20 mins for her to calm down, then 10, and then it was almost instant. Nursery staff were very helpful, and encouraged her to lie down with a soft toy, avoiding sensory overload. It is tiring for them in the big room, especially at first. What really helped was her bringing in a book from home each morning, and a member of staff reading it to her.

She's absolutely fine at drop-off, now; it took about a month. I think this is a fairly normal reaction to changing rooms, especially at that age.

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Joneseygirl77 · 20/03/2016 19:50

Thanks all. Really reassuring to hear we're not in the same boat and that it's normal and will settle down.

It hasn't been helped by not having our key worker around as she used to give me loads of good advice about how it was a phase etc. The new room leader for the baby room is lovely but doesn't reassure you in the same way at all. Plus I don't know the girls in the next room as well so that doesn't help and I then end up panicking that she hates nursery!