DS back at preschool tomorrow.....

[MrsBradleyCooper]

And I am dreading it .

He is 3.2 at the moment, but started in February, and was the only new child in the class. He seemed to settle quite well though. A few weeks later he was crying every day, but he soon got over that until a couple of weeks before the summer holidays, when he started having huge tantrums about going - to the point of being physically sick. I spoke to the teachers about it, but they just shrugged it off and said "Don't worry, he's absolutely fine after you've gone"

Anyway, he starts back tomorrow in a new bigger class, with new teachers. He was also wearing pull-ups before the holidays, but I potty trained him in the holidays, although he does have the odd accident (probably one a day, sometimes none).

He will be upset anyway about the new teachers/class, but if he has an accident at school I know it will upset him. He knows when he needs to go, but often waits until the last minute, and I think he will be apprehensive with the new teachers. Also, all the other children seem to be able to take themselves to the toilet, whereas he struggles to get his trousers and pants up and down.

God I am such a wuss, I have a lump in my throat writing this!!

Anyway I am just looking for any tips, either coping skills for me, or practical advice for him

[GsyGacheFiend]

Don't know if I have any sage words of advice for you MrsBC but didn't want your post to go unanswered. My 3.4 DS starts back at preschool tomorrow too and will be moving up to a new pre-reception class. I could have written your sentence all the other children seem to be able to take themselves to the toilet, whereas he struggles to get his trousers and pants up and down.

From tomorrow my DS won't be taken to the toilet and will have to go by himself, i'm getting prepared for the bag of dirty pants on the peg at the end of the day. He still won't go to the loo on his own at home but have seen him do a wee on his own at preschool so know he is capable . Poowise I'm just hoping that after a few weeks of horrible dirty pants at preschool he'll get fed up and go himself .

My tip would be get some multipacks of the really cheap supermarket underpants for preschool and if they are really encrusted, just bin them. Get the next size up so he can get them down quickly and send him to preschool in elasticated shorts and shorter t-shirts (my DS is quite tall and slim, his age 2-3 t-shirts still fit but they are short whereas his 3-4 age t-shirts are in the firing line when he goes to the loo if he forgets to lift them up).

Luckily my DS doesn't really get upset if he poos his pants, he's more disappointed so I just really praise him when he goes to the loo on time and if he manages to go x amount of days at preschool with no accidents he'll get a reward, (magazine, kinder egg, that sort of thing). I've also been doing lots of "big boy" talk, explaining that he won't be in the little childrens class anymore so they are letting him do more "big boy" things like going to the toilet and getting changed at swimming and that these things take lots of practice to get good at.

I hope the day goes ok for you and your DS, if the teachers are saying he's been fine with them, even when he's been giving you such hysterics then try not to worry. Your DS knows how to press your buttons and can probably see it gets a reaction out of you so try not to rise to it (easier said than done I know)

Let us know how it goes tomorrow,

[MrsBradleyCooper]

GsyGacheFiend - thanks for replying

Well last night was a nightmare. He woke up at 3am having wet the bed, so DH went and got him and changed him, but he woke right up and wouldn't go back to sleep until 6.30am!!! Luckily he had been asleep since 8pm, so he did have some sleep but not his usual 12 hours. He went back to sleep from 6.30am until 8.15. I on the other hand had about 3.5 hours.........

He was crying his eyes out and didn't want to go this morning, but I left him with the teacher and made a swift exit. Not sure who was crying more - me or him.

I am so tired and could do with a sleep, but I am on tenterhooks in case they call me to collect him early. I think they also call if they have a poo accident .

It's just bloody sods law about last night - he never normally wakes up.

Anyway, enough about me - how did you get on this morning? Was your ds ok?

I've tried the "big boy" talk, but he just says "No mummy, I'm just a little boy"

Will report back later after I've picked him up!

[GsyGacheFiend]

Hi Mrs BC,

Yes, sod's law is a bugger isn't it, I'm still using bedtime pull-ups, miracle upon miracle they were actually dry this morning, i've started marking on the calender when they are dry and once we have a few more successes I'll start trying without.

I've just picked up DS and luckily his day went well, Although I did have to go back into the class again 5 mins after leaving him as I managed to drop my car keys in his tray with his hat .

No pant accidents or tears, probably because he went swimming this afternoon so I bet he had a wee in the pool . DS is quite keen to be a big boy, but I think it helps that he has a 5mo DS so he thinks of her as little and himself as big IYSWIM.
He's going in for an extra morning now on Wednesdays so I'll have to see how that goes tomorrow as he knows Wed is normally a "nanny day" (that's my mum, not a nanny-nanny). He really loves it when she has him, but she's promised that she'll come round in the afternoon and stay for bedtime stories so hopefully he'll be ok.

Hope your DS had a good day too

[MrsBradleyCooper]

Well ds is still in nappies at night, but for some reason his wee always manages to find its way out somehow!!!

That's great that your DS had a good day - does he go all day some days then? Mine only goes 9.30-12.30.

I was fully expecting to go in to collect ds and see him in his spare clothes, but to my pleasant surprise, he was still in his original ones , and seemed quite happy, so that was a relief!

Must try not to get lulled into a false sense of security though - I'm sure tomorrow will be different!

[GsyGacheFiend]

DS did Tues & Thurs 8.30-2 before and is now doing Tues & Thurs 8.30-3 and an additional wed 8.30-1. His preschool is attached to a private Montessori school where takes them up to age 7. There are only 2 state subsidised preschools where I live which you can only attend if you're on low income/benefit support and put forward by your HV. The rest are all private so you can choose what hours/days you want to send them. It's a lovely school but I'll be transferring DS to the local primary school next year for reception, it's free

I'm pleased to hear it went well for your DS. Mine was having a bit of a rough patch behaivour wise at preschool before Christmas, had a few time-outs, that sort of thing but when he went back in January they said he was like a different boy. Hopefully your DS is feeling more settled now.

On the toilet front, no accidents all day from DS, until he went upstairs to choose his bedtime stories whilst I was finishing tidying up the kitchen, 2 minutes later I hear "mummmmmy, Oh I wet my pants"