22mo suddenly started crying when left at nursery

[eastegg]

There's been a sudden change in DS at nursery. He's been going since he was 7 months, has always been happy and never once cried at being left. Until this week, when he's done it for the 3rd day running today. There have been no changes I'm aware of (he hasn't changed rooms yet, no big staff changes).

The only change it has coincided with is that he is also currently refusing food quite a lot, and when he first arrives at nursery in the morning the routine is that he sits down for breakfast. Tuesday he was so upset he didn't have any breakfast, yesterday thankfully they settled him down and he actually ate well all day and ended up his normal self. I've wondered whether he's getting upset because it's a mealtime, but I don't think so.

He's still teething one and off and has had some slightly disturbed nights recently.

Any experiences of this sort of thing?

Hello you never said how old your ds is now?

DD1 is 2 and a half and the same thing has happened. She's been going to nursery very happily since she was 6 months (three days a week); I also at times (twice a month) use the creche at my gym, and she has always gone to play happily there. All of a sudden last week she cried when I left her at nursery - at the 'goodbye' moment, I see her little lovely face get all sad and then she sobs and it becomes very difficult for me to leave her.
The staff have been wonderful and told me it is just a phase they go through, and that she is fine after five minutes - they suggest I leave quickly after I drop her off. Last Wednesday when I left I gave her a big bag of pull ups to carry inside, and that helped distracting her, and she was fine, but again today at the gym creche she cried and I felt awful - is there something else going on or is it just a bit of separation anxiety that will pass? Any suggestions as to how to deal with this - it is painful to see her distraught.

I think sometimes children just get abit more knowing as they get older. They understand more eg that you are leaving them and will be gone awhile. I am speaking as a childminder who has cared for alot of children over the 13 years that I have minded. It can be that they are ill or teething ect. But I think you just need to make the goodbye short and sweet. and trust the people you are leaving them with that when they say the little one is fine in a few minutes then it maybe they are just letting you know that they might rather be at home with you. Ifthe screaming gets worse and last longer and the child is clearly unhappy then find somewhere new.

Thanks for the replies. happy sorry the age was in the title to the post but nowhere else so easy to miss!

pinguina how reassuring to know this is not that weird, but sorry about your DD. What has concerned me is the suddenness; they both seem quite old for this to be starting now. I read online that 12-18 months tends to be the worst time for it, but that some children don't experience it until 18-30months. Although Tuesday was horrible as the upset seemed to continue for a while and he didn't eat well, on Wed and Thurs he settled down quite well which was a relief. I've always been very happy with the nursery and trust the staff who are attentive enough to report even small problems/changes,so I don't think anything's happened there that I wouldn't know about.

I think leaving decisively is definitely good, as is saying a very cheery goodbye. The staff have been settling DS with raisins (his fav food at the mo) although the downside of that was that today with me he had a paddy at not being able to just have raisins for breakfast!

I took him to a playgroup today and he went very clingy when we first got there, so I think that tends to show it's not specific to nursery, like your DD pinguina.

I don't have any more tips at the mo as this is such a new thing for me. DS won't go to nursery now until Tuesday so I'll see how it goes.

Well, today she went in fine - first we had to go to see the health visitor for the 2 and a half year check up, and she reassured me that this behaviour can happen - and so suddenly - and that she'll grow out of it. They gave her a red bag full of books and she was very proud to show it off at nursery, so when I said goodbye she was absolutely ok. Perhaps I'll think of something for her to carry every time she attends nursery for the next few weeks and see how that goes.
Good luck!