Tips for dropping wailing toddler off at pre-school please!

[theplumfairy]

2.10 year old DS is starting pre-school on Monday. He has had 3-4 "practice sessions" with my mum there to look after him. She left him for short periods during the practice sessions to get him used to being there alone.

He has been going to a childminder for a full day every Thursday since he was 8 months old but has recently started wailing and getting very upset when I drop him off. I think it's probably because another child started to do it so it gave him ideas. I tend to give him a kiss and go straight away because that's what the childminder prefers. She says he stops crying as soon as I'm down the garden path.

Anyone got some wonder tips for helping him start pre-school off on a better note?

Man up!

Seriously - drop off with minimum fuss. Point out a marvellous toy, say goodbye and go!

I think its the age - my DS having been fine since 6 months -started clinging to me - lasted about a month -so long as he is fine once you have gone - just give a big hug and go

I agree that minimum fuss is best. I work in a preschool and the children really vary from those who never cry to those who cry every day for a month. 99% of them stop within a few minutes after the initial sttling in period.

We tend to phone parents of lo's who continue to cry for a long time for the first couple of weeks and usually they stay longer and longer each time.

You should be able to choose how you do the settling in.

Remember to always say goodbye and that you will be back when you have done your jobs or the shopping or whatever. Dc's have to actually learn that you are coming back, they dont automatically know.

Good luck .

Dump and run

As quickly as possible! Prolonging is not good - just give them a ring after half an hour if you're worried.

Don't sneak off, make sure you say a cheery goodbye (even if you don't feel like that!) and that you'll be back soon/after he's played etc.

Agree with not sneaking off. I can pull out a cheery smile at any occasion now!

We always talk about nursery on the way there and sometimes the night before. We go through the names of the lovely girls that work there and talk about the toys and the little friends she will see, making the association really fun and exciting . Usually when we arrive there now she cheers and starts saying various names on the way in.

Had similar with my DD. I tried it all, staying, leaving, running off etc...all to differing degrees of success.
What really helped but drove me effing bonkers was 'role playing' nursery for ooooh, about 3 hours a day!
We would take it in turns but normally it would go like this - no props needed BTW...I pretend to be her and make a fuss about going, checking she'll (as Mummy) pick me up at 1pm etc... etc... and then I'd hide for a few seconds in a different room, etc....playing out all sorts of secnarios, sometimes we'd 'stay' at nursery and play. I noticed it really helped....and after about 4 months, morphed into different games - thankfully.

Cheery smile
Big hug kiss
Said goodbye
I will be back after, the bell rings/when the mummies come/after lunch/tea any clear point in the day

Easier said than done! I sat in the car crying after dropping ds off one time, only positive is when I told nursery teacher she said I did such a food job faking a cherry goodbye she thought I was fine and so didn't call me to let me know how great he was doing til a bit later.