5yo DS keeps crying when away from me - please help!

[whitesheep]

DS has always been a bit shy and more attached to me than DH, but has grown in confidence over the years and is generally a happy, normal child. We need to be careful when taking him into unfamiliar situations (eg: never arrive late at a party, as it's too overwhelming, etc.) but otherwise he is settled in school (Year 1) and doing well academically.

Since around Easter, he's started to find it more difficult to go away from me. He's cried going into school on 2 occasions, and this weekend he cried while at a sleepover with his cousins - when he'd normally love it! This morning I left for work with him banging on the window and mouthing 'I miss you'. I'm finding this really hard.

I work 3 days per week, but it's been 4 days pretty consistently since Christmas. Is this having an effect on him or am I just looking for ways to blame myself? It does mean that I drop off/collect him less than before.

I really need advice - my instincts tell me to try and spend more time with him, but is this wrong? Will this actually make it harder for him to be away from me? Or is this just a developmental stage that he needs to get through?

I know this might sound trivial but it's really bothering me, because I have no idea what to do for the best and I hate to see him so upset.

It doesn't sound trivial at all. I have no advice I'm afraid but I can still to this day remember crying on several occassions at school when my mum left ( I must have been about 5 or 6!) I turned out reasonably OK. Just try and reassure him as much as possible and give extra cuddles before school. Do you think there is anything at school that is bothering him?

If not then he will grow out of it and I'd just try talking to him about it and give lots of hugs. I think my mum just tried to reason with me and explain she'd be back soon. I'd love to be able to offer more help but I can't!

Thanks for the support. My instinct is just to cuddle him more and reassure him. I also offer rewards on his sticker chart for being brave.

He says he doesn't like school (just recently) but the teacher says he's fine and he's doing really well, and he can't say why. He doesn't have any really close friends, but the teacher says he plays happily with lots of the other children and can fit into the different groups. He did cry at my sister's this weekend, saying he wanted to come home, and this is totally unheard of!

I've also noticed he is taking longer to get to sleep at night.

He often talks about being a bit poorly, or 'not a hundred percent' (my expression!) and that he might have to come home if he's not feeling well.

They're a worry, aren't they.

OK, he really sobbed this morning when I left for work. I gave him a tiny 'magic gnome' to keep in his pocket at school, but he was almost hysterical. How do I help him??