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Behaviour/development

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3 yr old playing up at school

3 replies

jambot · 13/05/2008 12:42

My DD is 3.2yrs. She has been at the same playgroup since she was 2. There are about 15 children, ranging in age from 2 to my daughter, who is one of the oldest. I always thought she seemed happy there, but since Easter she seems very unhappy. Her teacher says she is worried as she doesn't want to play with the other kids and prefers to be alone all morning. She often won't do as she is told and has just this last week started wetting herself at school. Twice today. She also tore up a book on purpose yesterday. When I ask her why, she just says "cause I want to", which doesn't explain anything. She also says she doesn't want to go to school and that the 2 teachers don't like her. I know that's not the case and they are very nice ladies.
Don't quite know how to broach this one. She is normally such a happy child at home. I don't want her to be unhappy, but as an only child, I feel it's so important for her to go to school and be with the other children.

OP posts:
avenanap · 13/05/2008 12:45

It sounds like she's very unhappy. Have they told her off for something, sometimes when little ones are told off they interpret this as them not being liked? What's she like when you drop her off?

duchesse · 13/05/2008 12:48

Do you think she could be bored? Are they addressing her intellectual needs? Or expecting her to do what the others do when she is beyond it already. Sounds to me like she is not getting enough appropriate attention there and is misbehaving /regressing to get noticed the way the younger children do. Frankly it may be time to move her if they are not adapting to her growing age.

yetihed · 13/05/2008 12:57

Ah, I really felt for your little girl reading your post. It must be so difficult to leave her every day if you think she's unhappy.

Did something change at the nursery at Easter? Staff? New children? Or is there something different at home that she may be transferring her anxieties into that setting? If it's something subtle (home or nursery) then she may not be able to express what it is that's the problem- it may just be in their attitude towards to her, rather than anything as explicit as being told off.

I also agree with duchesse- maybe 3 year olds aren't their thing and they're not dealing with her appropriately for her age, expecting too much/ little. It may just be time for a change.

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