3 yesr old hates preschool

[Rororo1]

Hi my 3 year old has just qualified for the 15h funding so is now going to preschool for the 3h afternoon sessions. Prior to this he was mostly with me but also enjoys going to other family members houses etc (didn't enjoy baby groups though).

He was really excited to go to nursery, I explained that I wouldn't be there with him and he ran through the gate on the first day without a backwards glance. He came out 2h later sobbing saying 'you told me it wasn't going to be a long time but it was!!!' The teachers said he cried on and off the whole session asking for me. I've spoken to him about it and he says the teachers are nice, its good there but he just misses me too much so he doesn't play with anything he just cries and says 'i love mommy'.

I've managed to get him there every day so far (7th session today) but it's getting harder and harder and he's crying more beforehand as well as not improving throughout the day when he's actually there. The staff are lovely and very accommodating, I've dropped down to just doing 1.5h every day but he's still in tears and just had to be prised off me at the gate. They have suggested I take him for morning sessions instead so will be trying that from tomorrow, but I can't see it making much difference really. He has a very wide vocabulary and is great at expressing how he feels, so I think it is genuinly a case of him just missing me, nothing else suspect going on.

He doesn't HAVE to go there, I'm not needing to go to work, I thought I would try it as he was so keen to go before and I would appreciate a little bit of free time each day for the first time in 3 years!! But I feel like if it's going to be like this it's just not worth it?? He's clearly getting nothing out of it and it's making me feel ill, like a black cloud hanging over my head constantly.

So my question would be, how long would you stick with it before just saying 'he's not ready' and giving up? To clarify again, it's his 7th session today, drop offs are getting harder each day and I don't think he's improving while actually there either, although I will ask when I collect today.

Thanks!

I agree with them that morning sessions may be better.
It took my son 3/4 weeks to settle into nursery and have no tears. He was also peeled off me.

It's a total change for him, new surroundings, new people, new toys, you aren't there it takes awhile for them to settle.

Personally I would give him afew more weeks. Let the chance for the morning sessions to happen and see how he goes with them.

We don't need nursery for childcare but he has learnt and grown so much I would try and stick to it if he'll settle.

The socialisation if really beneficial at his age, so I’d personally give it a whole month of sessions before making a decision. If no improvement at all by the end of that month, maybe consider trying again in a little while, but otherwise keep assessing week by week.