Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

DS (3) suddenly unhappy at nursery

2 replies

Banderchang · 31/08/2012 11:14

DS (aged 3.5) has been going to nursery 2.5 days a week since he was 1. After the initial settling period, he's always been very happy there - never minded moving up a room or new staff or anything.

But suddenly this week he's been really unhappy and I'm not sure what to do. We were on holiday last week, but only for a week so he'd only missed a couple of his usual nursery days. But he's cried going in each day this week and has been tearful while there in the day too. When I ask him what's wrong, he says things that happened ages ago like he bumped his chin (which he did, I got an accident report), or someone pushed him (again I know that happened but nursery dealt with it at the time and he's been fine since). He's had toiletting accidents and been tearful and all sorts this week and I just don't know what to make of it.

Just wondering whether anyone else has experienced this and whether it's just a developmental phase or something? He's in the pre-school room and some of the bigger boys have left to go to school recently so things are changing. His key worker said she thinks it's him being sensitive to changes in the room and holidays and things, but it seems to be upsetting him so much that I'm not sure what to do for the best.

We're on holiday for the next 2 weeks so he won't be going in then which might be a good or a bad thing. He already takes a teddy from home in each day, so I'm not sure what else I could do to help him feel better. He used to love nursery and be so excited telling me what he'd done each time, but now I ask him if he's had a nice day he says "No Mummy because you weren't there and I couldn't be happy without you" :(

Any thoughts or kind words - I'm so sad for him :(

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Metalhead · 31/08/2012 15:07

It might just be what his key worker said and he needs some time to adjust to these little changes. My DD is younger than him (2.2), but she went through a similar phase when she was moved to the toddler room. At first she was fine, then suddenly she'd cry her eyes out every morning when we dropped her off. It was heartbreaking, but after a few weeks things settled down again and now she's fine. Good luck with your DS!

Banderchang · 31/08/2012 15:14

Thanks Metalhead. I'll see what he's like after our holiday - hopefully preschool will have settled down again then with all the big ones going off to school.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page