DD has just turned two and has just started preschool. We went in for a bit last week -she was happy to play and did move away from me towards the end so was reasonably optimistic. We went in today for a full session and although. she was happy to play at first, she didn't really get to the point where she moved away from me. I was planning to leave for 5 mins come back, then leave for longer etc but it didn't happen as after about an hour or so she became really quite disruptive. Refused to sit on the carpet, shouting, taking shoes and clothes off, messing up other children's activities etc. Basically refused to participate with the group at all. I cringe thinking about it. She's never disruptive in toddler groups, she sits down with the other children and generally follows instruction quite well (at groups that is -at home she can be a handful as two year olds are wont to be).
I don't know what to do for the next session. I dont think me staying there the full session is achieving much as she's not really interacting with the staff and becoming familiar with them whilst I'm there. But then I watch at her at home and she's like a baby duck -follows me from room to room and I just wonder whether she's ready for this or not.
I'm not sure whether to persist and leave her for a bit next session or forget preschool altogether. I've always said I'd never leave her crying for me but I cant imagine there won't be tears. She wouldn't even leave me to go out to the shops with her Dad yesterday. We aren't together and so that experience of someone leaving and not being around so much may well factor into how clingy she is. I want to reassure her and make her feel secure enough that she feels happy to go off and play on her own at preschool without me, not break her into doing it.
Any tips or ideas on how to approach this?