DS1 really upset about starting reception

[BotBotticelli]

He starts in September. He is a December birthday so will be one of the older ones in his year.

He has gone to a private nursery 4 days per week since he was 12mo and has been really happy there. Only one child from his nursery is starting his school (not really friend) and other than that he is going to be plunged into a class of 30 kids he doesn't know.

He is not dealing with it well 😫 We have had one settling-in session at the school so far and he had to be prized from my legs wailing his head off at the classroom door.

We have another 1hour session tomorrow and he was sobbing about it at bedtime tonight.

Is this normal? What shall I say and how should I deal with it?? It's heart breaking!

I am trying to be bright and breezy "oh you're a big boy now, you can't stay at nursery with all the babies, they have awesome toys and a forest school where you can climb trees etc etc etc" all to no avail.

Help!

To my surprise I have just had to calm my little boy down who having realised tomorrow is his last day in reception EVER had a major sobbing wobble at bedtime because he will be in Y1 next year, and he will miss ... his ... classroom (heaving sobs :-()

I think it can help to just be with them, acknowledge their feelings. You could say it is sad to leave nursery after so long there and scary to start a new school. However there will be some really good new things at school, you will help him and it will all be OK?

I had this worry 2 years ago. My ds was also in a private nursery, had to be prized from me on his one visit to the new school and I spent all summer worrying.

First day at school and he literally skipped in and has never looked back! I think he was just ready, be really positive and fingers crossed the same will happen to you