Separation anxiety

[Newmum26]

DS is a few months off turning 3 years old and has developed separation anxiety lately. He gets upset when I say I'm leaving and cries but ultimately is fine within 5 minutes of me going and is happy afterwards.
I'm a SAHM so he's only ever been with me, and I leave him with Grandma and Nanny once a week while I do some jobs, he reacts the same when I leave him with them even though they are family and he knows them very well and sees them all the time
He started Pre school last week and cried when I dropped him off but I phoned after and they said he settled within 10 minutes and was happily playing.
Today he is due to go Pre school again this afternoon but he is now anticipating going and keeps saying 'Mummy I'm not going Pre school now' and I say 'not now later on after lunch' and he says 'later, later' as if he's trying to put it off. He even gets emotional while talking about going and starts to well up at the thought of me leaving him, even though I've told him mummy will always come back and get you.
I started writing this before I dropped him off but have just got back and I'm in tears it was awful he just clung to me crying 'I just want to go home take me home mummy' I tried staying for a while but that made him worse and in the W Ed I had to hand him to one of the ladies while she peeled him off me screaming 'I want to go home' I feel terrible and am so upset 😭😭
Is this normal behaviour at this age? how can I help him?

Anyone? X

How many days is he going per week?

3 hours on a Monday and 3 hours on a Friday x

My DD is a similar age, and has been going through this too. She’s always been a confident, sociable little thing, and used to being looked after by my mum (who she loves!) reasonably regularly when I work, and every couple of weekends it’s just her & DH whilst I work. I only work very part time, but have done since she was about 10 months old, so nothing new.

Over the summer she started getting very upset when I went anywhere, whoever she was left with (DH or my mum) crying for me etc. It was the same when she started preschool - she loved it at first but then had to be prized off me.

There wasn’t really anything we did, we’ve just had to go with it, and she seems to be settling down - just a difficult (heart wrenching!) phase.

One thing that helped with preschool is I would be happy, say goodbye cheerfully and give her a kiss - I wouldn’t keep going back to settle her - just sort of had to do it quickly. Also never sneaking off - even though saying goodbye was harder for her, I read somewhere it can be more upsetting if they just wonder where you are!