18 month old upset on way home from nursery

[HowBad]

DD has been going to nursery for nearly six months. In the early weeks she was upset at drop off and pick up but this got better quite quickly. I used to feed her in the car before heading home (15-20 min drive) as that seemed to help settle her.

Lately, she is really upset when I go to put her in the car seat to go home, even if I feed her in the car first. I don't know what to do, but I dread picking her up for how awful the journey home is! I feel like I'm upsetting her. She gets on well at nursery; she's a more reserved child but seems to be comfortable there. Apparently she never cries, I feel as though perhaps it all bursts out when I pick her up (she is worse with me than DH) but I just don't know how to help her.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'd suggest that

1. She's really tired.
2. As you say, she lets out all the bottled up emotions and frustrations with you as you're her safe person.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions on how to help. But hang in there. She won't remember this in a few years' time.

I would second that. My DD was the same and still pretty much is at 14. She just needs to get the day out of her system. It's not that she finds the day awful but that she finds it a lot and needs to get it out. About age 10 it turned into incessant talking. My only advice is to try and take it in your stride. Also, check any potential sensory problems with eyes or ears. My DD was deaf despite having passed the newborn screening test. She still needs to get it all out, as does her father who's not deaf, so it's something else apart from that personality wise but the hearing thing really didn't help.