My DD2.5 has been going to the same nursery since she was 10 months old. She goes 9-5 four days a week and, although it took her a few months to settle at drop off initially, has been extremely happy there since she was around 18 months - running in in the morning excited to see her friends, not wanting to come home in the evenings, asking to go at weekends, etc.
She is generally a very happy, confident, bubbly, talkative child at home.
For the past week it’s almost as though she’s had a personality transplant! As soon as she realises we’re taking her to nursery she becomes distraught, asking to stay at home with mummy. She is getting very distressed at drop off and for two days last week I had to go and collect her after just a couple of hours because she would not stop sobbing and clinging to staff and asking for mummy.
She has become quite and withdrawn at home too and repeatedly says she wants to stay with mummy.
She has a new, 9 week old baby sister so I assume all of this is just a delayed response to that. It is so out of character for her and is heartbreaking to see. Her dad and I are giving her as much love and cuddles and reassurance as we can at home.
Ordinarily she really loves nursery so I don’t think the answer is to pull her out. I will need her to go there when I return to work in a few months so ideally need to find a way to get her happy there again. The nursery staff are lovely and can’t think of anything that might have upset her there.
Has anyone been through sudden and extreme nursery refusal? Any tips for dealing with this? My heart is breaking for her at the moment.