My 16-month-old has been completely different since starting nursery a few weeks ago. He does 3 consecutive days there. While he’s there I end up checking in almost hourly as I’m so worried — they usually say he’s teary on and off but can be distracted.
At home though he is like a different child. He’s extremely unsettled, crying a lot, very clingy and uncomfortable, and his sleep has completely fallen apart. He’s waking every hour overnight and is very distressed.
When I hold him he isn’t jolting as if frightened, but he is shunting back, going very stiff and rigid, arching away from me, which is really upsetting to see and feels more like discomfort than fear.
What’s confusing me most is that he’s also showing all the signs he usually gets with his dairy allergy (poor sleep, extreme unsettledness, crying, discomfort), but nursery have confirmed he hasn’t had any dairy at all.
I know nursery is a huge transition and I expected some upset, but this feels quite extreme and constant, especially the night waking and how uncomfortable he seems at home. I’m torn between thinking it’s emotional overload from the 3 long days, separation anxiety, or whether something else is going on physically.
Has anyone else experienced such a big change after starting nursery? Did it settle? Could 3 consecutive days be too much at this age? Any experiences or thoughts welcome as I’m feeling really worried.
Thanks ❤️