"I don't want to go to school"?

[Whitecup]

Hi

I just wondered if this is a 'normal' phase or if I right to be as worried as I am. My DD (4) has spent all week saying she doesn't want to go to school. She has been very clingy at the school gates and not joining in with the other children in her class playing before they go into the classroom. This morning she looked so sad. She screamed not to go and it broke my heart to leave her. Last night she cried to my DH and told him she cried at school because she wanted mummy to cuddle her and that she was cold and lonely at school'.

She's a bright and friendly girl and whenever we go out/ go on holiday etc she makes lots of friends but I've noticed she seems a bit on the sideline at school and as if her confidence is knocked. I've brought it up with school before but keep getting the 'she's fine' response. I'm really at a loss- maybe she needs to toughen up a little but how can I make a 4 ear old child less sensitive? We don't mollycoddle her as it is.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated x

Maybe something specific is bothering her. This happened to me with my daughter right at the end of nursery. She has never liked boys but I didn't notice that in August all the girls, except one, had been withdrawn for various reasons. At that time my daughter started wailing on nursery mornings and begging to remain at home. She had previously always been happy to go. One evening I noted that she was in a room full of boys and asked a staff member where all the girls were. It wasn't till then that I figured out why her behaviour had changed. So I just kept her at home until school started.

hmmm I do think something must have triggered it she's been very much in her shell this week. I think a talk with the teacher is going to be necessary- I feel like I'm going round in circles guessing what coukd be wrong!