Little boy suddenly doesn't want to go to school :-(

[muminneedofsleep]

My son is only just four so the youngest in his class but for the last three weeks happily ran into class happy as larry. Then suddenly this morning after our normal routine we got to the school gate and he started stamping feet refusing to go into class then telling me his knee hurt then pretend crying (I could see he was smiling!!) has anyone else experienced this...i know it's terrible but I really felt myself getting angry especially with all the other mums staring and laughing and his baby sister crying. Any advice would be greatfully received.

Yes, totally normal.

The novelty and initial excitement factor has worn off, and he's now starting to realise that he has to go to school every day.

Plus he's just had a great weekend at home and is finding the daily school grind tiring ...

Try to be as quick and matter of fact over a goodbye as you can be. And rest assured that he willl be fine as soon as he gets in.
(and I doubt the other mums were really staring and laughing)

Yes, all that redskyatnight said. A few children in my DD's Reception class are crying in the mornings now though they weren't at the beginning of the term. My DD also 4 has just started saying she doesn't want to go too after running in the last few weeks.

The novelty of big school has definitely started wearing off. The other mums were probably laughing at his antics not at him or you. He should hopefully start running in again soon.

yep exactly what has already been said. Perfectly normal.

And please don't worry about what other people were thinking, I am sure they weren't laughing at you, more in sympathy with the situation. Just take your time, try to keep calm and parent in the way that works for you be that forcing him in the gate, explaining to him in no uncertain terms what the situation is, giving him big cuddles. whatever works for you. Don't worry about anyone else and what they are doing, he will get used to it. (and I know what you mean about a sibling not helping..... ignoring her for a few minutes won't hurt her - I always tried to look at it in the sense of 'if he/she had been a twin then he/she would have to wait so they are a sibling and will have to wait a minute' It will help focus you on dealing with him rather than worrying about her. I had to help another mum the other day get her child in to reception because she couldn't even wrestle him near the gate, he wasn't going to cooperate under any circumstances. it happens.

Thank you i really appreciate all your advice. always feels like everyones staring when your child has a melt down but was probably me just being over sensitive now ive had a chance to think about it.

If it continues to be a problem, then you can enlist a friendly Mum to take him in, it worked with mine.

Melt downs are quite normal. In any decent school the head will have a box of tissues for you if the behaviour ends up reducing you to tears. (As it has me before now.)

Or there are the nice parents who I have dumped DC1 on, on the way to school, as DC2 had a melt down because she'd forgotten her Teddy for Nursery.

He won't be doing this when he's 18!