DS Struggling to settle

[DettaWalker1]

Hi Mums,
as you know school has started again and my DS (4) just started at Primary school. He used to go to Nursery full time and was very settled there as we both work full time. He loved going there and we never really had any problems at nursery.

He's now started school 10 days back and was fine in the first few days.
Then he said he didn't like going to after school club, then he cried at the prospect of having to go, and now he hates going to school AND after school club. I spoke to the people at after school club and its no surprise he's intimidated - there are 70 children attending it up to key stage 2 and those really intimidate the little ones.

So the past few mornings he'd wake up crying knowing he had to go to school. He really dreads going and will burst out in tears over and over again, and of course finally at the breakfast club.

I'm very concerned that things have gone down-hill and I am wondering how to fix it.

What has worked for you in the past to help your children settle better and stop dreading to go?

Thanks for any advice...!

Can you get a childminder instead?

My son is also 2 weeks into reception, and has been attending after school club, but not breakfast club. He seems to like both school and club, but is so so tired and grumpy at the end of day. I also wasn't happy with the after school club - the range of ages, the staff, the food. So I decided at the weekend to reduce my hours so that I can pick my son up straight from school. That's my solution.

Oh bless, your poor little man. DD used to be like this for a little while. We definitely found that being one of the first children to arrive REALLY helped. I stayed with her as some more trickled in and generally would sit her next to one of her friends, with a task to do and then leave. By then she would have calmed down.

But I also second maybe using a CM instead of breakfast/after school club, if you can. They generally have fewer children and everything is more settled. She may even have some older children in her care who will take a protective stance with your DC when they get to school.

The only downside of this is that on occasion it may contradict my first bit of advice... There is a CM at DD's school who is taking around 8 or 9 children to school (walking from her house) and because she has to get them all into school, she always looks harassed and stressed, which may not help your DS. So choose wisely...

Good luck.