Horrible induction day.

[Kaz33]

DS2 (just turned 4) had his first two hour session at school for starting in September.

He started complaining in the car on the way to school. By the time he had got there he had got himself in to a state. He had to be peeled off me.

He was fine when I went they told me.

But then we had to come back two hours later to go to lunch with them. He refused to sit down, wandered around the hall looking miserable. Finally he realised that that he couldn't escape and relunctantly returned to the table for ice cream.

Horrible and he is supposed to go back and do it again on Thursday. Contemplating not going because i don't see what good it will do him to be peeled off me again.

Oh I'm sorry to hear this. But I guess it is not uncommon. Does he have an older sibling at the school?

I think that the peeling off bit can go on for quite a long time with some chldren so at least if you do go again he will start to appreciate that the routine is similar and he is safe (and you're not going to somewhere "resuce" him). I appreicate that he may not even realise he is due to go again.

Yes, DS1 is at the school and I had no problems with him.
I do realise that he is manipulating me and certainly his behaviour at lunch time was just him playing up. But I did feel very silly as I sat there while he moped around the hall.

Strangely enough I feel that if I let him win this battle about thursday (which he does know about) that he will be ok in September, quite often if i let him win one small battle then he acquieses on bigger things - if that makes sense.

You know your son best - if you can do this 'deal' with him and you think he will remember it in Sept and be OK then I would do so.

My ds is a little like this too and generally as long as i give in on small things he will then move on the bigger things that he knows I will not give up on anyway!

I remember with DS1 (now Y4) - I was the only mother who stayed to the induction mornings because he was in such a state about my leaving. I anxiously asked the teacher how I was going to cope with his "clingy behaviour problem". She confidently replied - "He hasn't got a problem - he just loves his mum a lot!" - put it into perspective for me. He did have to be peeled from me for the first 10 days he was properly at school(again the only one!) but then he settled happily and we have never had a problem since. The teachers are used to dealing with this and in my experience it's just not worth worrying about - in fact they will probably pick up on any anxieties we have which will make the situation worse. With my other 2DCs, if there was any sign of reluctance to go into the school I would just shoved them at the nearest classroom helper and made my escape - it never caused a problem and they had always settled within about 30 seconds of my leaving.

I know this will be my DS on Monday {sad}.