2 mornings of hopeless weeping!

[harrisey]

Ds, who is 5y6m, started school last Thursday. All was fine Thurs, Fri, cried on Sat morning as there was no school, fine Monday, but the last 2 mornings we have had crying, all kinds of complaints about sore tummy/head/legs etc ... school is boring, he doesnt like his teacher/classroom assistant/bus driver/playground supervisor/buddy, he wants homework and isn't getting any, he wants to stay all day, he doesnt want to go at all, he wants to have gym/not have gym etc etc etc...... any excuse, most of them contradictory.

I have spoken to his (very very nice) teacher when I picked him up at lunchtime today adn she said he is perfectly fine inthe class and playground, I asked his bus driver who says he's great, checked with dd1, his big sister, who says he is running round with the other little boys in the playground and seems fine, and he was great yesterday afternoon and evening, then inconsolable again this morning!

He has started up again now he is suposed to be in bed, doesnt want to go tomorrow ....

I dont think its a bullying prob or anything, he said everyone is nice to him, there arent any 'bad boys' at the school, or so he seems to think. I actually think it is just that it has sunk in that he has to go every day. He might be a bit bored, cos he can already count and write pretty well, but the teacher says she is just assessing them right now and he will start getting basic homework etc soon, and doing work.

He loved nursery, we have never had this sort of problem with him before, he goes to football and swimming and never looks back.

Its just breaking my heart to see my baby boy so upset -- I feel like an evil witch sending him to school......

His teacher says that he is fine once he is in school. Your dd says he is fine.

I know it is tough, but I would be sympathetic but calmy insis that he goes, and make as little fuss as possible.

He has to go, unless you want to home ed!

I'm sure he will settle down given a little time. many kids are like this at first

dd has gone to nursey since 4 months and never had any problems. this week she is doing a fun club (thank goodness, with this weather) and today she cried when we got there. she NEVER cries.
it's almost definitely a transition thing - particularly with the things he's saying - and will settle down. like you say, he's beginning to realise that this is 'for ever'.
would a claendar to tick off days, and sort weekends from the week, help at all?

Well he's happily getting dressed this morning - not sure what has changed, though he is very excited about gym today (cos he is gettig a 'boy teacher' for that!).

Long may it continue. And the sun is shining!

its happening again this morning, as I write he is crying loudly over his breakfast, having come up with all the excuses he had the other mornings.

I feel crap, I just shouted at him as he will not listen to a word I say, he had gone back to bed, saying he was 'too tired' for school, though he had been asleep since 7.30 last night.

I feel at the end of my tether but it has only happened a couple of times. He was so excited about school - what has gone wrong???

I don't know if this helps or not, but my dd cried practically every morning for two terms, and on and off thereafter until she was 8! However, once she was over the school doorstep she was fine and had a brilliant time and loved school. It was just the transition from home to school she found difficult. Once I had reassured myself that she was having a good time once she got there, I used to hand her over with a brisk hug and then sit on the wall outside until her teacher rang me to say she was happy. The longest time I ever had to wait for the call was 6 minutes and it was usually less than 5! It's horrible and you feel like the worst mother in the world, but it's much worse for you than the child, IMHO!
DD is now 11, and says she used to dread the saying goodbye bit, but looked forward to school at the same time, and, for what it's worth, thinks that the brisk, kind but not too sympathetic approach was the most helpful.
So, as long as you are sure there aren't any underlying problems, and is sounds as if there aren't, I'm afraid you have to be firm, sympathetic but insistent. I favour the 'broken record'technique "I'm sorry you feel like that but you have to go to school. We'll go to the park after school and have an ice cream"

Perhaps he would rather be at home, tho likes school when he gets there, and is seeing whether you are serious about him having to go every day???

After a fun weekend with little talk of school he went this morning laughing and joking!

Wondering if daddy working away all week last week was part of the problem? He doent work away often, so it was a change of routine from normal (though of course it all is).

Anyway, if he is happy I am happy!