DC crying when nearing school and dropping off

[hopjumpskipplop]

The crying started later on in reception, but he had always said he didn't want to go . No real issues with drop off at preschool, some anxiety crying when it got to home time ( after lunch pick up for him). I think the worry would I pick him up and the relief of me coming. He really liked preschool and playing and helping the staff.

The not liking school and crying coincided with when they started doing the harder bridging work for them starting year one. Dc is one of the youngest and doing ok, although dislikes writing. It's heartbreaking, I don't know what to do as I'm forcing him into the classroom. He attended through lockdown we were keyworkers.

How can I help ?

My mum thinks he's playing me, whatever that means, not very helpful

Have you talked to school and asked what he's like when you've left. Generally, children get drawn in to what the class is doing pretty quickly and then are fine. If he was in my class (I'm a TA), I would try some of the following:

Giving him a job in the morning so he had something to focus on rather than just you leaving

A visual timetable so it's clear what order things are happening in the day, making sure hometime is clear for him to see so he can track through the day's events and know you're coming back to pick him up

Perhaps a transitional object, so something of yours that you ask him to "look after" for the day - just something small that would fit into his pocket so he can put his hand in his pocket and feel it and be reminded that he's looking after it for you because you're coming back to pick him up later

I would suggest you leave as quickly as possible in the morning, as hard as that may be, because prolonging the transition will just let the emotions keep building and building.

@GetTheGoodLookingGuy I talked to his reception teacher about it and she said he was mostly fine during the day. Occasionally a I miss Mum moment.

Since being in year one it's been a disruptive year, he's not had his allocated teacher, so on the 3rd supply teacher and the class and DS have had all had Covid. It's a bit of tricky situation to complain about as the school havent said where the allocated teacher is or if they have gone, but it's not been handled well. So this makes it worse of course although there are two Ta's ( one is a specials needs one) so some continuity)

I will try the object, great idea