Angry after daycare?

Question

My neice has just started daycare at the age of 3 and has been goign for 2 weeks now. But lately I've noticed that she has been coming home from the Daycare with quite a temper. She doesn't want to listen, and argues alot, throwing alot of fits.

From the notes that are brought home from the daycare, she seems to be taking naps, and going to the bathroom ok. She gets along with the other children too.

My question is, Why does she act up at home after daycare?

Answer 1

My daughter has done this on occasion as well. The reason why she is acting out is that this is the  only means of letting you know she wants some one on one time with either you, the parent, or guardian.Talk to  her calmly and let her know you understand she is upset that she really missed either you or her parents today and that you would love to go home and play a game, swing on the swing set with her, or just do whatever she would like to do. It is all about needing attention from the people she loves.

Answer 2

my son never went to day care. i had lots of relatives eager to keep him.  but even now, he's 5, when he comes from my mum's or my sister's, he's with a temper.  i still have figured out the reason. when he was younger i thought he was angry with me for leaving him, or that he was tired.  now we have an agreement, i won't let him stay to play with cousins, if he comes home bossing and arguing! and he's learning to control his "temper".  but i still don't know why he does it.

i don't think it's because she has to share her attention with others at daycare. my son didn't have to share his attention with anyone at mum's.

Answer 3

What I've read is that children wait until they are with their parents to have meltdowns because the parents are the ones they trust most. Your niece is very little and is probably stressed in the new daycare situation.  A child that small will not feel comfortable showing those feelings in front of virtual strangers, but will wait until she gets to the safety of home to let it all out.

I am a stay-at-home mom, and I take my daughter to the park a few mornings a week. While we are there, we often see and interact with children from local daycares who are out at the park for the morning.  The number of rules and the amount of correction on the part of the adults is mind-boggling.  The kids constantly are told to do this and don't do that, and I see a lot of time-outs, even for the littlest of kids. My daughter never has to experience this, and after seeing it, I would never want to put her in daycare. I'm very fortunate to be able to stay with her, I know.

I think that all of the rules, the aggressive kids, and the chaos make for a very exhausted child, even after a few hours.  Your niece is probably coming home with her head reeling from all of the things that she is having to adapt to in a short time.

Answer 4

She may just not want to leave. They may be use to what the daycare is providing her. Daycare and home have their differences and she may just like how things run more at the Daycare

Answer 5

That is an unfortunate problem many parents notice with their children in daycare.  They don't get one-on-one attention so they get frustrated and end up acting it out later.  Also they pick up bad things from the other kids there.

Answer 6

Maybe she isn't getting as much attention. She might be used to being the only one and the adult caring for only her, so it might be a transistion she's trying to deal with.

Answer 7

It is hard being so well behaved for those few hourse.  She has wasted all that energy being good at school that when she gets home, she has a meltdown.  Give it a little more time, she will adjust and will soon come home a happy little girl!!

Answer 8

im not a professional but i also have a 3 year old in day care and he acts up as well. my guess would be that at day care its a group situation and when they get home they want personal attention so they do that but acting up. at day care they spend the whole day not having attention to themselves. so when they get home they try to get some attention and at 3 thats how they do it. hope this helps

Answer 9

my girls both do it - one is 5 and one is 2.5 - i don't think it's that they're angry it's just they're tired - it's a big day full of lots of adventure and activities.