I am a SAHM to a boy who will be 20 months in 2 days. He has never been in a daycare situation, but has been?

Question

in the nursery at church several times, starting when he was around 9 months old. Each time he's left in the nursery, he cries for us for a little while, but then calms down. However, whomever we hand him to when we get there is who he clings to the whole time. He might play some with the other kids, but not a lot.

This past Sunday (after about a month and a half of not going to church) I dropped him off as usual. He was SOOO upset. He clung to me and cried and cried. I handed him over, thinking things would get better once I was gone. About 15 min later, I got called out of church b/c he had not stopped crying. The guy I handed him to said he was upset the whole time, and would only let him hold him. The one time he did put him down, he stood pointing at the door calling for Mommy. :(

I'm wondering if this is normal? Why does he cling to the one person. In other situations he is the most social child, with a great vocab. He loves other kids. Is this just sep anxiety??

Answer 1

My son is the same way, He is 2yrs old and has been home with me every day of his life, he is cool to play with other kids when i am around but will not stay with anyone.  If I try to take him to the daycare at the gym they come and get me after 15min of him crying, he will not even stay with my mom.  I just keep trying.  I think he will get over it the older he gets, or at least i hope

Answer 2

Yep, you nailed it. It's just seperation anxiety. A lot of kids his age react to new environments this way. It's normal but I know as a parent it breaks your heart. :( If you enrolled him in daycare he'd probably do the same thing for a few weeks or so before he got used to the place, the teachers, the kids, etc. After a while he'd get used to it but even then he might still cry when you left him in the a.m.

Answer 3

My son was just that same way, but his sister was the opposite.  She couldn't wait to get to nursery school when she was two.  My son finally outgrew the problem when he started playing at other kids' houses. He was about 4.