My 2 1/2 yr old gets really upset to go to kindy!?

Question

My son is 2 1/2 and has been going to kindy now for about 5 weeks just 2 days a week! I cannot even mention the word 'KINDY' without him breaking down in tears. His kindy teacher tells me that he stops crying less than a minute after I leave. So I am wondering what I can do at home that will make him feel better before he goes to kindy.

Please help because it breaks my heart :(

Answer 1

Don't let it break your heart, talk to him like an adult, he needs to learn how to deal with things that upset him on his own, for the most part.  He needs to learn how to calm himself down.  Just tell him that it's good and all the other boys go to kindy when they are his age and he should be fine.  He'll get used to it.

Answer 2

my mom told me that when my sister was young she h8ed kindergarden 2. my mom said that it mite have been the neglect and lack of attention she recieved there. she also said that unless you cant avoid it, dont send ur kid there. try asking ur son why he doesnt like going there and tell him that he can meet new friends and play with toys and have fun. tell him good stuff about kindergarden. good luck

Answer 3

Talk about all the kids he will play with and how much fun they will have.  Tell him how he can draw you a pic, etc, while at school.

What is kindy anyway?  Preschool?

Answer 4

i know how it must feel when you need to leave him there.

as another person below me suggested, check to make sure the teachers are ok, ask around, watch carefully how they interact. Now what u might consider doing is dropping your son off at school and when he thinks you are gone, you should  watch him through a window or something. Stand around a corner maybe. Remember this is quite normal. Children don't realize that you will come back for him/her and they need reassurance. Be very optimistic about school Say "Come on honey all your friends are having a great time at kindergarten. it's great!" and so on. Mention it all the time so that it doesn't turn into the dreaded word. kids also want attention and maybe he feels that you give him more when he cries about kindergarten. You know your son the best so you can judge this situation. Check it out and after a while, he will learn that this is somehting he has to do.

good luck

Answer 5

Kindy? is that pre-school or child care? sounds very young to be going to a formal setting unless it is necessary for work etc. Maybe he is just not ready to separate? Some children at 5 1/2 or 6 still have trouble so a 2 1/2 yr old would cretainly feel it! In my opinion, he needs to be home and in a loving, trust building   'safe' environment maybe with some little friends coming over to play while you get a chance to socialise too. There are many fun things you can do together to begin his journey towards formal education if he is really not ready to separate. What about a play group instead? Build some friends and then they can go off together next year. It is better to be a little older when you start formal education.  Good luck. It's not easy to make decisions for your children. Trust your own instincts.

Answer 6

U need to SHOW him what fun kindergarten iz

Answer 7

I realize that he is 2 1/2 already....but if all the great advice I see listed here isn't working...play games with him like "Peek-a-Boo" and hide and seek.  Peek-a-Boo is a great game for babies on many cognitive levels but especially what is referred to as "Object permanence", children have difficutly understanding that when they don't see something (someone) it can still exist.  Good luck, and take a deep breath.

Answer 8

kindy?

Answer 9

Check out the school..how much play time does it have..does it have a lot of activities...r the teachers nice...not just to u..

Answer 10

Bring him around little kids more.

Start letting a babysitter watch him a couple times a week while you go out or something, this is what I had to do with my 2 year old.. kinda get him used to the idea.

Also try making it sounds fun :)

Like my sons babysitter, we call her Miss Rachel, and we ask him about the toys and snacks and stuff :) he gets so excited!

Answer 11

Just make sure he knows that you will always come back for him.

Never take him there and leave when he isn't looking. Always say something like, "Alright Jack I am going to go now. I will be back in a half hour."

I am not sure that this is the problem.. but he needs to know that you aren't leaving him.

Answer 12

Talk about all the kids he will play with and how much fun they will have. Tell him how he can draw you a pic, etc, while at school.

Answer 13

do activities at home that remind your kid of kindy

Answer 14

Lol, for those of you who don't know what kindy is, it's short for kindergarden which kids go to a year before they go to pre-school. It's basically a bunch of games with a bit of learning to get kids ready for pre-school.

I think the other people have the right idea, try first to tell him about all the fun things he'll do in kindy for a while, and be strict when it comes to you leaving. Maybe ask him why he doesn't want to go and then address his fears?

Answer 15

since the teacher told you that he stops  2 min after you leave and most of the children do i would ignore his crying because he is putting a show to get you to take him home with you. after you drop him off and he starts crying go down on your knees and look him in the eyes and just say without feeling bad for him that he is going to be fine and you will pick him up soon and give him a hug and a kiss and walk out without looking back, i know that is going to hared on you more than him but that is the only way to make him stop.

Answer 16

First off, try not to worry about what is happening when your son is at Kindergarten, the likelihood of anything negative within the setting upsetting your son are very slim.  

If you aren't already aware of what happens at 'Kindy' a chat with your son's teacher about what he gets up to throughout the day might help a little with the heartbreak!  Knowing the activities he is taking part in are aiding his development and realising the fun he is having will help you to realise you are doing the right thing!  (Although you probably know this already!)

Most children who attend pre-school, kindy or any Early Years setting develop their personal, social and emotional skills at a much higher level than children who miss out on early learning and go straight into school, and starting early is a good thing; your son will turn into an independent learner who can make friends, make choices and deal with all manner of occurrences.

A visual timetable (photographs or symbols to indicate activities throughout the day) at Kindy might help with the upsets; speak to the school about their thoughts on this, your son will be able to control his time and have an awareness of when you will be coming back for him.

When you drop your son off the best thing to do would be to get him involved in an activity with another child or adult, say your goodbyes, tell him when you will be back, and go.  Staying too long will probably add to the upset as your son knows you will leave at some point, so the sooner the better!