Kids crying while attending preschool for the first time is a normal situation. Now if it extends to a few days, it’s still understandable. But if this prolongs to months all together- then there is a problem to resolve.
Most kids settle within a week to ten days. The separation anxiety is calmed down when they get used to the routine and when there is no way out.
However, in cases where children don’t feel comfortable they vent out by crying and showing reluctance to go to school. When my son started preschool, it took us a while to settle down. Every night he would say- “I won’t go tomorrow, my tummy hurts” or “Myleg is aching, I can’t walk, I won’t go”. There were so many excuses that came up every night.
Yes, it took us a good 10 days. Our morning routine would start with loud cries and wails disturbing the whole family. The usual advantage of gaining pity and sympathy followed which made it even more difficult to solve.
We later found out, that he was seated at the back of the bus all the time which made him dizzy and sick. His cries were directly proportional to the amount of dizziness he felt. He later shared with us- “I feel like vomiting when I enter the bus” With the small polite conversation with the bus conductor, we got his seat changed and he was happy.
Most kids also dread their teachers however polite they are. And this fear changes into a behavior which makes them cry in advance. So visit the teacher and talk about how this can be individually dealt with. She will surely help.
The problem that we faced was not getting enough sleep. These usual vent outs were just an indication that he is not fresh enough to feel energetic for school. So we started having early nights. After covering about 10 hours of sleep, we could see the change and the willingness to attend school increased.
Preschool is start to the discipline in the child’s life. So there are rules to follow and that hinders their freedom of living. How to sit, how to talk, how to behave is being observed closely by their teachers and even taught about the best behavior traits. Kids usually do not like all this. They rather stay home and do what they feel like. Any change in their routine causes trouble and affects their behavior patterns.
Usually, crying in the only form of expression preschoolers have. They do not communicate or express about what they are feeling exactly.
So the next time, your child cries while attending pre-school, try and figure out the exact reason. Ask a lot of questions and make it easier for them to express what they feeling. If it prolongs the normal time frame, then visit the school. Maybe even a doctor visit will do well if the situation persists.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?