My girls go to a Mommy's Morning Out program a couple days a week while I go to the office. My 2yr old, from day one LOVED it. She walked in, straight to the craft table, ready for the day. She was excited every morning to go to school. Not once did she cry or ask for me. ABout a month into it she suddenly started saying "I don't like school" or that she didn't want to go - she wanted to stay home instead - and now she cries every morning for about a week now. I don't think anything "happened" I have a feeling its just her being a typical 2yr old who is expressing her opinions. She does this with other things - suddenly will say she doesn't like her doll or her grandma's house, or pizza, etc.....but just wondering if anybody else has been through same thing and if so how long did it last - and any advice??
If I were you I would take a day off work and sit through the class and see. Or maybe a friend or family member can do it for you since having Mommy there might make everything better. But even if you do it, you should get an idea.
my daughter is doing the same thing. She goes to MMO and has liked it since day one. Then we went on vacation to Disney for a week. We ve been back for a week and she cried both days at MMO and also at her Gymboree class (which is Mommy and Me class). Im not sure what is going on. All she wants to do is stay home.
Did things get better for you? how long did it take?
When my daughter was 2 and in her first year of preschool, she cried at drop off every single day for the entire school year and said similar things like "I just don't like it". But at the end of each day, she beamed with pride showing me what she made and always said she had a fun day. So I didn't worry too much about it.
She is now 3 years old and I thought this year would be better. But she started doing it again. At 2, I think it was completely a separation issue. But this year, she seemed to have a real anxiety about school...especially the playground. She cried everyday at drop off and off and on during the school day for the first 3 weeks. She would tell me that she doesn't like it and wants to stay with me. I figured out that she was having trouble making friends. I gave her some tips on how to make friends, which she did, and she really loves school now.
So go with your instinct. It is very possible that she is just 2 and separation from mommy is a very hard thing for her right now and she will eventually get over it.
I think you will instinctively know if something of real concern is going on. Kids this age are not too great at hiding their emotions.
I am wondering if she saw other children at the daycare poop in their pants or cry when dropped off and she is inimating them. If she notices that having tantrums works for her new mates, she may be seeing if they will get her some attention as well.
When my daughter entered school and saw a child kick the mother in the shin and yell at her, I saw my daughter's eyes get really big. I immediately told her, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
I would look a little deeper since you also posted about her having pooping accidents. She is wanting/needing your attention more for some reason. Don't just pass off something as "JUST looking for attention." Kids don't know how to communicate properly with words all the time, so they let their bodies do the talking for them. I hope that it's nothing deep, but I would really dive in a little more. Good luck!
my daughter did the same thing. i don't know how yours is at the end of the day, but i had to use other gagues to help me understand. whenever i picked her up she was all smiles and huggy, telling me the fun she had. her teachers were always smiling and complimentary of her behavior. she made friends and participated in the activities. so i just had to assume it was simply a separation issue. by the time i determined that, the teachers were very helpful in the morning when i dropped off my screaming, crying chld. they either enticed her with the class pet, daily art project, or just picked her up and i RAN out as fast as i could. i find with a lot of kids a drawn-out good-bye makes things so much worse. you may not be doing that, but i couldn't tell from your request. anyway, that's my experience! :)
I would check into it further if it continues and definately spending the day or at least an hour or so at the daycare could help so you can observe what is going on. Whenever I had problems in the past I would go to your day care director and just address your concerns w/them and ask them to look into it, ask the teacher...It could be other kids, a grumpy teacher or something else going on, but when kids are 2 it is hard because they can't tell you exactly what it is. But it could also be just a phase but I really feel safe is better than sorry. One time I went to pick up my daughter from daycare and she had been not so happy going there but she was young, maybe 1 1/2 or so and I went to pick her up one day and she was crying (wailing) in a swing, covered w/mosquito bites and nobody went over to her. I don't know how long she had been like that but I was livid and pulled her out immediately.
I would look deeper into this if I were you. And I have been you! Both of my children were the same way with daycare and preschool. My daughter is in the 4th grade and not 5 weeks ago went thru the same thing AGAIN. I have learned that when she doesn't want to go to school.....something IS going on. She has been with the same group of kids since pre-k and for the last 5 1/2 years... the same two girls pick on her. This time... they were caught by the teacher...after I made her aware of the situation.
Anytime there is a major change in behavior.... there is something major going on. If I've learned anything... it's that.
Your child doesn't know how to verbalize what's going on ... so, she's telling you in the only way she knows how. Confront the situation head on. You'll be glad you did.
I have learned that very young hildren say that they don't like something because they don't know how to express correctly that they do LIKE it but don't want to DO IT or HAVE IT at that particular time.
My daughter did the same thing. For example she LOVES pizza and one day she asked me to cook. I said no how about having pizza. She told me that she didn't like pizza anymore. However the very next day she wanted pizza again. I said to her, I thought you didn't like pizza and she said I do like pizza.
Kids just want to assert themselves but do not have all of the capabilities to do so or express their full thoughts.
I wouldn't take a day off of work to sit at this daycare like other mother's have suggested. I am sorry, I think that is an over reaction based on your daughters dislike of other things recently. As she gets older she will express herself better. She is learning. SMILE!
