Crying at Preschool

My guess is he just needs to start feeling comfortable.

My girls are the opposite. My oldest had a terrible start to preschool. On one of the first couple days the teacher had to peel her off my leg. It was very hard to leave her and she still is my child of great fear to this day. She just started 1st grade and still isn't a huge fan of school although is a wonderful student.

Now my youngest just started preschool yesterday and couldn't wait to go back today.

I think you need to just give him time. I think the key is that every day he is getting better. Lots of kids cry when they start school. There were a couple in my daughters preschool this year.

My son just turned 4, but I started him in preschool when he turned 3 because I felt there were so many benefits for him both socially and academically to start having a routine and play with other kids. I disagree with the person that says to start out with just one hour a week. That can just prolong the agony. The faster you get them in the routine, the faster they adjust. If you just take them 1 one hour a week, that doesn't really allow any time to adjust. After a few weeks of doing this consistently, he will just feel it's normal and know that you will pick him up. I think the more you take him on a weekly basis, the quicker the adjustment will be. My son cried all the time in the beginning, it was pure agony, I would cry too. But I think after a week or two, he caught on and it just became routine. Children have the ability to adjust even quicker than us. Hang in there... good luck. You are doing a fantastic thing and both of you will enjoy the benifits soon enough.

It's a huge adjustment for him, he's really young and everything is new. He's probably just going through an adjustment period and will most likely end up liking it. It's good that he seems to be ok for most of the class. I would give it some time and just keep the communication open with the teacher about it. I have friends who went through the same thing with their 3 year old's in the beginning, now they love it!

I still remember crying every day when my mom dropped me off at preschool and feeling abandoned. Preschool isn't necessary, especially if you're going over the basics (ABCs and 123s) at home, and getting some peer interaction with playgroups and such. Personally, I wouldn't send my kid if he were crying each day.

My now almost 5 year old did the same thing at 2.5 and then again at 3 in a different classroom. No 3 years is not too young, and yes its an adjustment period. He is probably fine 5 minutes after you drop him off......its harder for you then him. :( what helped my daughter was putting her in 3 consecutive days of the week instead of skipping days
She then went Tues/Wed/Thurs for two hours instead of Mon/Wed/Fri
If you can work this out, it should help. Good Luck :)

If he doesn't like it, and doesn't want to be there, he isn't ready. Why force a kid to do something they don't really have to do? What is the point? What is it teaching him?

Why not start small. How about a one hour a week class without mom?

I like the suggestion of giving him something to help him be able to see when you will pick him up. That way he can feel more secure; that will probably stop the crying towards the end. I would give it say another week with something to help him see when you'll be back to get him and if he still is not happy, take him out. You might be able to try again in January when the next semester starts. Also, try reading the book "The Kissing Hand" with him. It's about a little racoon who is afraid to leave his mom and go to school. It's a lovely story and the kids really take it to heart. When my granddaughter had to be hospitalized, I told her the story, kissed her hand and left. The nurses said that they saw her rubbing her hand against her cheek throughout the night and it really seemed to help keep her calm!

If my 3yo didn't like it, I wouldn't make them. 3 is young still. We have our 3 yo going this year, its only 1 day a week but if she didn't like it or acted like that after two weeks I would pull her and try again next year. Sometimes a year can make a huge differnce! Even if he is ok after a few minutes of crying... if he is starting up again before its time to come home and its only 2 hours of being away from you, then I don't think he is ready quite yet. Maybe give it a little more time and if nothing changes, try again next year.

You don't want him to start out not liking school this young, or associate it with the feelings he is having right now.
( thats why Im having a hard time knowing what to do with my little guy, but his is all the sudden :( poor little guy)
I hope it gets better you... and all of us

I am a preschool teacher. Currently I have a group of young threes, they either turned 3 over the summer or will not be 3 until Oct/Nov. It's not the age. I would definitely say that it is more of a separation anxiety than it is him not wanting to be there. Sometimes it's kids wondering what they are missing when they are not with you. Over the years I have noticed that it is usually the boys that have more trouble separating than the girls do, when it's mom dropping off. I think it has to do with the mother/son bond. You are doing the right thing by keeping him in. Some kids take longer to adjust than others. Ask his teacher if he is participating in class. Make sure that you see projects coming home. That is a good sign that he is willing to do work in school and participating. Very few children do not adjust. I have seen some that are so stubborn about not wanting to be at school that they will stand there with their arms folded and not move! :) If you leave them alone to watch the other kids,(sometimes a few days) they soon discover that they are missing out on all of the fun and eventually join in. As far as kids crying at the end, it's emotional for them. They know that mom is coming and they end up crying because they are happy that they are going to see her. Kids don't understand their emotions yet at that age, so sometimes it comes out in tears. Every week will get better. Once kids start to follow a schedule and what activity follows what, they relax more and worry less. Hopefully at your preschool they have a schedule that is the same every day. What I mean is music always follows circle-time, snack always follows art time etc. Once your son gets the routine down, he will be fine. Kids are smart. He is pulling at your heart strings. He needs to have time to make friends and have fun at school, so that he doesn't think about what he is missing at home. Give him another month,(of going every time he is suppose to go) if he is still upset at drop off, maybe then it's time to back off.

My daughter was 3 years and 3 months, a little younger than your guy, when she started going to the wonderful daycare/preschool at the college I was attending. She attended two full (7 hour) days and two 5 hour days. She cried every morning, 4 days a week, the entire semester when I dropped her off. I was a nervous wreck when I got to my first class, sometimes in tears, but as her teacher and the director assured me, 1) it was normal, they saw it frequently, and 2) she stopped crying once she didn't see me anymore. After a 5 week hiatus between semesters we returned and she never cried again.

My advice is steel yourself to the crying, and he will eventually be fine : )

I am going through this too. My DD cried for about 2 weeks of the adjustment then oen day she just stopped, it happened to be the same day we "bribe" her that she can earn pink coins for beign brave and not crying and knowing mommy or daddy will pick her up after recess. Giving her somethign to associate a pick up time was helpful because they cant tell time yet. She can cash in her coins for toys after she accumulates so many of them.