DS (16 months) had his first day of daycare yesterday. He waved goodbye to me but cried when I walked out.
Today he was clinging to me for dear life. He screamed when I left 
I had a feeling today would be worse. I feel like I kinda sat him down and said goodbye all really quick. Yesterday wasn't so fast because we were going over things. I am not sure if that was the reason or because he knew I was leaving this time.
Does it get better? 
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
aww!! I am so sorry! that's so hard. I don't have any advice but wanted to send you some hugs. My heart just breaks when J cries when I leave.
coconut / 8430 posts
I have been dealing with really tough daycare dropoffs for 2.5 weeks now. Before our vacation, dropoff was super easy. Once we came back she has been clinging to me for dear life. Today, I sat with her in the classroom for 30 minutes before she let go of me and grabbed a doll. I stayed and read books with her for another 15 min until it was time to play outside which is when I wanted to leave and it was scream-fest all over again. The teacher says it only lasts for 5 min or less but it still breaks my heart!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
It may never get better, my son still has moments a year later.
I really do believe, for him, since he started at age 2, it was just such a shock to the system. Had he been going since he was small, I don't think he would have reacted so strongly.
pear / 1609 posts
@Mrs. Pen: Thanks 
@sunny: We are going on vacation this week, but he goes mon-wed and we leave thursday so it won't be like he is missing any daycare days. Not that he realizes which days are daycare days. Hope it gets better for you soon! I am going to ask how long it lasted today.
@looch: I think it is his age too. We were doing a class at My Gym, so when we went in yesterday, he just went right to playing like he had always been there. I walked around with the teacher and he did his own thing. Now he KNOWS that he will be getting left there. He has stayed home with me since birth.
grapefruit / 4997 posts
I am really dreading the daycare drop off scene. This will be us in a few months and I just know I am going to cry a river and be a hot mess. DD has been home with me for her first year of life. I love our daily routine. Just when she is getting more playful, vocal, and easier to run errands with, I have to go back to work. 
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
It gets much better! I used to linger to help with transitions but it can actually make it harder for kids. So now I just leave, unless there's a total meltdown during dropoff.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
Ugh, I can empathize.
E started daycare last Monday. M, T, and W he did great! Sat right down for breakfast, happy as a clam. Th another little boy was having a meltdown, and E freaked out, but I thought it was just because the other little boy was. But the same thing every day since. His teachers say he calms down pretty quickly after I'm out of sight, but it breaks my mama heart to have to walk away when he's crying for me.
persimmon / 1026 posts
My LO started daycare when he was about 20 months old and he goes three days a week - he had no problems the first week because all the new toys were so exciting for him, but the two weeks after that were awful for drop-offs. Lots of tears! But now he's doing better again - I would say it took about a month for him to fully adjust and not be sad about being dropped off, it probably would have been sooner than that if he was going full-time.
kiwi / 589 posts
It does get better. Do you have any flexibility in when you drop off? We were giving our daughter breakfast at home and then by the time we got her to daycare she was almost ready for her morning nap, which meant she was very clingy and crying. So now we take her earlier, she has breakfast at daycare, plays and then takes her nap. She loves to eat, so I think starting her morning off there has made the transition much better. We had two weeks of crying each time we left. It was heartbreaking and did not make going back to work any easier!!
pear / 1609 posts
@mrbee: I teach dance classes and when parents linger during drop off there, the kids tend to do worse. So I try not to as well. It's so hard to walk out sometimes though!
@lovehoneybee: poor E. Glad he cheers up quickly though. I may have shed some tears in my car when I left today. It's heartbreaking.
@brady80: I've been letting him have breakfast at home and then taking him. Maybe I should take him earlier and let him eat there. They serve breakfast before 8 am though and he is usually waking up at 8. I hate to wake him early but it's worth a shot if things don't get better.
pomelo / 5258 posts
@MamaJ: it gets better. In the meantime do you need to be the one to drop LO off? My LO does much better when DH does drop off. For some reason she cheerfully waves goodbye to me in the morning when I leave the house. It's a more dramatic goodbye at daycare.
pomelo / 5621 posts
DS is 12.5 months and this is his 4th week in daycare. It took until the end of the 3rd week to get good. Like today was the third time I've dropped him off and he didn't cry and same with pickup.
Even his teachers said he has been happier these last few days and more smiley.
It is hard to hear them cry, but it does get better. I think when there whole little world is changed it is hard for them.
persimmon / 1168 posts
I used to work as a early childhood teacher in a preschool, in my experience the best thing to do in most situations is to give your child a quick goodbye. The longer and more often parents stay the harder it is for the child to adjust. Good luck! I know its not easy
pear / 1609 posts
@Corduroy: well DH drives a work van with no backseat. So he would have to take DS in his truck, come back home then get his van. Daycare is only 5 mins away but it's a lot extra work for him to do it. He is willing to do dropoff if I need him too. Just seems like a bit of a pain!
@ALV91711: did he cry when you picked him up too? DS has cried when I picked him up both times. He cries when he sees me. He is a little whiny when I hold him whole gathering his stuff then he is fine in the car.
@magnolia: yeah I always thought quick was better. I think it's harder on the mamas not to linger 
pineapple / 12566 posts
My son started at 2 and it definitely took 3 weeks for him not to cry all the way there and when I left him.
pomelo / 5621 posts
@MamaJ: H cried when I picked him up too. That was hard. But this week he hasn't which is nice.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
My son started at 4 months so he is used to school and loves it. Every once in awhile he'll get sad but the teachers will ask him to go pick out his favorite toy and they will play with him. He forgets about me in seconds.
honeydew / 7235 posts
We started at 14 months and the first week was the worst, he cried, I cried... Second week was better then by the third week he was totally fine! LO just needs to get used to it! It's so hard at first...
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