Major separation anxiety leading up to 1st time at preschool

Hi!

I am desparately looking for some advise on sending my 2 girls (age 25 months) to preschool- which starts the day after Labor Day. It is for 2 half-days/week at a local church. To get them ready (they have never been with anyone but me, my parents, or my husband's mom) I have been taking them to the church for about the past 6 weeks and have them stay in the same room where school will be..but the problem is that at most...they have lasted 10 minutes without totally freaking out once we are gone. I dont know what I am going to do leaving them for 4 hours! One seems worse than the other- just freaks out and nearly makes herself throw up- and that upsets her sister and I am just worried sick about what is going to happen.

Does anyone have any tips or help they can offer? I would appreciate anything!

Thanks so much!
Kerry

Mom to twin girls (fraternal) Tess and Mia- the greatest joy in my life (as with their daddy!)

 

This is just my expereience but at that age my DS was not ready to be left and DD could have cared less! It was a church group where the kids played in one room and I was in another. DS cried and would have to come back with me every time. I finally got fed up and stopped going. We did try a park district program at 2.5 years and I had to sit in the class for the first four weeks. I would bring a book and just ignore him. Finally one day, I asked him if I could go out and read on the couches and he said YES! That was it no more crying.
A friend of mine had to slowly transition her twins to MDO at a local church here. For the first few months, they never stayed the entire time. The first week they stayed 30 min and then tacked on another 10-15 min each week as the kids grew more and more comfortable.
Some moms will say leave them and let them cry but I just couldn't do it! You know your kids best. Just have a talk with the director and see what their policy is and what they have done in the past.
My twins start preschool 9/11 and I am a little concerned about DS still. We will see what happens.

Good luck!
Tracy

 

E and E have been to class three times at our church for two morning a week. Emily acts like a school pro, but Ethan will not let mommy leave. I am a teacher and took this year off so I could work on this with them. Mine have a nanny and have never been left with anyone but family. My mommy brain tells me that I need to leave him and let him work it out and maybe just do short amounts of time and build up, my teacher brain tells me that it is not fair to leave him screaming the entire time and disrupt the other children. Ethan is in speech and I know that this is one of the best things for him because they need to be around other children. I finally decieded to stay in class with him for about five times and if he thinks mommy is comfortable then I think he will feel more comfortable when I leave. Good Luck!

 

Both my boys started school this spring and summer. Alex took a long time to adjust. He was going to a school/playgroup for speech and OT help. The teacher just had me drop him off in the parkinglot and lethim go crying/screamming. They had apolicy that they would call if he did not calm down. The first couple weeks it took him about 10 min to calm down.
Nick I sent this summer and he is such a MOmmies boy. He gets upset if I leave him with my mother for 1 hr and still does. He did not want to go to school, but the teacher would just take him and he also calmdown after a few minutes. Now he runs to his classroom. He has bonded with the teacher and won't let her out of his sight. I knew he would be hard, but turns out he took less time to calm down and love school.

It will be harder for you in the long run. I would find out the schools policy, but most I hear just have you leave the kids and RUN. Is there a window/door you can peek into to chek on them? I did this with Alex at first to reassure myself he was okay. I notice with Alex the days I do stay a few min in his class he freaks out when I leave, but if I just drop and go he is great.

Good luck Mommy!!