When to get professional help

[ijack]

have you tried some kind of reward chart for her having a cry free morning? you wouldn't be rewarding her for going to school, but rewarding her attitude toward school.

[8675309]

Sept 17, 2012 16:56:05 GMT -5 ijack said:

have you tried some kind of reward chart for her having a cry free morning? you wouldn't be rewarding her for going to school, but rewarding her attitude toward school.

100% this. We have a sticker chart for anything we are struggling with at anytime. It's ever changing. When her baby brother was first born it was created so she would stop screaming whenever I took care of him or when she needed attention. Then once that behavior was modified we made another one for bedtime duties....then a couple months later it was potty training and right now it's for keeping her play room clean and sharing. We LOVE behavior charts in our house!

[brit1017]

It is probably a phase. DS went through that last year- he was fine for the first few months of school, then started crying every morning that he had to go to school. He was fine once he got into his classroom. After a few months, it stopped on its own. He really looks forward to school again now.

[Deleted]

DS3 just went through this phase. A couple adjustments made a world of difference.

Although he is my most social child, he doesn't like walking into a crowded party so to speak. He transitions much better when he is the first kid to school instead of the last so DH takes him a few days a week now.

Also the school changed drop off so that all the classrooms aren't being dropped off on the playground, now only 1 class is out there (DS's) and it is much more manageable for him.

[Deleted]

This has some good ideas: www.helpguide.org/mental/separation_anxiety_causes_prevention_treatment.htm

I think it's more than just a behaviour issue, but you may be able to handle it on your own if you're looking for the right advice (it does sound like separation anxiety to my non-professional ears).