Hi everyone. My 11 month old son is having a hard time adjusting to daycare. He has been under his grandma's care while I've been at work, but grandma will be moving out of the area. The first day at daycare I left him there for 3 hours and he cried for 3 hours and did not eat or sleep. The second day I left him there for 5 hours and he cried nonstop for 5 hours...his voice is hoarse and he did not eat or nap. On the 3rd day he developed a high fever and full body rash so he has not been to daycare since. Normally, my son is a very happy baby but since starting daycare the first day...he is just not acting the same even at home. I don't know what to do. I have to work but I don't know if I can continue to let him cry for that long. Everyone I talk to say he will eventually adjust, but now he cries even at home. He seems so sad compare to his usual self prior to daycare. Have I taken away his sense of security? Will he adjust? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Maybe take a day off & go to daycare with him. Show him it is fun. Talk with the staff / teacher about what is going on. I know when I had a home daycare there were a couple kids that it took about 2 weeks for them to settle in. I went out of my way to make the foods they liked, let them have first pick on toys. Anything to let them feel special.
How is your son doing in daycare? I hope it has gotten better-I know how it feels to have to leave them crying like that. If you live in the Slidell area I am looking for 2 more children to watch out of my home. I have a 2 1/2 year old girl and a 6 month old boy. Just write me back if you are interested and I will give you my number. Good luck.
S.
my advice is you can find a good babysitter that they can takecare your kids,,,
My youngest was 10mo when he started daycare and he really had a difficult time like you mentioned. Unfortunately the first dcc was found to be abusive/neglectful and the second we were told "his diapers are too awful". Finally we found a great place and we really worked hard for it to be less traumatic. So other than finding a better environment, we discovered that him having a lovey (plush dog) helped tremendously. He started eating better, sleeping better, and playing better. Eventually he was thriving. I hope you find something that works for you!
Sounds like strep with the high fever & rash,if hes still crying and feeling bad I'd have he seen,1st of all.then if alls ok work on the daycare problem.just my thoughts(my daughter had strep last week,its going around)
I agree with Renee 100% to include having his own "lovey". It is going to be difficult for your little one and consequently for you until he adjusts. He's in a strange environment and now one of many. He will probably also get sick more often because of the many germs in the air. Do you have him on a good vitamin?
I would also talk with other parents there and maybe even some of the older kids. You'll get a feel for whether it's even a safe place for your little guy. When you initially walk into the building, take a good sniff and make sure the air is clear and nt odorifous (my word for stink of any kind). There's a possibility he could also be reacting to the cleaners they use.
Good luck,
~V~
I used to work at a daycare and we had plenty of children that took a few days to adjust. Now he is not the only baby and under Grandma's care. If it is like the daycare I worked at, it's one teacher with six babies ranging from 6 weeks thru one year old. We have had parents of the infants that come on their lunch break just to check in or to feed their baby or something. You might try that if you can't take off for an entire day like somebody else suggested.
Don't worry- he'll get used to it. And one day you'll be sad because he'll be willing to go!! I was with my son, anyway!
How do you feel about his teacher? Is it the same teacher all day? One problem I have had in the past is that they switch out teachers throughout the day. (morning and afternoon) Once the kids do get a little used to one teacher then they leave and have to start all over again. Or they will combine classes to make the numbers work. You want him in the same classroom with the same teacher if possible with the least amount of changes. Make sure you have a good feeling from all teachers he is with. If you don't then find somewhere else! If you can, pop in at different times of the day just to see what the interaction is between everyone. It will be hard...mine is almost three and he still cries when I leave although just for a minute and sometimes I still cry when I leave. He also has a blanket that he carried around all day for about three months until he got used to things. He still has it to sleep with at school. Good luck.
Is it possible for you to hire a sitter who can come to your home to care for your son? He might be suffering from missing Grandma, as well as being in a strange place with strange people and he's too young to understand the changes in him life. He also feels your stress which makes him more upset. I do not think it's a good idea to allow him to cry so long.
