What should a mother do to help her child cry less during the first few days at daycare?

The first day of daycare for parents is like torture, having to witness their child crying and being so scared that they lose their voice.

Children refuse to go to preschool - a difficult problem for many parents:

For every parent, sending their child to preschool is always a challenging task, especially the initial period of adjusting to school. Most children are reluctant to go to daycare in the first few days, often crying and wanting to go home.

Regarding this issue, some parents shared:

- "My child is 3 years old this year. I want to send her to daycare so I can go to work, but for the past few days, I've felt completely helpless and don't know how to get her to go to class."

- On the first day I took my child to class, as soon as I handed her over to the teacher, she screamed and cried because she was afraid of strangers. But I still gave her to the teacher, thinking that she would get used to it in the first day or two.

- However, when I picked my child up in the evening, I found her lethargic and her voice hoarse. The teacher also said that she had cried too much that day, and they couldn't comfort her no matter what they did.

"Looking at my child brings tears to my eyes. Every time we mention going to school or the teacher, she cries and says, 'I don't want to go, I don't want to go.' I'm so worried and haven't figured out how to get her to school yet. I can't bear to see her cry like this."

My child refuses to go to preschool - a difficult problem for many parents.

"The first time my child went to daycare, she cried so much that the teacher had to call me. Feeling sorry for her, I rushed over to pick her up. It was the same on subsequent occasions; she not only cried but also refused to eat. Just seeing me packing her things for school would make her cry and want to throw them away. So I had to hire a nanny. Now I want her to go to preschool, but I don't know how to get her to accept it."

What are the signs that a child isn't ready for preschool?

Sending a child to preschool can be beneficial if they have sufficient brain development and some basic communication skills. However, when considering sending their child to preschool, parents need to assess whether their child is truly ready for this new beginning.

If your child exhibits one or both of the following signs, it's not advisable to send them to daycare too soon. You should wait a while (2-3 months) before making a decision:

If your child prefers to cling to you, is inactive, and rarely plays with other children in the neighborhood, or even with other family members besides you.

If your baby still doesn't know some basic skills like babbling, knowing how to call mom when going to the toilet, knowing how to put on shoes, sandals, pants, and dresses (but maybe not shirts yet because the brain controlling upper body skills develops later), and knowing how to chew on their own.

What can I do to encourage my child to go to preschool?

The first week of preschool can be very stressful for children as they have to get used to many new things and strangers. Parents can reduce this stress in the following ways:

Spend two weeks before starting preschool talking about the activities that will be in kindergarten. For example, there will be a teacher, classmates, toys, and the requirement to ask to use the restroom when needed. Parents should take their child to the kindergarten they plan to attend for 10-15 minutes to observe and play with them, so that the child can get used to the atmosphere before the official start date.

Always ask your child if they share their toys with you when playing together at home. In addition, teach your child social skills such as sharing toys with friends. You can take your child to the park or playground so they can make friends on their own.

On school mornings, encourage your child to dress themselves, grab their own backpack, brush their teeth, and choose their favorite toy to take with them. Don't do it for them.

Don't arrive at school too early. Wait until the teacher and other children have arrived, tell your child that you will come to pick them up, say goodbye gently, and walk away quickly without looking back. Your child will quickly integrate into the class.

According to research: If you look back, it will make it harder for your child to integrate into the class; they will sit in a corner, hugging their toys and waiting for you to pick them up. But when it's time to pick them up, you should arrive on time so they don't have to wait long.

According to GD&TĐ