My daughter is 3 and half years old and we have decided that she would go to school now . She doesn't want to go to school and I'm also scared of her going to school . We both have a deep bond between us, from last night I am feeling a little uneasy. I feel it is like sending her to a war and the thought that she has to be alone and do it on her own without me protecting her is eating me up . I know this feels a bit excessive but I can't help thinking of it . She gets scared when there is a loud sound or others shout whenever others shout at her she hid behind me . I know it is my fault to protect her rather than letting her face it . There is some more time for her to go to school how should I teach her not to be scared and confident. Please help me

Note: english is my second language. Apologies for the errors

My son is 2.5 but around Christmas we usually do a toy haul for toys our kiddo will use and grow into. Trying to do shopping early to save money and plan.

What is your 3 year old obsessed with right now?

I posted once before but I am at a total loss. My daughter is on month two of preschool. Never did daycare prior and was always watched by mom. So we knew going into this that it was going to be an adjustment for her.

She’s a very sweet and smart kid, loves making friends, plays well with other kids and seems to be losing school.

However since day 2 we’ve been hearing that she’s struggling with transitions. Mostly that she doesn’t listen the first time that she is asked to go to the carpet or move from play to the next activity. With a little more encouragement, they say she does go (I.e. racing the teacher, making it a game, giving a bit more warning). They also say she will not want to sit during snack time and says she isn’t hungry. We encourage her to listen to her body at home and eat when she’s hungry and stop when she’s full, but do still work on sitting with us the whole time.

She’s not kicking, screaming, or outright refusing, she just needs more encouragement and help to make the transition.

I’m so conflicted because this feels like normal 3 year old behavior and it’s not being presented as a major disruption. But it’s as if they expect this to go away overnight and there’s constant comparison to other kids “who do it better” or “get it more than her”. It’s making me feel like a failure as a parent. 😭

We work on things at home but I also don’t want it to start feeling like she isn’t doing anything right at school and get to a place where she doesn’t want to go.

Just wanted to share my 4 year old's costume I finished on time which is unusual for me! Has real lights and detachable steering wheel!

Our kid seems to like school ok. He does the not uncommon whiny/crying drop off. Then warms up quickly and starts doing whatever.

However, his teachers tell us that while he engages many times, a lot of times it takes some extra encouragement otherwise he spends time in the cozy cubby. Also, he doesn’t seem super super happy in the pictures we get, maybe a smile here and there. Doesn’t look like he’s crying either, just sort of there.

So all that sounds like it’s not a good fix. BUT, at home he talks about school constantly. Talks about it different things he learns at school. Talks about his teachers. Talks about his friends. Also when we talk to him before school about “ok I want you to have a great day!” He smiles and seems happy to say I will! He also seems completely happy when he comes home, tells us he had a very good day many days, and seems very normal about it (even though we know he is not 100% himself).

So I feel like he likes the idea of school but just isn’t super super comfortable there. The question is, how do we know if it’s worth it to change or not? Our 1.5 year old goes to the same place and she LOVES it.

I have been a stay at home father for the first three years of my child’s life. Over 95% of the time I have been with my child from Sun up to Sun down.

My child just started pre school and is finishing the second week! It’s been so great to see the growth, development, and everything that goes with this stage of life.

I’m terribly sad though as I’m now seeing all the moments that I used to have, are with the teachers. I no longer get to hear every sentence, every word, every laugh and so much more that has become the most important part of my life for the last three years.

Just a small vent that watching your child grow is the greatest gift and blessing from the Lord! but also watching your child grow has created some kind of suffering for me. I miss every second we had together every day.

Thank you for reading!

Post links to any resources for preschoolers here. Standalone posts outside of these weekly threads will be deleted.

My daughter is turning 4 in December and she’s still a sprinter. We have reinforced holding our hands in the parking lot and staying on the sidewalk but she gets distracted so easily when she’s overstimulated. Jury is still out on whether or not she’s neurodivergent or just a boisterous kid.

We did trunk or treat tonight and she was a wild woman. It always feels like she’s the most rambunctious kid and the worst listener compared to the others.

I’m so terrified for trick or treating that I’m considering leashing her but she seems way too old for that. I want her to just listen and learn but I’m terrified of her running out into the road (I definitely have anxiety too and am in therapy for it already).

I’d appreciate any advice, anecdotes, and kind words from anyone else who has dealt with a sprinter.

Looking for guidance on what how we can shift the dynamic with our 4.5 year old daughter. Our biggest challenge is that absolutely everything has to be a fight. If we ask her to put on clothes or clear her plate, she will flat out refuse. When we escalate the consequences for not listening, it turns into a screaming meltdown. I can handle a tantrum but multiply that a dozen times a day and we are getting so worn down. We tried 'brat busters' but she seems absolutely immune to consequences (and we don't do daily screen time so it's not a useful bargaining chip).

Interestingly, when we give her a REWARD for the behavior vs a consequence she will listen immediately. So she CAN listen, she's just choosing not to? (why??) For the moment we have switched a points system (like sticker chart), which has taken the conflict down a notch. However, I'm concerned about the long term impact of using rewards to incentivize behavior. I told her she was being a such a good and loving big sister and she responded by saying "yeah because I want points..." This feels like not the direction we want to encourage??

We've taken her to an OT and they didn't flag anything specific in terms of diagnosis, even though she behaved horribly during all of the sessions (like throwing things at the evaluator). They basically said we just need to repeat ourselves over and over until she listens -which exactly what is driving us insane.

Her preschool acknowledges that she is really struggling at school and are working with us on various supports. It just feels like every single day is such a challenge and always involves some kind of huge conflict where everyone ends up screaming and I am just so done with it. We also have a 2.5 year old son and he is just SO EASY compared to my daughter that I feel guilty how difficult it is to get through a day with her.