When Your Child Doesn’t Want to Leave Preschool

Preschool is a very fun place for children. There are lots of other kids to play with, lots of toys they don’t have at home, and lots of time to play, play, play. By the time you come to pick them up, children are also often tired from the day and not emotionally ready to deal with coming home.

As a parent it can be devastating to reunite with your child after a long day apart, only to have them burst into tears at the sight of you. It’s important to understand that although it may hurt your feelings, it’s completely normal.

Rest assured; your child is happy to see you. It’s simply that transitions are very difficult for children at this age and changing gears to go home can be a difficult one for them. If you’re struggling with a child who seems unhappy at pickup, here are a few tips to help calm the tears and make leaving Preschool a pleasant place again.

Let them finish what they’re doing

If you come to pick your child up and find them engrossed in an activity, give them a few minutes to finish what they are doing. Sometimes having the time to finish that block tower or color a picture is all they need to leave calmly.

If it’s not one they’ll be able to finish, warn them they have 5 minutes to get to a stopping point. Even if they can’t finish what they’re doing, knowing they have some time can help ease the transition between Preschool and home.

Offer choices

Giving your child choices (but not too many) can also help calm the storm. Instead of picking them up and simply taking them home, offer a few choices on what to do when they get home. If they know that they can choose between reading a book with you or 15 minutes of one-on-one playtime when they get home, it can give them something to look forward to.
When you get home, spend 30 minutes with your child playing and having fun. When your child knows that they are simply going to one fun activity to another, they may be more willing to leave without tears.

Make leaving fun

You can also help aid in the transition by making leaving fun. Can they jump like a kangaroo while going to the car? Do they know how to play red light, green light? Perhaps a game of it on the way out. If your child enjoys helping people, you might ask them to carry your bag for you or some other small tasks.

Your child loves you, but it may make you feel unloved when they burst into tears at the sight of you. Although hurtful, this is a very common issue that parents deal with in a young, tired child facing a transition.

These tips can help ease the transition so that your child is more willing to leave when it is time to say goodbye.

Preschool vs. Daycare

If you are not in the early childhood education field you may not be familiar with the difference between Preschool and Daycare but we are here to break it down for you. There is a definite disdain that overcomes a teacher or administrator who works in a preschool if someone refers to their program as a “daycare” and there is nothing wrong with that however you will get the explanation handed to you promptly as quickly as you said the word Daycare.

Let’s talk about the stigma around this field first before we dive into this topic. Let’s start with some facts that may or may not surprise you. Did you know that 90% of brain development happens BEFORE Kindergarten? Children’s brains are developing at a much faster rate during their first 6 years of life which allows them to learn things more quickly than adults. The most important fact is that Children are set up from birth to learn, absorb, grow and develop and the environment they are in directly impacts their brain development and ultimately who they will become later in life.

Parents have a lot of choices when looking into programs for their children. There are so many choices it can be overwhelming. A lot of research and time go into finding the right place for your family’s needs. This is where the difference between a daycare and preschool can be beneficial in the decision of where a child will attend. Daycares are typically focused around basic needs being met, and play. There may be a lot of free time, changes with staff and lack of communication throughout the day. A daycare may feel chaotic when you enter and even a little unkempt. This is not to say that daycares are good or bad, they just typically are less focused on the individual child and more on play and basic needs.

A Preschool should feel like a place where your child is getting a high quality learning experience. It will provide basic needs and care for children however the program will also have a curriculum, a daily schedule, a routine and structure for every child. Cleanliness and sanitation will be evident and daily communication with staff and families will be clear and consistent.

At Grateful Hearts Preschool we offer your child a high quality early childhood learning experience. Our program is intentional and cultivated to each child individually. We provide open communication with families daily and are dedicated to making sure your child’s educational experience sets them up for their future success.