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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Child with Anxiety?
gumdrops 06:03 AM 07-25-2018
DCB will be 6 yo in 3 weeks. He starts K the day before his birthday. He has been coming to me since he was 5 months old. Last week he had an off day of crying for no reason and being extra sensitive. Later that day he got sick, so I assumed he hadn't felt well all day and that's why the odd behavior. That was Wed and due to his illness and vacation days, he did not return until this Monday. It is now Wednesday and he is still crying for no reason saying he misses his Mom, which is very out of the ordinary for him. I really don't know what to do for him. It's a quiet, sit off to the side cry, so he's not doing it for attention. I'm wondering if it's anxiety with school starting in a few weeks. I really don't know of anything else that has changed in his life. He has always been a perfectionist and does not like to be wrong and always wants to "one-up" everyone. If anyone gets something new, goes on vacation, my Christmas tree..."I have two of those", "we went to (any place he can think of in his past)", "mine is bigger than yours", etc. I'm wondering if the change of going to school and not knowing what to expect might be giving him anxiety? Any thoughts? His mom is at a loss also.
Cat Herder 06:10 AM 07-25-2018
I have one acting similar right now. I think it has to do with too much discussion about going to the big school. 
Kind of like the build up to getting shots. Once they are over the kid realizes it really was not such a big deal.
Kind of like the build up to getting shots. Once they are over the kid realizes it really was not such a big deal.
Blackcat31 06:12 AM 07-25-2018
Originally Posted by gumdrops:
DCB will be 6 yo in 3 weeks. He starts K the day before his birthday. He has been coming to me since he was 5 months old. Last week he had an off day of crying for no reason and being extra sensitive. Later that day he got sick, so I assumed he hadn't felt well all day and that's why the odd behavior. That was Wed and due to his illness and vacation days, he did not return until this Monday. It is now Wednesday and he is still crying for no reason saying he misses his Mom, which is very out of the ordinary for him. I really don't know what to do for him. It's a quiet, sit off to the side cry, so he's not doing it for attention. I'm wondering if it's anxiety with school starting in a few weeks. I really don't know of anything else that has changed in his life. He has always been a perfectionist and does not like to be wrong and always wants to "one-up" everyone. If anyone gets something new, goes on vacation, my Christmas tree..."I have two of those", "we went to (any place he can think of in his past)", "mine is bigger than yours", etc. I'm wondering if the change of going to school and not knowing what to expect might be giving him anxiety? Any thoughts? His mom is at a loss also.
This seems to be a very common thing around this time of year here. I feel it has a lot to do heading off to school and the unknown.... I think that causes a lot of anxiety for those "perfectionist" type kids. I have one too... she'd a really good kid 99% of the time but there are times in which her anxiety simply takes over and what you describe (missing mom/sobbing quietly etc) is how she exhibits that fear too....DCB will be 6 yo in 3 weeks. He starts K the day before his birthday. He has been coming to me since he was 5 months old. Last week he had an off day of crying for no reason and being extra sensitive. Later that day he got sick, so I assumed he hadn't felt well all day and that's why the odd behavior. That was Wed and due to his illness and vacation days, he did not return until this Monday. It is now Wednesday and he is still crying for no reason saying he misses his Mom, which is very out of the ordinary for him. I really don't know what to do for him. It's a quiet, sit off to the side cry, so he's not doing it for attention. I'm wondering if it's anxiety with school starting in a few weeks. I really don't know of anything else that has changed in his life. He has always been a perfectionist and does not like to be wrong and always wants to "one-up" everyone. If anyone gets something new, goes on vacation, my Christmas tree..."I have two of those", "we went to (any place he can think of in his past)", "mine is bigger than yours", etc. I'm wondering if the change of going to school and not knowing what to expect might be giving him anxiety? Any thoughts? His mom is at a loss also.
I feel bad for them but there isn't much I can do other than provide alot of positive support emotionally and physically if needed. Poor kids...
I imagine all these milestones in life that bring "big things" really throw their comfort/security levels off the charts...