Hard to adapt toddler, worried about next fall new teachers

[Anonymous]

I have a pretty sensitive 3yo (really doesn’t like strangers, nervous around big group activities) and just realized that the teachers rotate every year. My daughter asked me today if she’s be moving to a new classroom (she mentioned it), which she was pretty excited about until I told her that she’s going to have new teachers, too. She immediately clammed up and said she didn’t want to talk about it, with tears in her eyes. (Starting preschool this year was tough on her... she’s absolutely flourishing and happy with her class now, but it was a hard few months for all of us before we got to her being happy, and I’m so worried for her next fall to go through this again cause it’s an obvious trigger.)

Any advice? I know it’s early but should I bring up this topic with her again to make sure she’s prepared, or just best to wing it and see how it goes since she’s familiar with the school already? Is every year like starting over again on transitioning?

[Anonymous]

Tell her everyone gets a new teacher every year. She'll adapt.

Or put her in Waldorf school where they have the same teacher for years.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is similar, and she fixates on it. I would not bring it up again until closer to the new school year. Every time my daughter gets upset with something she pulls out the "I don't want to go to a new class next year" out of nowhere. It's tough, but I think they'll adapt better if they don't agonize about it for months ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

A good preschool does a lot of work to transition kids, but it's pretty early for that. Ours spends most of June and July on it (and then closes for August, reopening in September with kids in their new classes). I wouldn't jump the gun on this--they're pros at this and will introduce the idea when the kids are ready. March is too early for a three-year-old to be contemplating next fall--it's literally 1/6 of her life away from now!

[Anonymous]

I might wait until it is closer to the school year. Then talk about it in a positive and exciting way. Some children are anxious about anything new and unfamiliar. If you have any information on these new teachers, you can share it with her to make them more familiar. She will adapt.

[Anonymous]

Think of it as giving her a chance to learn how to adapt while still in a safe environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell her everyone gets a new teacher every year. She'll adapt.

Or put her in Waldorf school where they have the same teacher for years.

This is not a true statement. Waldorf has turnover like any preschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tell her everyone gets a new teacher every year. She'll adapt.

Or put her in Waldorf school where they have the same teacher for years.

This is not a true statement. Waldorf has turnover like any preschool.

Yes, in the sense that Waldorf schools lose some teachers... but this thread isn't about that. At most schools, you get a new teacher every year, that's what *supposed* to happen. At a Waldorf or Montessori school, you typically keep the same teacher for 3ish years. Yes, that can change if there's turnover, but that's what's *supposed* to happen. Why pick a weird random fight?

[Anonymous]

+1 for Montessori. DD is also much slower to adapt than most kids and she has thrived in a setting with the same set of teachers for three years. Not all schools have the same rate of turnover--at DD's school the rate is very low.

[Anonymous]

OP. Not interested in switching to montessori or waldorf. We really love where we are at -- not much turnover, just happens to switch around the teachers annually. Thanks for all of your advice!

[Anonymous]

My DS is fairly adaptable but around that age we still had terrible dropoffs (clingy, crying, broke my heart to leave) for a week or two whenever he switched to a new room. Even when we came back from vacations and such. Totally age appropriate.

I wouldn't talk about it now - I don't think it'll help. Just mentally prepare yourself for a tough stretch when the new school year begins.

It'll get better over time. DS is 6.5 now and he'll walk right in to a new situation. I put him in two different one-day camps in the town where my parents live over winter break. He hardly even looked back.