Daycare and behavior change

[Anonymous]

My 2yo recently started daycare. The school and teachers say she is doing great, adjusting well but she is a little terror when she gets home. It’s the non stop tantrums, inability to understand what she wants and general crabby behavior. Is this normal and any tips to help?

[Anonymous]

What was she doing at home before starting daycare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was she doing at home before starting daycare?

Some tantrums here and there but not this bad. Also dealing with a speech delay.

[Anonymous]

Normal-she's holding it together at school and then falling apart when she gets home. She's tired. It takes a lot of energy to participate in group care.

[Anonymous]

At that age, my daughter was tired and overstimulated when she got home. Eventually she learned to go to her bed for 10 minutes to chill out. She grew out of it eventually.

[Anonymous]

She might be hungry too. If so, bring a snack to eat on the way home.

[Anonymous]

Sounds hungry and tired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Normal-she's holding it together at school and then falling apart when she gets home. She's tired. It takes a lot of energy to participate in group care.

+1

Give her a snack in the car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Normal-she's holding it together at school and then falling apart when she gets home. She's tired. It takes a lot of energy to participate in group care.

+1

Give her a snack in the car.

And water. It's super hot right now and your car is probably pretty warm even with AC.

[Anonymous]

Normal.

[Anonymous]

It’s actually a good sign! It means she likes school, she’s getting enough stimulation there, and she’s mature enough to keep it together at school.

[Anonymous]

Normal. I've had many children who have behaved awesome with me all day in daycare. Once the door closes and they head down my steps to the driveway I can hear the melt downs begin. The days are long for them and they have done so well. Then crash. Transitions are hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Normal-she's holding it together at school and then falling apart when she gets home. She's tired. It takes a lot of energy to participate in group care.

Why does it take more energy to be in group care? And is being in a more energetic place a good thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Normal-she's holding it together at school and then falling apart when she gets home. She's tired. It takes a lot of energy to participate in group care.

Why does it take more energy to be in group care? And is being in a more energetic place a good thing?

Sure, but it's more tiring -- all the noise and constant activity. I'll get eaten alive for this, but we found giving our kid a small sugary snack on the drive home helped more than a healthy one, like a Hershey Kiss or a couple mini-Oreos. (no, they don't otherwise get much junk food)

[Anonymous]

+5 hungry, thirsty, tired, held it together at school. Does nap time hours/line up to what you do at home?

They grow out of it. I promise. The worst was that period between 3 & 4 yr old when some kids dropped nap and others didn’t. If mine napped, she came home bouncing off the walls until 11 pm. No nap, a crying miserable mess but asleep by 8.