Feeling sad and need to let it out...

tlc11934

DD2 is an extremely social kid.  She loves to talk, loves people and just has a great outlook.  She graduated from the school she's been at since 3 months on Fri and is heading to kindergarten in the fall, not going to school with any of her pre-k friends.  

She decided to go to summer camp with her big sister this summer instead of staying at her school for the last two months.  She came home sick yesterday on the first day and was out today.  She is sobbing that she wants to go back to school, she's afraid of camp.  Too many kids, big kids, etc.  I ran into her friends today when I picked up DD3 from school and I actually cried.  I feel terrible to send her to camp but I spend $3k and its non refundable.  My heart is breaking for her and she'll have to do it all over again in Sept with her new school.  Ugh, I wish I hadn't listened to her and just left her in school.  I'm so sad.  

Thanks for listening.

vibarra27

She will be okay momma. She just has to adjust, its a whole new world for her. Ive found that when i encourage DD & tell her shes gonna meet new cool kids when the school year is going to start she looks forward to it. Just try not to show her your broken up about it, for her because it might make her feel worse. I promise she'll be okay momma.

DD has done Headstart @ 3yrs ECE @ 4yrs & just finished Kinder @ 5yrs  & will start 1st in August. Shes been to 3 different schools due to Head start only being head start school & after ECE i found a free charter school which this will be her 2nd year @. This fall, only 3 other kids from her class last year will be with her. But the 3 years before she met new kids every year. It took her time but she adjusted. Just be positive around her momma. I promise she'll be okay.

tlc11934

Thanks @vibarra27
she didn't cry about camp tomorrow so that's a start.  But she was sad today after a play date with new kinder friends.  It's so hard. Ugh 

vibarra27

@tlc11934 yes i know it can be. My baby girl cried the first day of ECE & not Head Start. Lol. But i would just ask her what fun things she did what cool kids she met. & when she would sound sad about something i would turn it into a positive. Keep your head up momma. It sucks we cant protect them from everything

neverblushed

Hang in there, Mommy!  She'll get through this transition, and it will help her build the skills and confidence to face kindergarten in the fall.

It can be really hard to go from "biggest of the little kids" to "littlest of the big kids" at her age. Summer day camps may have fewer structures in place to help the youngest campers adjust to the change.  And camp may be less structured than she's used to, which might be temporarily making it hard for her to dive in and get to know other kids.  But kindergarten classrooms will have MANY routines in place to help with all those transitional difficulties.

My kids are big now, but it's always hard to sit by and watch this transition as a mom.  My son has gone to a magnet elementary for 4th and 5th grades.  Well, he didn't get into the middle school program, and his BFF did. Since he left our home elementary school in 3rd grade, a new middle school has been built, and many of his classmates from his original elementary school will now go to the new school.  He'll still be at the original middle school.  He may not know many kids going into the first day of 6th grade.  But at this age, he's been through many such changes, and he and I both know that even if it's rough at first, he'll eventually meet people.  He's a social butterfly at heart, just like your DD.  Kids like that can survive a temporary setback and find their way forward!

Still, if she's been at school for 7 to 10 days, and she's not doing better, talk to the counselors or the director, and see if they can keep an eye out for her, or help direct her to some likely playmates.  She may be keeping a stiff upper lip at camp, but letting her misery show at home, and the counselors may not be aware that she's struggling.