Extreme School Phobia to Preschool

[sharonkhoo]

First, talk to the teacher. Don’t accuse her, because it is also very possible that your daughter has misinterpreted something the teacher said or did, or is over-reacting to the new teachers and environment. Just say that your daughter is upset, and ask the teacher if she can suggest what could have triggered it.


If the teacher can’t throw any light on the matter, get your daughter to be very specific about what has frightened her. Maybe she doesn’t realise that different people speak differently, and that loudly or quickly doesn’t necessarily mean "fierce". Maybe she took something too literally. Perhaps a playful tap on the bum which wouldn’t bother other kids might have upset her.

Get the teacher and your girl together to have a little "get to know you" session. If that doesn’t work, then speak to the centre principal.

[MrsKiasu]

Some kids maybe more ‘sensitive’ towards hard approaches…when my kids were young, my elder will stand still when I cane but the younger one will run as fast as lightning when she sees the cane so she only been caned once or twice only…can see the fear in her. I noticed her fear then so I used softer approach on her when she was young, now all toughened up already.


How do you find her reaction when at home?

Like slmkhoo says talk to teacher first to understand the situation better. Only after all understand esp the teacher, then bring child together when speak to teacher and hopefully teacher will assures her with you there, hope her phobia be lessen… it is quite heartbreaking to see fear in a young child.

[mummyK30]

Is there any way that I could avoid this to happen to my twins? I am searching for the best school/center that will fit them and I am starting to worry that they might also develop school phobia at a very young age.

[sharonkhoo]

mummyK30\" post_id=\"1958343\" time=\"1578622914\" user_id=\"182975:

Is there any way that I could avoid this to happen to my twins? I am searching for the best school/center that will fit them and I am starting to worry that they might also develop school phobia at a very young age.

The best way is to be positive about school when you talk to them about it, while still pointing out that it will be different from home in many ways. If possible, start to do things in a more \"school\" way at home in the weeks/months before they start - self-feeding, tidying up, sharing, obeying instructions, etc. Kids will mostly react negatively to changes, strangers, etc, and that can't be helped. But if they are already accustomed to routine and rules, and are looking forward to some of the upsides, they should adjust more quickly.

[sharonkhoo]

PapaTim14\" post_id=\"1958434\" time=\"1578646447\" user_id=\"182950:

I've got the same dilemma. My daughter will be turning three in June. She was not introduced to any infant school/tuition/etc. because my wife wants to spend more time with her and she is also doing the basics (hygiene, shapes, colors, etc.) We tried to visit a possible preschool for her but she cried and never leave her mother's arms as we to the management. I guess our future first day at school will be a dramatic one. :sad: :sad: :sad:

In the time between, introduce her to new places and people. It doesn't have to be formal, but try the playground, friends, relatives etc. And kids will pick up vibes from parents, so you and your wife need to hide your worries well. Some kids have separation anxiety till 3yo, so if it's very bad, you might want to postpone starting till she's older. One of the problems is that most kids now start preschool at the height of their separation anxiety (between 2-3 yo), while in earlier generations, preschool began at 4-5yo, or kids just went straight to P1.

[RYeo1982]

MindChamps PreSchool at Concorde was the only school that our son said ‘yes’ to in our preschool search in 2018 as he was in awe of the aquarium which greets you at the reception area. Getting to know his schoolmates as well as their parents and the teachers has made us feel that we’re part of a big family instead of a school. His teachers have sparked our son’s interest in art which is now his favourite hobby. He had grown to be more independent and is willing to try things out of his comfort zone. His enthusiastic updates of his daily school activities are a highlight of our day. We look forward to the weekly updates and the fun outings the school has planned! We are happy we get to involved ourselves in our child’s preschool Journey!