My sister went through exactly what you describe your son going through. And if I remember correctly, it was right about 2nd grade she went through it also. Drove us older sisters nuts....we were embarassed by it. LOL! When she got older and we used to good-naturedly tease her about it, she said she was simply homesick. She couldn't explain why. She was just horribly homesick. She said that after a while, each day got a little better. My mom went through hell, she says now the guilt was crushing. Little minds are funny. They are constantly morphing. Up until a point, little ones tend to see themselves as the being about whom the rest of the family centers around. He may have just reached the point this summer that he gained enough independence to realize that he is a member of the family, not the center of it. In other words, he became conscious of his "place" in the family. The separation that comes from going to school is disturbing for him and hard to adjust to. Just as he began to realize he is part of a group...he is being separated from that group. It's hard enough for littles ones to accept that they aren't the one everyone else revolves around...imagine the fear that if you are away from that family setting, you may become even further removed from them. Hope that makes sense. I think the best bet would be to set up some kind of ritual for when he comes home. It could be a snack with you, it could be something you do together. Once he realizes that each day this ritual will occur, he may gain some security in the realization that when he gets home from school...his place is still there and still the same as it was when he left for school.
Oh girl...it's a pre-teen thing. I can't tell you how many times I had to go pick up my daughter from a sleep over at that age because she just got so homesick. But beware. When it goes away, it goes away fast. Next thing you know, she's 12 and you begin to think she hates her home life because she's wanting to spend the night at her best friend's house every other weekend! :mrgreen:
Are you babying him at home? He may just need to toughen up. If you are reinforcing this negative behavior by responding to his crying with love and hugs, it will continue to happen. Although it may be hard to ignore it with "tough love," it will probably help. If he knows that when he cries Grandma and Mom will respond with hugs and kind words, that is reinforcing the behavior. Tell him to stop the crying and go to school. Everyone doesn't always get what they want. Sorry to sound harsh, but it's just my belief. P.S. Do check into making sure that nothing MAJOR is happening at school, but it's still my belief that it's just the fact that things get harder in 2nd grade.
go and volunteer in his school and classroom. talk with not only the teacher, but other adults in the classroom. see for yourself what is going on. I don't want to go into detail, but my son was having a hard time last yr (in K) and after my physically being in the classroom (volunteering), talking with the teachers (who were blind to his situation - they didn't see it at all)the guidance counselor, and principal, we worked out a solution and he became a different kid...no, he went back to being the same kid I sent to school the beginning of the school year..happy, relaxed, and a joy to be around. In other words, get involved and witness for yourself. Don't try to guess.
