crying at pick up time

[Tulip]

Does this happen to anyone else?
I have a little one, 24 months and she has started crying (as if something is wrong) when mum comes to the door at pick up time. It makes me feel an idiot as there is no reason for it and I think mum is wondering what has been going on. (well I would if I was the parent picking up!) Beforehand she is playing quite happily and knows mummy is coming soon.

[chris goodyear]

I have found this to be quite a common occurrence. The children either turn into little monsters or they cry . I think it's just their way of punishing their parents for leaving them (even though they have been very happy all day and like coming) and they are too young to know how to deal with these emotions. I wouldn't worry too much and maybe try to reassure mum that she is absolutely fine all day and it's a reaction to seeing mum. It sounds like she is a first time mum and hasn't had the experience before.

[chris goodyear]

Just wanted to add that LO is also probably tired at the end of the day and it all gets too much!

[vals]

I had one child that would run towards the door saying mummy mummy, and as I opened it would start to cry lol. Luckily mum was fine about it and believed that's what happenned.
Sometimes i have children refusing to leave, other times they run to their parent as if they are desperate to escape from me, some loose all ability to do anything for themselves, others just go a bit crazy lol.

[smurfette]

It's apparently to do with the transition between setting and home ESP at
End of day when tired. I have had some who cry when coming and then don't want to leave either! One little one did it and it really upset mum, I felt she didn't want to leave cos she was having fun , mum said it was cos it was boring at theirs no one to play with! What I did was make it boring at home time, tidy up, no toys out. Maybe just reading a book , or colouring she could take to finish at home, nothing too involved ! This worked after a bit, think she was about 2

[lollipop kid]

Does this happen to anyone else?
I have a little one, 24 months and she has started crying (as if something is wrong) when mum comes to the door at pick up time. It makes me feel an idiot as there is no reason for it and I think mum is wondering what has been going on. (well I would if I was the parent picking up!) Beforehand she is playing quite happily and knows mummy is coming soon.

I tell my new parents to expect this. I explain that it's not that their child is unhappy with me. It's just that they love Mummy / Daddy so much, they find the emotion overwhelming as they can't express it, and it comes out as a big cry when they see Mummy / Daddy at home time. This helps.

Other times, I keep some story books by the door and distract the little ones with "stories on the step", so that parents can see them engrossed in the story just before they ring the bell, so if the crying starts then, they will see it start and know it's not anything the little one doesn't like here.

If the child cries when dropped off, I tell parents the same thing. That although the child is happy here, they just love Mummy Daddy so much. I find that a picture text showing the child happy a few minutes later works wonders! (This also works for those times when the child is upset at collection time as the parents have seen the child happy earlier in the day.)

Hope it helps,

LK

[mama2three]

I had twins who did this - the second they saw daddy they were heartbroken!
In the end I had to open the side door 5 mins before dad was due so he could quietly let himself in. he could see them both happy and engrossed in their play - until they noticed him and they burst into tears again! They were just overwhelmed after a tiring day bless them!

[Mouse]

I have a lo at the moment who cries as soon as mum arrives to collect him. He is as happy as anything during the day, but the minute mum arrives he starts crying hysterically and throws himself at her. I do tell mum that he hasn't cried at all during the day and she has seen plenty of photos to back that up, but it's still a bit embarrassing as it looks like he can't wait to get away from me!!

Then I have another one who cries when dad arrives because he doesn't want to go home and will cling to me. That makes dad feel awful, even when I tell him that lo has been asking for ages what time daddy will be here. Then of course, if mum arrives instead, lo will scream that he wants daddy to come and get him!

Sometimes you just can't win :rolleyes:

[Tulip]

Thank you all, that makes me feel so much better and helps me make sense of it too!!!
What would I do without this website x

[childcareclair]

I had twins who did this - the second they saw daddy they were heartbroken!
In the end I had to open the side door 5 mins before dad was due so he could quietly let himself in. he could see them both happy and engrossed in their play - until they noticed him and they burst into tears again! They were just overwhelmed after a tiring day bless them!

I would do this too, look out for mum/dad or get them to text just before opening the door.... they can sneak in, see child happy.... then get them to knock on the door...