My soon to be four year old daughter has slowly over this past year become more anxious and frightened of more things.
She and her twin sister both attend fullday preschool during the school year, then are off over the whole summer (I'm a full time teacher)
My daughter has gone from fearless to fearful. She never really took to preschool. She did well, but every day last year told me she had no friends and that she didn't want to go to school. From my conversations with her teacher, she got along just fine with others and was not a behavior problem, but my daughter FEELS like she has no friends.
I did feel a little bit of a disconnect with her teacher- I do not think her teacher knows what my child is "really" like or what she is really capable of, because my child is usually a little stressed while at school and unable to truly relax and be herself.
This school is a montessori preschool with degreed teachers and a terrific reputation. Her teacher IS a good teacher, but I don't think my daughter has gotten very attached to her, and her teacher doesn't know her outside of the classroom, so it is hard for her to really "get" that there IS a problem.
She also has gone from enjoying halloween to being deathly afraid of anyone in a costume.
Tonight, she informed me that she does not want to attend preschool this coming school year.
I am concerned that she is getting such a negative connotation with school that this might be an indicator of problems down the road.
Her identical twin sister, LOVES school, is thriving in her classroom and does not share any of the same anxiety.
I could hire a nanny and let both of my kids stay home, but I don't think that is fair to my other daughter. Also, I could put them in the same classroom to help minimize my child's fear of school in general. Or, I could make her "grin and bear it" and just support her but keep everything the same.
I really am at a loss.I do not believe that mmy child's dislike of school has anything to do with seperation anxiety, I really think she just doesn't like it.
I'm a single mom, so staying home with me isn't an option either.
HELP!