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I have a couple of 2 year olds that are (IMO) manipulating their parents at dropoff. It doesn't happen every day or on a predictable pattern (like Mondays) which is why I think it's manipulation vs real separation anxiety.
Both children have parents that do the right thing...quick goodbye, tell them they'll be back etc etc and they leave quickly but both show visible signs of distress and I feel this may be prolonging this "stage".
So my first question is how do I put an end to this random screaming in the morning? Both children have been here for over a year and both recover INSTANTLY they know they haven't "won" and their parents have left. One even stops as she turns the corner to the playroom while Mom is still here. Hysterical screaming to nothing in 2 seconds flat.
My first thought was to talk to both sets of parents and put a plan in place that crying at the door means the parents pass off and leave right away. We tend to chat for 5 min each day.
My other problem is that two other children are now copying this behavior when they see it. I had 3 of them screaming this morning and 2 didn't have a parent here. :confused: But once the first one started "Mommy, mommy, mommy" the other two did the same thing.
It's driving me a little bananas since it's obviously NOT separation anxiety but Nannyde's Bye Bye Outside method seems a little like overkill (this happens maybe one day per week) so I'm looking for options.
Both children have parents that do the right thing...quick goodbye, tell them they'll be back etc etc and they leave quickly but both show visible signs of distress and I feel this may be prolonging this "stage".
So my first question is how do I put an end to this random screaming in the morning? Both children have been here for over a year and both recover INSTANTLY they know they haven't "won" and their parents have left. One even stops as she turns the corner to the playroom while Mom is still here. Hysterical screaming to nothing in 2 seconds flat.
My first thought was to talk to both sets of parents and put a plan in place that crying at the door means the parents pass off and leave right away. We tend to chat for 5 min each day.
My other problem is that two other children are now copying this behavior when they see it. I had 3 of them screaming this morning and 2 didn't have a parent here. :confused: But once the first one started "Mommy, mommy, mommy" the other two did the same thing.
It's driving me a little bananas since it's obviously NOT separation anxiety but Nannyde's Bye Bye Outside method seems a little like overkill (this happens maybe one day per week) so I'm looking for options.
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