What to Do About a Screaming Child

[Unregistered]

I have a little boy who is 2 and I watch him part time (6 hours a week). He is never without his parents unless he is at my house and this causes major separation anxiety when they drop him off.

It's usually screaming for 45 min and I can't get him to nap on the rare occasions I have him all day. He just screams and cries when I lay him down.

How can I help him (and me) with this? The parents are at a loss on what to do and are desperate for childcare so I would like to find a solution rather than letting him go.

[KKDaycare]

The daycare I worked at for a long time had a little family scrapbook. The parents would bring pictures of themselves with the child and other members of the family and each child would get a page or two. It was comforting for the children to be able to see their family whenever they felt like it and they were all so proud to show their friends who mom and dad were.

Also, have you tried allowing a comfort item from home?

Hope this helped!

[Josiegirl]

Six hours a week isn't nearly enough to help him adjust IMO. Can they find someone, such as a family member(someone he knows) or else increase your hours with him? Adjustment for a 2 yo child who hasn't been in dc before, is hard enough but 6 hours will not help him. I remember starting a dcg at 18 months before and she'd go running for the door, cry at the window, for probably a good couple weeks before she settled down. And she was FT.
Is there anything at your house that really catches his eye? I used to blow bubbles in the house when kids were having a hard time. Windchimes used to help too.
Good luck and I hope he settles down for you after he gets to know you and the routine.
Other ideas using pictures from home, you could make some fridge magnets using family pictures and let him play with those. Or print off 8x10's and cover with contact paper, let dcb carry them around if he needs to.

[Josiegirl]

Also, I know lots of providers frown on this because it can prolong the agony, but has the mom stayed a couple minutes extra to help him get interested in his surroundings? I don't do it as the norm but if a dck is having an adjustment meltdown at drop-off, it might help them if dcm stays for a bit. (Please don't bash me anyone, as I said I don't normally do it but sometimes drastic measures are called for).

[Febby]

I agree that six hours a week isn't enough.

Family pictures can be really helpful. My classroom currently has family trees up for each of our children. I've also done the scrapbooks in the past and those also work well.

I've had some luck before with parents sitting and playing with their child for a bit at pick up.

[midaycare]

6 hours a week? Oh my word... Way too hard on a little one. I agree with the advice above, but I think it will be too hard to really help dck adjust well with those few hours.

[Thriftylady]

I agree he needs more hours. If the parents really want to help him, they will pay a little more to get him adjusted.