My Toddler Suddenly Started Screaming Every Morning Before Daycare—Then I Found Out Why
Knowing he felt safe and excited about daycare made going to work so much easier for me.
Then one morning, everything changed.
Johnny woke up crying.
Not the usual sleepy whining or mild fussiness that toddlers sometimes have. No—this was full-blown panic. He was shaking, clinging to me, and sobbing so hard I could barely understand him.“I don’t want to go!” he cried.
I sat beside him on the bed, trying to calm him down.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I said gently, brushing his hair back. “What’s wrong?”
He buried his face in my shirt.
“I don’t want daycare,” he whimpered.
I assumed he was just tired or in a bad mood. Kids his age sometimes resist routine.
“Johnny,” I said softly, “you love daycare.”
He shook his head violently.
“No! No daycare!”
His little hands clutched my shirt like he was terrified I might disappear.My heart tightened.
“Did something happen?” I asked.
But he just kept crying.
That entire morning was a struggle. He refused to get dressed, refused breakfast, and cried the whole way to daycare.
When we arrived, he clung to my leg and wouldn’t let go.One of the daycare teachers noticed.
“Oh Johnny,” she said in a cheerful voice. “What’s going on today?”
