Starting College

Start each day with getting him excited about school or the new daycare that he will be attending. Take him to the school or daycare in incremental time periods. For example, he might go two hours the first day, 3 the next and so forth and so on until he is there an entire day. It is important to start now so by the time you start school he and you both will be adjusted and you can focus on your school work. In my case, I had more anxiety than my son. After the first week he was perfectly happy and excited about going to school and being around other children!

Do not sneak out. He needs to see you leave, sneaking out creates distrust and will scare him the first few days until he understands you are coming back. Find a friend that you trust that you can leave him with for an hour at a time and increase the amount of time gradually. I'm not sure how much time you have to prepare him, but it won't be easy. My girls have been going to Bible class at church every Sunday since they were 3 mos old and have never cried about going, but when I leave my 19 month old at her grandmas she gets upset when I leave, my 3 year old never had separation anxiety-first day of preschool, she had just turned 2, she ran into the classroom and cried when I came to pick her up!! All kids are different and new places are going to be hard to get used to for most kids, but you will both get through it. There may be lots of tears first, yours and his, but you'll do it! Congrats on going to College! and God Bless you.

Well W., I was in school from the time my daughter was about 9 months old until she was about 19 months old. I am starting school again in Aug. for nursing. From my own personal experience it has been harder on me than her. She will be 2 when I start school, and the closer it gets, the more apprehensive I get. My one piece of advice to you is spend time with him whenver you can. I have to work full time, go to school super full time, and have a life with my husband and daughter. I try to take one day a week (if nothing else) and spend as much of that day as possible with them. Good Luck, and just remeber he probably won't even remember this time in his life.

There isn't really a good way to do it. It's going to be hard for him and you. If you are putting him in a daycare, the teacher will help distract him so you can sneak out. He will eventually get used to it. It also helps to hire a babysitter and leave him with him/her for a little bit to just help him to get used to not being around you all the time. Good luck!!