Anytime I take my child anywhere she has a meltdown...advice?

Ugh…… anytime I drop my 4.5 year old off anywhere she has a major meltdown. She was perfectly fine when school was in session. Now with summer she is having meltdowns no matter where she goes. Her reasoning is… I just want to only be with you mom. Which makes my heart hurt knowing I need to work…

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It sounds like maybe she thought she was gonna be able to spend the summer with u like schools out so work was out for the summer. Tell her how much it makes ur heart hurt that you have to work but for u guys to have a place to live and food to eat mommy has to work to make money 4.5 is old enough to understand.

The way you phrased this sounds like she doesn’t do the same thing everyday while you go to work (“take my child anywhere”). School is a pretty consistent routine whereas if she’s going to a friends house one day, grandmas the next, an aunt’s the next, she doesn’t know what to expect. And not that she’s scared to go those places but being with her momma is her safe place. I would suggest telling her the night before what the plan is for the next day, then reminding her in the morning- that way it’s less stressful for her once she gets there. Make plans with her on something you will do together when you pick her up (even if it’s just playing her favorite song on the way home). That will give her something to look forward to and also reassure her that you are coming back

Try to have a routine, if not try to tell her in advance you are gong somewhere. Kids hate surprises. They need to have time to think where they’re going. So say, what your going to do next if off a schedule. Or tell the schedule in advance or even have a visual in a calendar or something. It works… it helped my son a lot when summer came a long. Even driving down the street say we’re going here… ECT.

 It just sounds like because it’s summer. She thought she’d spend more time with you. She doesn’t understand you have to explain it to her.

I don’t know where you take her but if its possible tell here to draw a picture of her day whens she’s there so she can give it to you when you pick her up and then when there’s time she can tell you about her day from the picture.