He didn’t want to get dressed, he didn’t want to eat breakfast, he didn’t even want to get out of bed. He was crying, he was screaming, he said he didn’t want to go, that he was tired and that he preferred to stay home. I tried to calm him down, but nothing worked. I got desperate and almost lost my patience. In the end, after much insistence, I managed to dress him, he had half his breakfast, and I took him by force in the car. But he arrived with an angry face and no desire to talk to me. I’m worried that this will become a habit. Could it be that he’s very tired, or is there something else?
Oh, I feel this so much. My daughter went through a phase where every single morning was a battle to get out the door. The crying, the refusals, the last, minute bathroom trips to delay things, it was exhausting. Some days I just wanted to give up and let her stay home, but obviously, that wasn’t an option. For us, it turned out she was overtired and overstimulated. We started a more consistent bedtime routine and made mornings a little more predictable. It didn’t fix things overnight, but it helped. Hang in there!
I know how hard this is, but it won’t always be like this! My son went through this around the same age, and I was convinced we were stuck in this cycle forever. But little by little, we found ways to make mornings smoother, letting him pick his clothes the night before, making breakfast fun we even did silly voices pretending his toast was talking to him, and giving him a sticker chart for good mornings. One day, it just clicked, and he stopped resisting so much. You’ll get there!
I’m going through the exact same thing, and I don’t even know what to do anymore. Do you think it’s a phase, or could something be bothering them at daycare? I keep wondering if maybe my son is overwhelmed there or if he just doesn’t like the routine. Have you noticed any changes in how your little one talks about daycare? I’m trying to figure out if this is just normal 3 year old behavior or if I should be asking more questions
Ugh, mornings are the worst in my house too. I can’t even count how many times I’ve carried a screaming child to the car while trying not to cry myself. It’s like, no matter how much prep I do, something always sets them off. And then the mom guilt kicks in, was I too harsh? Should I have been more patient? I just want to drink my coffee in peace, but instead, I’m dealing with a meltdown before 8 AM. Just here to say, you are not alone in this.
From what you’re describing, it sounds like your little one might be struggling with transitions. At this age, big feelings are hard to express, and sometimes that resistance to daycare is more about the process of leaving home than about daycare itself. A couple of strategies that worked wonders for us:
Morning visual schedule: Having a simple chart with pictures showing the morning steps (wake up, get dressed, eat, brush teeth, shoes on, etc.) helps kids feel more in control.
Connection time before getting ready: Instead of jumping straight into the morning routine, spend 5-10 minutes cuddling or reading together. A calm start can set the tone for the rest of the morning.
Fun goodbyes: We started doing a “secret handshake” before drop-off, and it actually made my son excited to go.
Give it a try, sometimes small changes make a big difference!
Wow, thank you all so much for your replies! It really helps knowing I’m not alone in this. I’m definitely going to try some of these ideas, I love the sticker chart and morning cuddle time ideas. Fingers crossed for a smoother morning tomorrow!
I have two older kids, and let me tell you, this is one of those phases that feels endless but does get better! One thing that really helped us was giving my kids some control over their morning. For example, I let them pick between two outfits so they feel like they have a say but aren’t overwhelmed with choices, I give them a simple routine chart with pictures, and I make sure I don’t rush them too much in the morning even though I always feel like I’m running late Another big game changer was making daycare seem like a special place. We’d talk about something exciting that would happen that day, like a special toy or an activity. You’re not alone in this!
Oh, I remember these days well! My kids are older now (7 and 9), but we had many, mant mornings like this when they were little. What helped me was realizing that toddlers don’t actually have a concept of time like we do. When we say, “We have to go now,” they don’t really understand why or what that means. I started using a visual timer (you can get one on Amazon or even use an app) so they could SEE how much time was left for each task. It cut down on a lot of fights because instead of me nagging, they could see the timer running out. Another tip, if they refuse to get dressed, I’d bring their clothes to the car and let them get dressed there. Somehow, the novelty of it made them more cooperative. Toddlers are weird, lol. But I promise, this gets better!