TL;DR: Quiet, introverted kindergartner's transition to school is tearful and she seems paralyzed at school and overwhelmed by the experience, and wants an adult near her at school during chaotic times (recess, lunch). Looking for encouragement.We're closing out the third week of kindergarten and our daughter's transition is bumpy. M is a quiet, introverted child who prefers to observe with an adult before involving herself in any situation. Once she feels comfortable, she'll leave her preferred adult's side and open up. M has always been uncomfortable in crowded situations, and it will take longer for her to go join in an activity when things are busy. (She's basically a tiny me, so I can relate to her on all of these points).She attended a small pre-school/child care program with a wonderful early educator but it was only six kids total, and she had one other peer (in age). M has a very close bond with me and my husband, and even through her last couple of weeks at pre-school, would sometimes have tough mornings at drop-off.Before starting Kindergarten, her teacher met with each parent/child individually, so I had a chance to inform her teacher of M's personality and that we could expect some drop-offs to be challenging. Her teacher, Mrs. D, has been very supportive and loving, and we have settled into a regular routine at drop-off which includes Mrs. D greeting M and helping her say goodbye to me when I leave. There's a paraeducator in the classroom for another student, Ms. C, and M has bonded with her. M asks every day if I will help her ask Ms. C if she will sit with her at lunch and hold her hand at recess (the two very busy, crowded times during the day).When M comes home, I let her provide me details of her day when she wants, and she will often mention other students, things that happened, things they did, etc, but it's clear she is watching and not engaging. She doesn't seem upset when I pick her up; in fact she seems pretty happy. However, every morning M begs not to go to school, and Mrs. D has communicated that M is tearful during the day and sticks to she and Ms. C like glue during busy times. We're setting up a time to meet and chat more.After living as my own introverted self for 34 years, and parenting M for five, I recognize and relate that M needs to do this in her own time and in her own way. Forcing the issue, forcing her to engage before she's ready, etc, won't help, and I know this. However, I want to try to bolster her confidence by encouraging her to do things she might not be 100% comfortable with in order to find the balance of doing something a little scary or new and then seeing and feeling the positive outcome. I think she very much wants a friend, and wants to play with other kids, but seems paralyzed by the happenings in school, and completely overwhelmed.I fully expect that things will improve over time as M gets more comfortable and it’s not quite so new. We're fortunate to have a great school community, and the purpose of the meeting is so that Mrs. D and I can brainstorm ways to strike the balance of encouraging M to explore something new in order to bolster confidence, without making M's worries worse. In advance of meeting with Mrs. D and the school counselor, though, I'm hoping to hear from parents who have kiddos who are similar in personality and what tactics they've found to help their child. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2MQ1rNN
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