Transition day hell with my 4-year-old

Jan 1·1 min read

Fridays are rough. My 4yo cries when I pick her up from her mom's every single time, like I'm kidnapping her. Then Sunday evening when I have to take her back she's clingy and sad. I know transitions are hard for little kids but it breaks my heart every time. Her mom says she's fine 5 minutes after I leave. How long does this phase last? Anyone else dealing with this?

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Comments(4)

DDaniel R.RegularJan 1

Transition anxiety at that age is brutal. Have you tried giving her something to bring with you from mom's house on Fridays? My 4 year old had this issue and having her stuffed animal in the car helped.

CChris R.RegularJan 1

Four year olds don't really understand that you're not abandoning them when they go to mom's and vice versa. It's not personal, it's just her brain not grasping the concept yet. My therapist told us this and it helped me not take it to heart.

CCarl D.RegularJan 1

Does she settle down after a few minutes or does it take a while? Asking because we had a similar thing and realized our daughter just needed like ten minutes in the car to process the switch before she could engage with me.

KKevin M.RegularJan 3

This might sound weird but have you talked to her mom about how the handoff goes on her end? Sometimes if there's tension between the parents the kid picks up on it and acts out harder during the transition.