Is my child not ready for school yet?

Q: My daughter is 2.5 years old and she joined a nursery last week and the whole week she cried in the school non-top. Even during sleep, she cries searching for her dad. The teachers are advising that she may not be ready for nursery. Is it true? Is she too early? What should we do to tackle this problem?

A:Your child does seem too young for Nursery School. Some schools run a programme for one hour only for children under three. The children become familiar with the school setting and may be happy to go for half a day, when they are three. Let her develop her strength and self-confidence and you can send her when she is three. As for getting her ready for school, tell her that she can go to a big place where there are lots of toys and playmates, if she is good. Treat school as a reward and her mental associations with school could be made pleasant. Children are themselves able to convey to you, when they are ready for more experiences in the outside world. And when they want more time in a sheltered and protected place.