Henry started school a little over two weeks ago. He’s almost six years old, did really well in preschool last year, and has been super excited to start kindergarten for MONTHS.

But he’s not doing very well, at least not in the mornings.

The two kindergarten classes wait in the lunchroom until their teachers come to take them to class, while all of the older kids wait in the gym. So, he just has to wait with his classmates and other kids with whom he went to preschool and are now in the other kindergarten class, and a few other kids with whom he’s never been in class.

When his teacher comes to get the class and they line up and go, he seems fine.

Since Ivy started school on Monday, I’ve had to take them both but I haven’t really been able to stay with Henry and wait for his teacher, like I did the first week and a half he was in school. Ivy has been fine, though, so for the past couple of days, Henry and I have walked her to her class and then I’ve dropped Henry off in the lunchroom.

And it breaks my heart, because he wants me to stay with him, and he sits apart from all of the other kids, even though they say “hi” to him when he walks in. But he won’t acknowledge that they’ve spoken to him, or look them in the eyes and say anything back.

Today, there were tears again, for the first time since his first day. And as I walked toward the door to leave, he ran after me.

He’s always so talkative and friendly outside of school, so I’m not sure what it is about that lunch room that is so scary or intimidating to him.

Has anybody else had this problem? How did you help your child get over it?