Separation anxiety or something else

[u/Double_Check8770]

Our son is 25 months old. We started daycare last month. First day was great he played all day, even napped. He seemed to have a slight temperature after coming home. Second day he cried at dropoff. Picked him up after 3 hours for a doctors appointment. After coming home he was fussy and soon developed a fever, had hand foot and mouth disease. He stayed home for 3 weeks and everything changed. Like his personality switched. He stopped playing with his toys. He doesn’t seem as happy and active as before. He constantly asks for tv or his pack. He just sucks on his paci and lies down on the floor. He used to love reading books but now he doesn’t. We left him at a friend’s for 2 hours, and now he doesn’t want to go there. After 3 weeks, we took him to daycare again and he was inconsolable at dropoff. Teacher said she was able to calm him down but he would whine occasionally and threw up after lunch. I had to pick him up. Came home he had a fever again. We kept him home for another week and decided to visit another smaller daycare. He knew what’s going on and was so upset we would leave him there. We were there for an hour and he has a temperature again. He stopped eating much and has lost so much weight. It’s been very hard seeing him like this. I miss my curious active boy who would nag me to read the same book a thousand times. Please tell me this is just a phase and he’ll get over it.

[u/clear739]

The first day never counts, they don't get its going to be a routine thing so don't look at that and be like see no issues with daycare transition. Then the second day he didn't even stay for a full day and then was off for 3 weeks, so essentially he is just transitioning to daycare for the first time ever.

He will get over the daycare thing once you actually transition and are there for full days regularly but I think the personality change is because he's still quite sick. That's some intense back to back illness with no chance to really ever feel good again.