My son asked me not to send him to kindergarten, and I was heartbroken by what I saw.
😲 Every morning, my three-year-old screamed and begged me not to send him to daycare.
Concerned, I chose to watch in secret. I will never forget what I witnessed that day.
My name is Marta, and I am the mother of Janosch, a happy and inquisitive boy. He enjoyed attending kindergarten for two years. Then, however, everything was different.
He would cry every morning, hold on to me, and beg me not to be taken, Mom.
I initially believed it to be a phase, the so-called “terrible threes.” However, I had a gut feeling that something was seriously amiss. Janosch was no longer himself.
I attempted to speak to him softly, but he seemed frightened, withdrawn, and almost shaking. He then muttered one day:
– “I no longer want to eat there.”
I felt cold after hearing those remarks. He was always a terrific eater. What was going on during the meal?
The day that everything was different
I went to the kindergarten the following day at noon and had a quick look through a large window.
I noticed my son sitting there with tears in his eyes. He was receiving severe words from a woman, a teacher I didn’t know:
— “Spread your tongue! Now eat! With a snap, she shoved a spoon into his mouth.
He began to choke, sobbed, and shook his head.
— “STOP!” I hurried in and yelled.
“Avoid touching him again!”
“You can’t be here!” the teacher said in an attempt to stop me.
— “And is it okay for you to treat a child that way?” I fired back, trembling with anger.
A fresh start
I then asked questions, observed more, and talked to the management.
The workforce gradually changed. Janosch grinned once more, felt trusted, and desired to return.
What I discovered:
✔️ A child always has a cause for begging.
Parents are the experts. Have faith in your instincts.
✔️ Harassing, screaming, and forcing—that is not teaching; that is injury.
✔️ I avoided invisible trauma by acting quickly.
💬 Tell this tale. It is a strength, not a weakness, to listen to your child.