Joanna Fortune: A trial visit to playschool didn't go well, I'm dreading the real thing in September

My three-year-old daughter is very attached to me. She's an only child, and we do almost everything together. She got distressed when I attempted to leave her at playschool in June, so I stayed with her. What would you advise?

Joanna Fortune: "Any changes in routine that would introduce someone new into their care network and/or see them entering a new and therefore unfamiliar environment is often met with resistance. This resistance can be expressed as protest (refusing to go to school) or distress (tears and clinginess)." Picture: istock

My three-year-old daughter is very attached to me. She’s an only child, and we do almost everything together. I work part-time, and my mum comes to the house to look after her, so it’s an easy transition. 

She is due to start playschool in September and I’m dreading it. A trial visit in June did not go well — she got distressed when I attempted to leave, so I stayed with her. What would you advise?