I have posted here a few times in the past. I'll take a second on some background information on where we are right now.
I have a wonderful little 15 month old who appears to be gifted. As I posted before she has met all of her milestones extremely early. Academically, she knows all her letters and most sounds and always knows a word that begins with any letter you ask her. She knows all her shapes and most of her colors. She even asks for things by color "blue blankey, please". Her language development is advanced (as far as I can tell). She now has over 300 signs and 200 words (we stopped counting after that). She can tell whole stories, though not all language structure is present. She remembers EVERYTHING.
Anyway, down to the issues...I was forced to put her in daycare/preschool when my father in law, who was caring for her got sick. She has been in daycare 2 days a week for 2 months now. Separating from me has always been terribly difficult for her and she cries and screams and runs after me. Apparently she also cries almost the whole day as well. Last week, I was talking to the director and she stopped me and said "wait a second, your daughter can talk?". !@! Apparently she does not/will not talk or sign at school. I observed via a camera both days last week and found that the classroom was NOT at all appropriate for her. They were basically just keeping the kids alive in that room (1 year olds). The teacher never interacted with her except to take her to the potty (which was infrequent, she'd rather just change a diaper i guess) and the children can not talk. I thought maybe if they moved her up to a room with some stimulation and other kids who can talk it would work out. Everyone agreed and they moved her up to the 2 year old room. I then observed this new classroom which was PERFECT in my eyes. The teacher was constantly interacting, entertaining, moving around the room. They were working on weather (which my daughter LOVES to talk about) animals, colors and singing a ton of songs. Well, she still wouldn't participate or talk. She cried less, but still what I would consider the whole day. She sat in a chair away from the other kids and cried. The director spoke to me last night and said that my daughter is "different from the other kids" and she "thinks about me more than most kids would". She also said she is very sensitive, which she is. If she sees a kid crying in a book, she will cry. If I stub my toe and look upset, she cries.
Anyway, does anyone have any advice at all on how to help her through this tough time? Any success stories? I just want her to be ok and have fun with her friends. I don't have a choice to not work, as it is it has been a stretch cutting back to working just part time.
Also, if it matters, I have raised her in a "natural way" or so called Attachment parenting. She has never been left to cry for anything since her needs are very valid. She is also still nursing.
