I had the same with my son when he started pre school. He went from being really sociable to crying when I left, hitting me when I picked him up and tantrums etc etc. Against my heart I stuck with it and he's been there maybe 8 weeks or so now. He still says he doesn't like it but he doesn't cry when I leave him and he's gone back to being the adorable little boy he was before. Although sometimes when I pick him up he looks so sad and the whole guilt thing comes back.
My husband and I agonised for weeks whether to pull him out and wait until he was older but realised we'd probably have to go through it all again at a later date and it could be worse with him being older and wiser!
A friend of mine is a primary school teacher and she kept saying that kids settle better at school if they have been used to a similar environment before. They are the ones that tend to excel by the time they get to school, rather than going through the shock of a new environment and not being with their parents all day.
I guess its hard for them having a stricter structure and being with kids that are a bit older. Guess its not dissimilar to us starting a new job?
