I'm a SAHM and DS has never been to daycare (he will be 2 this month). A couple of months ago we participated in a speech development programme which involved the parents being in one room and the kids being looked after by childcare workers in another room for about an hour/hour and a half. This was once a week for 6 weeks.

The first 2 or 3 weeks my DS was fine, took to it like a duck to water, but a couple of the kids of SAHMs were absolutely hysterical and cried and called out for their mums nearly the entire time.

By Week 4 however, my DS would burst into tears as soon as we pulled up in the carpark and was so hysterical when I tried to leave him that I had to bring him into the session with me and he clung to me like a little koala for the whole session. The next couple of days at home he would completely freak out if he couldn't see me.

I gave up trying to leave him with the carers and just brought him into the sessions with me...but interestingly enough the kids who had been hysterical initially were absolutely fine with being left by the end of the programme.

The carers said that there are 2 common reactions - my DS' reaction which was initially "oh wow this is all fun and different" and then they cop on to what's going on. And the more common reaction of the other kids...initially very upset but then get to grips with what's going on.

Just some food for thought...it may be worth perservering a tiny bit longer just to see if she improves to see if she fits into that second group. I totally understand your concerns...I tried to put DS into daycare to return to work and I was crying all the time and in the end couldn't do it. I am worried about how he will go with 3 year old kinder because Mummy is his best friend in the entire world, but I figure that's a whole year away yet so trying not to think about it.