Ugh, this gradual entry stuff is so painful...
My coworker just told me about his recent experience with daycare and his son. The caregivers told him "We don't do the gradual entry thing. Your child will cry. In a week, he will be fine."
So day 1, he dropped off his son (then cried by himself in the car) for the full duration. Of course his son cried, but in a week he was fine.
Meanwhile, day 4 of school and my two kids are sick at home already.