Counting down to nursery
This is it. We're on the final countdown. We have received CK's nursery start date of Monday 5th September. In a little over 2 weeks CK will be taking this huge step and I have to say that I am starting to feel a bit nervous. We made the decision for him to go a few weeks ago (you can read more about this here) and I can't believe we're only a few weeks from him starting.
My main concerns are
- How will he react to his first settling in sessions?
- Will he love nursery or is he going to hate it?
- What if he doesn't want me to leave and won't settle without me?
This is a huge change for CK as he will be going two mornings a week (Monday and Thursday) and he is used to being at home or at the home of one of his two grannies who each have him for a day every week with CD covering the third day when I'm at work.
Our current preparations:
I've been trying to prepare CK the best I can ready for nursery. We've been sent a list of things he needs - water bottle, lunchbox, bag etc. and so I made a really big fuss of taking him to Smyths Toys and let him choose a back pack (he chose Paw Patrol) and a matching water bottle (also Paw Patrol) which I've been training him to use (he 's fine when it's full but tips it up when it's empty so the straw isn't in the water any more and he cant get any out, bless him). I also went to the local library by us and the much bigger library in Stratford upon Avon and borrowed a few books about starting nursery/playgroup to read to him, along with some ABC books on the subject to try and teach him words he can use to communicate with the leader. He has enjoyed reading the books with me but I don't think he really understands.
Nursery visit
CK came with CD and I when we went to look around the nursery for the first time on their open day. He was really nervous initially and wouldn't walk in, he had to be carried around during out tour. But after a while he started to relax and wanted to get down, he played with the toys, particularly in the outdoor area, did some wet play, ran in and out of the garden 'den' and even started interacting and playing with the staff. This was great to see, but the minute we were out of his sight whilst speaking to the office admin (the staff member he was playing with stayed with him) he started getting nervous and came after us and this is still what worries me. He's fine whilst mummy or daddy are in the room but if we're not, that is when things start going a bit wrong.
I have another visit to the nursery lined up on Thursday this week to see the nursery 'in action' so to speak. I appreciate on the open day the nursery was on show but I want to see it when it's not on show. I want to see how the staff interact with the children and how they are treated, I felt really comfortable with the staff on the first visit so I'm not expecting any bad surprises but all the same I still feel this is necessary. The nursery is also on holiday club mode during the summer so things will not be exactly as they will be in September, but as CK is likely to go to holiday club next year I still think this will be interesting. This second visit is another opportunity for CK to visit the nursery before he starts and give him the experience of it with children in. It means that by the time he starts full sessions he will have had 2 visits and 2 settling in sessions and I'm hoping this will help with the transition.
Settling in sessions
One thing that does put my mind at ease is that CK has 2 settling in sessions before he starts attending his full morning sessions. These are an hour long each and the first is on Monday 5th September. The staff have stated that in the first session I stay with him for the whole hour and it gives him the opportunity to settle in with children who will be in his room (2 year olds) whilst I am there the whole time so he can have fun and enjoy himself without any concerns about mummy leaving him. In the second session which will be the Thursday that week, I stay with him to settle him but then am encouraged to leave by staff once he seems settled before picking him up at the end of the session and hopefully he will have had so much fun he will be ok without me - at least that's what I'm hoping.
First full session
He will then have his first full session the following week and I'm really hoping that as he will have been 4 times to the nursery he will be ok with being left. CD will be dropping him off that Monday morning and then as a one off (I'm trying to book the afternoon off work) I will pick him up afterwards but in future CD will be dropping him off and picking him up on a Monday whilst I do the same on a Thursday.
I'm really hoping it all works out and we don't have any problems but our experience at Center Parcs in June is adding to my fears as CK did not take to the creche at all and whilst he stuck it out the first day he refused point blank to go back the second day. I really am hoping I won't have a repeat of that at the nursery.
Can you give me any further tips, advice for getting him ready and settling him in? I'd love to hear about your own experiences too about settling your little ones into nursery. Please comment in the notes below.
5 comments
awww im sure he will settle eventually. it can def be a hard change. I just wrote a post on moving from toddler room to preschool as even this was a change for my boy. good luck, hopefully it will go better than you think #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is starting at nursery next week too, and I'm also not sure how it's going to go! She understands what will happen as she sees her brother go to school every day, but sometimes she tells me she'll go in and I can go home, but other days she says she wants me to stay with her when she starts, so all I can do is wait and see next week what will happen! x #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteHe'll settle quickly - we build ourselves up so much but for them, it's going into a room full of toys and new boys and girls to play with and exciting activities and whilst it can be a bit overwhelming at first, they have a whale of a time! #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteAw - hope it all goes well! I'm sure he will settle in & love it! My eldest is due to start nursery school in a couple of weeks (though we are also due to move now so it won't be for long!) - will be a big adjustment (for me probably more than her!) #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're doing everything you can to make the process as smooth for him as possible. It's such a big thing for them to process but I'm sure he'll adapt better than you expect. My son took a while to settle at drop off, but I know he was fine pretty soon after I left. And I still can't leave him in any type of creche - please don't worry too much about your creche experience, I've found nursery to be completely different. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again tomorrow!
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