With September nearly upon us, and many children starting school, you may be thinking about a Nursery setting to help get your little one school ready.
At the Nursery, we advise a minimum two-week settling in period. Why? We hear you ask; Well, we want to make the transition into Nursery as smooth as possible, and for your little learner to have a really positive first experience of an educational setting.
Settling can be tough, there are often tears and the occasional tantrum, but our staff are very experienced at settling new children and new parents too! We understand this could be the first time you are leaving your little one and we’re on hand to guide you through the process.
Here are our recommendations for a smooth settling in:
Bring them often, and vary the length of stay.
We know it can be tough fitting settling round other commitments, but it is important to bring your child in often before their first full session. They need to become familiar with the different staff and routines before they start. This can’t be done in a single half hour drop off.
Allow them to take something that comforts them
Do they have a favourite soft toy? It’s good to have something familiar when they’re immersed in something new. All we ask is that you limit the comforters to a maximum of two, and clearly label them with your child’s name.
Be upbeat!
It might be that joining Nursery is a very grown up step for your tiny one and you’re feeling a tad emotional. Try to be as positive as possible, children will pick up on you worrying and assume they’re going somewhere that isn’t very nice! Chances are they will cry and reach for you when you first leave them for settling in, rest assured this is VERY common and our experienced staff know just what to do in these circumstances. Be positive, smile and get out of sight! If you need a little cry in our reception area, our staff are experienced with parents too!
Tell us what they like or what interests them
It’s here that I must confess, my very own little learner recently had his settling in period. He loves anything with wheels, I told staff this and they made sure that there were cars available on the days he came to settle. If your child loves dressing up, or puzzles or dinosaurs, let us know; we will make sure that we accommodate your child’s special interests in order to help them enjoy and explore their new surroundings.
Label EVERYTHING
We have lots of learners with lots of things; it is much easier to keep track of these if they are clearly labelled.
Get advice from staff
Ask staff if they think your learner needs more settling in sessions, they will tell you honestly if your child is ready for their first session or could do with a few more shorter visits.
Allow them to be dropped off for settling in by someone other than yourself
This may sound a bit strange, but often if someone other than a parent (e.g. a grandparent) brings in your learner for settling in, there are less tears!
Provide up to date contact details.
If you happen to pop out when your child is settling, it is important to make sure the contact number you put on the registration paperwork is still correct. Please make sure your mobile is charged and on, just in case staff need to contact you.
Settled in, what happens next?
When your little learner is ready to start Nursery you’ll need to remember to send them with the following things:
A healthy packed lunch, but please don’t send nuts, strawberries or shellfish.
Nappies and wipes (if your child needs them)
Spare pants (accidents happen)
Spare clothes
Hats and gloves (if it’s cold)
Hats and sun cream (if it’s warm)
We recommend that you don’t send your learner in their best outfit, we often use paint, glue and dough. Our outdoor learning area is used all year round, rain or shine, so chances are your little learner won’t be as clean as they were when you dropped them off when you pick them up! Just remember, the more stains, the more learning!
If you would like to see our nursery please call: 024 76266280 to arrange a viewing appointment with Nursery staff.
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