Starting nursery is an exciting time for you and your child, but it can also feel a little daunting, especially if this is your first child or your first time using childcare. Settings can vary widely so it’s hard to know what to expect from a nursery school but these tips should help wherever you choose to place your little one.
Visit nursery school
Hopefully, you have had the chance to visit the setting and look around as part of your research into different nurseries. Many parents report choosing a nursery school based on having visited and gotten a good feeling for the place. If you’re new to the area, or for whatever reason you haven’t managed to go and visit any nursery schools, it’s a good idea to arrange to do so (click here to check out Three Lions International School’s open days). An open-door policy, whereby parents can come to look around without an appointment, is commonplace in many nurseries and demonstrates confidence in their setting. Other nurseries might require an appointment though so it’s best to phone ahead and check.
When you go for a visit, take your child with you so that they can see their new nursery too, even very young children can benefit from this! Make sure to ask any extra questions you have thought of to set your mind at ease before your child begins at nursery.
Transition is a significant concept in Early Years Education, and at Three Lions we seek to do all we can to help your child through the transition period. “Settling in” sessions and “stay and plays” are considered good practice, allowing the child to visit with their parent and without to give them a chance to get used to the setting.
A robust key person system promotes strong attachment which is an important base for further learning. At TLIS we follow the EYFS so we have a named key person to support your child through the transitional period, as well as a backup arrangement if the key person is on annual leave or off sick. Parents are advised to make sure to meet the key person before starting nursery, building a strong partnership with the key person is important in supporting parents and the child through the transitional period. The key person should be present for your child’s settling in sessions so that they can get to know each other and build up a relationship.
The reason for visits is to give your child (and yourself!) something more concrete to imagine as you look forward to starting nursery. Much of the anxiety around starting nursery is fear of the unknown, so spending time in the setting beforehand will give your child and yourself some clear expectations to focus on.
Talk about nursery school
Talking about nursery schools and reading stories about going to the nursery is a great way to build more concrete expectations of what nursery will be like. Try to keep it light-hearted and part of everyday conversation. For younger, less verbal children, try printing off some photos of the setting (check out our gallery here) and looking through them together. If you can take a photograph of yourself, your child and their key person altogether on one of your visits then this can make a great visual tool for your discussions; children often worry about who will look after them if their parent or usual carer is not there, you can use this photo to explain “Mummy looks after you at home, then we go to nursery and Miss Satoko or Mr Ade will look after you for a little bit, then Mummy will come and Miss Satoko will say goodbye so that Mummy can look after you at home.” (Check out our wonderful family of staff)
If you take your photograph so that your child is in the middle of the two of you this will re-enforce the point that both of you are responsible for caring for them, and really clarifies who the key person is there for your child as well.
For older children, build into the conversation that feeling nervous is totally normal, and reassure them that everyone feels a little anxious, even mummy, daddy and teachers! Be sure to offer space for your child to express their worries in their own words, and talk them through rather than shutting them down with “You’ll be fine!” or something similar.
Practically prepare for nursery school
There is plenty of practical preparation that goes along with starting nursery, and the more involved your child feels the more positive they are likely to feel about starting nursery.
If your child’s nursery school has a uniform then take them along to pick it up, and have them try it on a few times in the lead up to the school to have them get used to it.
If your child will be taking packed lunch to school then let them pick out a new cutlery set and water bottle, it’s a good idea to practice with the lunchbox and cutlery set; allowing your child to open, use and close them independently will give you a good idea of how to prepare food so that they can access it independently. Of course, the nursery staff will help your little one with their lunch but having a few trial runs will mean that your child is less likely to be overwhelmed by an entirely new situation.
Check with your child’s nursery what they are expecting you to supply as there are huge variations between nursery schools. Some nurseries include nappies, wipes, suncream and even formula milk within the price whereas others will ask you to bring these items in (this items also varies depending on the age of the child when entering).
If you are supplying expressed breastmilk for the setting to give your child be sure to check their storage facilities, do they have a fridge or do they expect milk to be brought in cool bags?
Make sure you label absolutely everything with your child’s name including bottles, cups, pacifiers, comfort toys and especially clothing items. Stickers that can go through the dishwasher or washing machine are great. Use your child’s first and last names. Of course, to you, Ted-ted or Mi-chan is totally unique, but usually at least one other child has a similar item and it’s easy to get mixed up! It may be worth purchasing extra of the same items just in case they get misplaced or lost.
Get into a nursery routine
A good nursery will help to keep your child in the same routine that they have at home, but on the practical side of things, nursery begins early and sometimes finishes late. If you’ve been on maternity leave or had the summer off it can be easy to slip into a routine of late nights and lie-ins and going back to work can be a hard transition for adults, let alone the little ones. Give your family a few weeks to adjust to a nursery school schedule by winding back bedtime by 15 – 20 minutes every few days until you’re where you need to be.
Minimise transition and change, a few weeks before nursery school is not the time to be moving rooms, swapping beds, weaning from the breast or pacifier or getting a puppy if it can be avoided! Nursery school is a big enough transition in and of itself, and keeping everything else as settled as possible will help your child to take it in their stride.
