Do you have a child who is about to start going to nursery for the first time?
You might be worried about how difficult it’s going to be. But don’t be, most kids settle in just fine.
But even so, it’s important to be prepared. They’re starting a whole new chapter in their lives (and you are, too).
We’ve put together a small guide that suggests ideas on how to make sure you’re both ready for the big day.
The first thing to do is get them enrolled at a good nursery – such as ours!
After that, it’s time to prepare for the first day.
Here’s some of our advice.
Visit the Nursery before You Start
Paying a visit to your nearest Shine nursery before your child actually enrols has two major benefits.
One, it allows your child to get used to their new surroundings, and to become comfortable with the people who work there.
Two, when you see the high level of professionalism, and the excellent facilities, it will put your mind at ease as a parent.
We typically insist on a couple of settling in sessions for your child, free of charge. One of these will be without parents – so they get used to the idea of being apart.
These sessions allow our staff to get to know new children, so they can start planning days and activities they think they’ll like.
Our specialists take the time to really get to know your child. Do they have a favourite toy? A favourite thing to do? What don’t they like?
This is all put on file, and used by the staff to provide a suitable, comforting experience for each and every child -the entire time they’re at one of our nurseries.
Our staff are more than happy to speak to you about our services, and reassure you of any concerns you might have.
Don’t forget, we have nurseries in Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax and Oldham – so there’s a few options depending on where you live.
Get Your Child to Socialise
Before their first day, we’d recommend having your child socialise with other children their age a little.
Just so they get used to the idea of being around other kids.
Obviously if they’re really young, i.e. a baby, this isn’t as much of an issue. But a two year old should ideally have experience interacting with other two year olds.
They’ll feel a lot more comfortable when they start at nursery, where they’ll naturally see a lot more children than they’re used to.
It allows them to get settled in faster – they won’t be as anxious about leaving you for the day.
Spend Time Away from Your Child Beforehand
Again, this is something that will not only benefit your child, but you too.
It’s sound counterintuitive, but the more you get used to being away from each other, the better you’ll handle it when they start nursery.
You don’t have to do it for long. Leave them with their grandparents or other relatives for an hour every once in a while.
This has the added benefit of giving you some time to yourself for a while.
Leaving them for a short period of time is not the same as leaving them for an entire day – but it does help make it easier when that time comes.
Preparing for Day One at Nursery
So, the big day has arrived.
Again, you might be slightly worried. Most kids are fine, but there are a few things you can do on the day to put your mind at ease.
First of all, leave yourself plenty of time to get there. This means you can stick around for a few minutes whilst your child gets settled.
It’s no good if you literally have to drop them off and then rush to work.
We’d also recommend speaking to your child, and explaining the situation (if they’re old enough to understand).
Don’t lie or suggest you’ll not be gone long, tell them exactly when you’ll be back.
Other than that, try not to worry too much. Kids can pick up on emotions, and if you’re happy and excited for them, they’ll feel that.
Your children are in the best possible hands with us here at Shine.