In order to make your child’s transition to our nursery as easy as possible we invite you to a week of reduced sessions to help with the settling in process. Every child is different. Settling your child into a nursery can take up to three or four weeks, and sometimes longer depending on the age, stage of development and previous experience of childcare. Here are some key tips, that we will help you with:
Introduce your child to a range of noises and different groups of people, including children, before they start nursery. This will help them feel more at ease in the lively environment of a nursery.
Visit the nursery – with your child during the welcome meeting. Learn what happens throughout the day. This will help your child to become familiar with different parts of their new environment and also to meet staff and other children. This is usually done as part of your settling in programme.
Care about and get involved with the nursery. If children see parents at ease, happy and chatting with staff, they are more likely to feel relaxed, developing a stronger sense of confidence and belonging in the nursery themselves.
Bring along a familiar objects from home – like a favourite teddy bear, toys or other materials. These hold positive memories for children and will, by association, help them to develop secure attachments with the nursery. However, quickly the children will no longer need these transitional objects and be able to enter without them. Sleep toys can also be used and stay in the gan.
Be patient. Some children will be happier to join in with nursery life more quickly than others. But if you’re patient, the benefits of your child attending our caring and well-run nursery will soon be clear to see.
The first day of nursery will be a home visit, and your child will meet their keyworker at home. It will be the keyworker who you meet at the home visit who supports the settling process with the child as they start to enter the nursery on the following day.
Parents do not enter the nursery at all with the children. Parents and carers say goodbye at the door, and the keyworker supports their settling process.
Below is a guide to settling in times, which have some degree of flexibility to support each child, and their needs, but also to retain a structured and systematic approach to settling which will support your child to adjust to the new setting.
Please note that this is just a guide, and settling in arrangements can vary, and depending on the child’s age, stage of development and previous childcare history these arrangements may need to be adapted.
Things to bring on your first day:
- Spare clothes- 2 sets inc socks and weather appropriate
- Approx 15 nappies
- 1 pack of wipes
- Changing mat- muslin/tetra/disposable
- Nappy cream if needed
- Sun cream if needed
- 1 sheet and blanket (weather appropriate)
- Water cup (NOT a baby bottle 🍼)
- Milk bottles x 2 (if required)
- Formula/Breast milk (if required)
Guidelines for parents during settling-in
- Please listen to staff advice and requests!
- When it is time to say goodbye, give a kiss and say goodbye. Do not wait for a reaction. AND… no sneaking off! Say goodbye – even if they cry!
- All children are different- Settling can take up to 4- 6 weeks sometimes, for others in might be faster. Don’t be dismayed!
- Children will be EXTRA tired when starting gan – (Just like when an adult starts a new job!)
- Please stick to the times that have been agreed for settling. Staff are expecting you, and have often made arrangements to be freed up when you are there!
Here are some tips for settling your child at nursery:
Settling in can be a difficult process for children, and sometimes even more the parents. Here are some more things that you can do you help!
1. Talk about starting Rainbow with your child
Walk past the building with them sometimes, and point out this is where they will be going. Talk about the new routine of going to gan every morning. Tell your child who is going to take them every morning, and who will pick up. Show them pictures from our Facebook page, and demonstrate your genuine excitement about them starting with us. Talk about Rainbow often with your child, many times a day. This will keep the idea of starting gan in the front of their minds!
2. Support your child to be independent, including babies!
Carry your child less. Help them to get used to playing on the floor and not being held in your arms or close to your body all the time. Support them with being independent when they hold a bottle, and when they eat. Pull back from feeding your child, and let them feed themselves…. even if it is a little messier! Encourage your child to take their own water cup when they are thirsty, children can start doing this from around a year old.
3. If you are breast feeding…
Start to introduce a bottle if you haven’t already done so, and encourage other people to feed your child also. Grandparents, friends and the other parent will all love to have a turn! This will help your child to get used to being fed by other people
4. Start to leave your child with other people…
If your child spends most of their time with you, its time to start getting them used to spending time away from you. A few hours at saftas house! An afternoon with a babysitter, a morning with your sister while you go to yoga! Get your child used to saying ‘goodbye’ to you before you start at gan. It will make your life A LOT easier!
5. Prepare in advance, and involve your child
Try not to leave things until the last minute, plan the start of gan carefully, so that you are not under pressure. Gather together what you will need in advance. Involve your child, however young.. let them see you labelling their gan things with their name, tell them what its for and why you are doing it. Be relaxed before the first day, and most of all… be positive about starting. Children can feel your anxiety, by being positive about the new experience will help a lot!