What settling in sessions did your nursery offer?

[lemontwist]

I will be changing jobs soon which will mean my two boys will be starting nursery soon. I have a 3 year old and an 18 month old. I have looked at several local nurseries and have discounted most of them for various reasons but think I have found one I really like. All the nurseries so far only seem to offer one hour of settling in time before starting.
I assume then that I would have to pay for further sessions but I'm not sure how long it woukd take. DS1 goes to playgroup one day a week, loves it and is generally very outgoing so I think he'll be fine. DS2 is the completed oppsite and I worry that he might realy struggle with being away from me.
They will be going for 3 full days.
Can you tell me how many sessions/ lengths of those sessions before you started leaving your DC full time?

[Barbeasty]

Mine started at 6 months and 1year, both doing 2 full days.

Both had a morning session including lunch and an afternoon session including tea, the week before starting full days.

The morning session started a bit late so the rush of breakfast & drop offs was avoided, but each settling session was 3 hours.

I stayed for the first and dropped and ran for the second. I could have left part way through the first session but logistics made it easier to stay.

Nursery were flexible though and I could have spread sessions or paid for an extra couple.

With DC2 I started him properly a week before starting work, just in case, but he was fine.

[lemontwist]

Thanks Barbeasty. Were those free sessions? I thought a single hour being offered where I could stay or leave them didn't really seem adequate.
I'll have to pay an awful lot of nursery fees up front before I even get my first pay packet so paying for even more sessions is going to be a real stretch.

[MummyOfSunbeam]

Mine is a bit complex and not sure how settling in is going to work since haven't started yet , but my friend's nursery has an amazing practice of fir one month before starting paid attendance, child and mom/dad can come five days a week if hey like during a 2-3 pm open play slot. Parent just hangs out with baby in the playroom with all the staff and babies playing, so baby gets used to everyone. Can do this for a month. It is free. Amazing practice and I wish it was standard! (I am not with that nursery)

[dribbleface]

We offer at least three (all free including extra's), starting with an hour, then 2-3hrs then 3-4hrs. One day a week children can do further 2 hr slots on another day for first month or so, for free too.

[Barbeasty]

It was free. I'm not sure if they do more sessions if your DC is there more, since we just do the 2 full days.

I'm sure if there was any trouble settling they would do more.

Ours is also really good with letting older siblings see a younger sibling in another room if either wants it, so that might help your youngest.

[Willowbear]

We offer a full 2 weeks of free settling in, for free. We start off with one hour with the parent and build up to staying for a full day without the parent.

Even then some children have a difficult time leaving their parents so i can't believe that a child can feel comfortable after a only a couple of sessions.

[PenelopeLane]

DS' s had about 8 separate sessions over the month before, and they were free - they initially were with me then built up to cover meals and naps. By the time he started it felt like he'd been going for ages, and was an easy transition

[breatheslowly]

DD started her first nursery at 6 mo and the standard settling in was 6 sessions of increasing length and at different times of day. They suggested an extra one when she took a while to settle, at no further cost. At her second one we did 2 sessions, but they were completely flexible and didn't charge anything for settling in sessions. She did settle really quickly as she was used to being at a nursery.

[RNJ3007]

My DDs nursery are amazing. Over 2 weeks she did a 1hr and a 2 hr settle with me on site but not always in room, then a 3hr including tea, a 4 hr over lunch, a half day morning and then a half day afternoon. She's l

[RNJ3007]

Oops... She's loved every second and will be sad to leave in 5 weeks time after 3 amazing years!

[night1971]

1. The key worker and manager visited DD at home one afternoon, played with her and asked me all about her requirements.
   

1. Two settling in periods of 2 hours, first with me present, second with me not present.
   

DD very settled in from day 1 and think that home visit made a big difference.

DD is 2 yr old.