DS 1st nursery settling in period

[Ilovenannyplum]

We need to leave to take him in 10 mins and I'm hiding in the bathroom crying :( I'm not even leaving him on his own, we're staying.

Christ I'm pathetic

[Latium123]

Good luck. You are not pathetic at all. Mine doesn't start nursery until August and I've already cried about it. It's natural and really a good sign to feel like this when leaving them. Just try to focus on all the good experiences he is going to have at nursery. I hope it goes well.

[Ilovenannyplum]

Thank you
It went fine, he's now sparko in his car seat after all the excitement!
He's booked in to go back on Monday to stay there on his own. I will definitely cry,he's one of the youngest there and just looks so teeny tiny sat amongst them all

[icklekid]

How old is he? Glad it went well. Hope you are ok for Monday. I'm sure they will look after him really well

[Ilovenannyplum]

Only 8 months, but I know I'm lucky to have had this long off with him and some people go back earlier.
I've got an interview on Friday for a 3 days a week job, my OH has one day off a week already so if I get it, he'll only need to be in 2 days a week so I have everything crossed for that!

[Buglife]

My DS is down to go to nursery for 2 days a week starting when he's 11 months. The manager who showed us around was telling me that for the first settling in session I'd be there but she'd ask me to come out for 15 mins and have a cup of tea etc 'and a little cry' and I'll admit I was a bit because I have left him with family and popped to shops, had my mum babysit occasionally etc so thought 15 mins was no big deal timewise. But just thinking about it since has been making me fill up! It's the enormity of it as a stage of babyhood gone rather than the actual time spent apart I think, it's a great nursery, he's a very happy and sociable boy so on the face of it I really think it will be great for him and I will enjoy being back at work, and we will have loads of time together still. But it does suddenly seem like the start of the childhood progression of nursery, preschool and then suddenly school... Argh! I think I may well be bawling in the managers office.

[Milkyway1304]

It's so hard, I went back full time when my dd was 10.5 months, and was in pieces leaving her. She loves nursery, is really attached to her key worked and doesn't appear any less satisfied with us!

[Ilovenannyplum]

Im the same, I leave him with family and don't bat an eyelid but leaving him with strangers albeit lovely ones trained to look after babies fills me with dread!
I know he'll be completely fine but I'm still not looking forward to it. And I know that they won't be 'strangers' once he gets used to them. She said on Monday he'll spend a bit of time with each of them so he get to know them and whichever one he bonds with the most will become his key worker, I thought that was quite nice instead of just assigning him to someone before they'd had a chance to meet.

I'll report back on Monday with an update on who cried more, baby or me

[Buglife]

I think I'm getting worse as he gets older, when he was smaller and his care needs were more basic 'feed, sleep, change, cuddle, repeat' and also I was awake about 20 hours a day with him, I'd bite someone's arm off to have an hour or so to myself (to sleep!) or a meal and a drink with DH every month. Now he is so aware that I feel he knows I'm away the whole time and it's way harder. I know his perception of time is very different though! He's 8 months now as well. It's such a nice time, I just want him to freeze at this age for a bit! The pleasure of a little baby without the exhausting life of a newborn. The alertness and playing and laughing but without the ability to move yet

[Ilovenannyplum]

I'd love to press pause and keep him at this age
He rolls and spins on his tummy but he's not mastered crawling yet so he can't cause too much trouble and his little personality is just starting to come out. And now I have to go back to work, dammit!!