How to prepare 2yo for nursery

[BabiesNeedInstructions]

My ds1 has just turned 2 and will be starting nursery for 2 days a week in January. He has his first settling in session next week and now that Christmas is out of the way we need to start talking to him about it. I'm looking for tips on how to do this without getting him anxious, as I'm not sure he'll want to go at first and I'm feeling a bit anxious about it myself.

I'm currently on mat leave with my second child, so we don't absolutely have to send him now. But I think he will benefit from it as I find it hard at the moment to provide enough interesting things for him to do and he often ends up just playing with his toys at home, especially since we've had ds2. If I'm honest I'm also looking forward to spending some quality time with poor ds2, who has spent most of the first 3 months of his life plonked in the corner in a bouncy chair while we play cars with ds1!

We do go to toddler groups as well during the week, but I often feel like that's just another set of toys and a bit samey. We've managed to get him into what looks like a wonderful nursery with an excellent reputation - I wouldn't mind spending the day there myself.

However like all 2 year olds he has a massive ego and I'm worried that he will protest rather strongly to being farmed out to nursery when he'd rather be at home bossing me and DH around. He's rather wilful, to put it politely, and quite a handful to manage. He used to go to nursery 2 days a week when I was at work before having ds2, and although he was always fine by the time we picked him up he never got to the point of being pleased to go there in the morning and would often cry to stay with us at drop-off. We're lucky enough to live near both sets of grandparents, and they often take him out for the day which he loves, so he doesn't mind being away from DH and me in the right circumstances.

His language is well developed - he uses long sentences and we can hold quite a good conversation with him. So any advice on how to approach the subject so he looks forward to going?

[splashymcsplash]

You may be able to find a story book on the topic - try amazon.

[Mandy21]

I agree with reading a story - we use the Bernstein Bears ones for any important events!! I'd also play up the positives - that hes a big boy now going to nursery school, all the cool things there are to do, to make new friends - is there anything that you know he'll love (e.g. my DD does football training, there is singing going on, they do a Christmas show - can you pick something that you'll know he'll be excited about and make a point of mentioning it regularly?).

I'd also try to arrange child care for DS2 if you can manage it when he has his settling in sessions so you can chat to the staff, concentrate on DS1.

My twins were 2 when they started nursery too - they were a little bit overwhelmed to start with but soon loved it.