Settling in sessions

[Mozfan]

My DS is 9 and a half months and will be starting nursery for two days a week at the start of September when he’ll be 10 and a half months. He’s going to be with his grandparents one day and with me the other two (I’m only going back 3 days).
Today we had his first settling in session. We stayed with him the entire time (was an hour long) on recommendation from the staff. He had a one to one with his key worker in the baby room that he’ll be in with two other babies. He was quite averse to being touched or held by anyone else other than me and his dad.
We were originally going to just have one settling in session a week (Every Friday in August) however I’m now thinking maybe two days a week for taster sessions are better because he was quite upset when we tried to leave him for just a few seconds with his key worker. What do others think?

Also, they mentioned that they lay them down in the room on the floor to nap. There’s no way that’ll work for him as he either has to be pushed in the pushchair, in the car seat or on the bed with one of us shushing him to sleep/white noise and stroking his head. He can’t self settle or self soothe and is still in our bedroom as breastfeeding overnight and occasionally co-sleeping. He’s really bad at sleeping all round!
They did say they could push him in the pushchair/pram up and down the room if necessary.

I’m so anxious about it all. I wish I didn’t have to go back to work at all.

[JoJoSM2]

More settling in sessions sound like a nice idea if possible. On the sleeping front, you'd be better off training him to fall asleep independently.

[TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan]

DM worked in child care for years and ran a private Day nursery for ten years. DS is starting over fat a week at nursery in September and I was concerned as if there are things going on he will fight sleep and want to play (nearly 8 months). DM said she lost count long ago of the number of parents who said their DC had difficulty sleeping, or needed really specific circumstances to sleep, but they always found a way and they usually settled into a routine quite quickly (SEN excepted) , some napped better at nursery than at home. Having said that we chose a nursery with a sleeping room and cots, DS would just crawl off if they tried to put him to sleep on the floor, and would probably disturb everyone else!

Our childcare will be very similar to yours, grandparents two days, me/DH two days, nursery one day. We're doing what DSs keyworker described as a run up! One hour Monday, two hours Tuesday, half day Wednesday, full day Thursday. He will then do full days on Thursdays for a few weeks until I go back to work early October, I wanted to know I could go and get him if needed or we could do more settling in time etc if he doesn't settle. I've got my fingers crossed though as he's very happy to babble away to strangers we pass in public, held by whoever and when we visited the nursery he held his arms out to the keyworker to go to her. (It doesn't make me feel great trust me!) .

Also your DS isn't 'really bad at sleeping' he's just little, it takes time that's all.

[TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan]

*one day a week

[PrayingandHoping]

My mum was also a manager of a nursery and I worked there in my holidays during a levels and uni.

As PP so many parents would be worried about sleep (or eating) and the issues just didn't occur at nursery. At that age we did have them in cots and would sit with them while they dropped off etc if needed as standard. I think you'll be surprised how he will adapt to his surroundings

More taster sessions may be good though. I'm sure he'll settle soon.