Starting nursery

[Cosywinter]

How long did it take your LO's to settle into nursery? and what did you do to make it easier for them to settle? DS is 2.5 and has just started, first session wasn't great and had to go and collect him early as he was very upset and am now dreading the second session...

My DD started 3 weeks before christmas. She skipped in quite happily for the first 3 days but then had next week off due to cold. She tells me very determinedly that she doesnt go to school any more! She'll be going again tomorrow weather permitting. The teacher suggested she take her favourite cuddly toy to keep her company so we're going to try that.
I know that after a while she's fine but it is hard to leave when they cry and clinging to you!
Just out of interest is your DS toilet trained? DD isn't and doesnt want to be either so i have to sit at home while she's there in case she does a poo in her pull up as i have to get down there and change her. Happy days

dd1 started at 2.3 and settled straight away, no problems. Didn't ever cry or anything

dd2 started at just 3 and although she liked it and settled soon after I left, she would HOWL at me and desperately cling-on to me It was awful, I hated it and was most unprepared considering dd1's experience!

Took her a good 2m before I was able to leave her without her crying

I found the best thing was to say a nice bye-bye, kiss and cuddle, repeat the mantra "Have a lovely day, Mummy will pick you up after lunch" and just GO (no hanging around)

The ladies at her nursery are lovely though and dd2 was particularly keen on one who always extracted her from me, which was helpful

Good luck, it's horrible but it hopefully won't be for long

My ds (3) started at pre school in September, I wasn't anticipating problems as he had been going to a childminder 3 days a week since he was 6 months.

First day he was excited, second day not too bad - he then went absolutely hysterical every time I left him for about 2 months. He even got to the stage of being hysterical for about an hour before we set off for school. The teachers said he settled down after 20 mins or so but he looked dreadful whenever I picked him up. We decided to give it until Christmas and then take him out of school if he was still as bad. I dreaded every morning but was resolutely cheerful in front of him.

Finally some time in November he turned round to dh and announced he wasn't going to cry at school any more because it "made mummy sad"! And he didn't... skips in now happy as larry, doesn't even wave at me through the window any more.

Sit it out - it will get better. One of the ds's classmates even said to his mum "why do you leave me here if you love me" so it could be worse

God it makes you feel terrible doesn't it?

Any ideas here for helping them settle?

I found that DD settled once I stopped dreading it. Today she didn't cry at all when left (though tbh she did complain loudly), and I found it hard to drag her away at the end of the day. I found lots of talk about nursery over a "Maisie Goes To Nursery" book helped. As does not showing the slightest waiver yourself about the whole enterprise.

Some great ideas domasticslattern. The tears started in the car this morning on the way to Nursery. The cuddly toy helped a little but she still had to be prised off me by one of the teachers.They distracted her brilliantly though and i managed to sneak off after a quick kiss. She was very pleased to see me at the end of the session. I think she must have had fun as she didnt realise we'd left 'doggy' at school until about 10mins ago!