No settling period with childminder

[crazycatlady5]

My daughter who has just turned 2 has been doing settling in sessions at nursery - they’re not going well at all and my gut says she is too young. I have so far left for an hour at a time and she cries the ENTIRE time she is there, non stop. I contacted a childminding team I had my eye on about a year ago and they sound so lovely - only reservation is they don’t offer any ‘stay and play’ settling, so after initial meeting it would be come in, stay a couple of minutes, and leave toddler there for extended periods each time (I assume 1 hour, then 2 etc). Not sure if just leaving her with people she has only met once is a great idea BUT:

1. I did stay and play at nursery and in some ways I feel it was harder as she got used to me being there
2. she will have total 1-1 interaction as the team currently don’t have any other kids under school age

WWYD?

I understand where you're coming from, obviously you want to know that your child is happy before you leave them.

But from the outside, the stay and play type settling clearly isn't working at the nursery. Maybe she would settle quicker with drop and run, and I think it's worth trying. Could you have a coffee round the corner of something the first few times you leave her, and ask them to call you if she gets too distressed (even if only 15 minutes in)?

I always tell parents they never really start settling until their parents have gone.

I do a couple of hours, a morning, an afternoon and start, unless the parent wants extra sessions