Settling in for a 8 mo

[Teladi]

My DD will soon be starting nursery 3 days a week as I am going back to work. She will be 8 months old when she starts. I don't really know what to expect in terms of how she will settle, and I have a bit of cash that I can spend on a longer settling-in period, maybe over a couple of weeks, rather than just the 2 or 3 taster sessions. Nursery have the space for me to build it up gradually to the full 3 days as I wish. As she is my PFB, I am a bit anxious about this whole transition, although obviously I will be doing my best not to communicate that to her!

Just looking for some thoughts from those who have been there as to how I might be best to structure her settling in? Thanks in advance!

I think a lot of it depends on the child and, anecdotally, girls seem to settle well.

Ds started at 11 months, 3 days per week and we did teh standard settling in period. I found he was actually fine until he got older. I thinkhe got really hard at 15 months, then again when he moved up a room at 20 months. In fact, he never liked the move and would cling/cry every morning until he left due to my mat leave. HE now cries when I leave him at playschool (2.5).

He's back in 'proper' nursery again when he's almost 3, in SEptember, along with dd who will be 10 months. I fully expect them both to squark. A lot.

However, it is true what they say and usually he'd've stopped crying by the time I got to the car. I think we feel it mroe than them - 5 minutes, 5 hours; it's all the same to them at that age.

Thanks Astronaut, I guess there is no telling how she will do until it happens. I'm thinking I'll gradually increase the time she is spending in nursery over a period of 2 weeks, that way she gets settling in time and I get a bit of time to go buy new work clothes and that sort of thing.

Our nursery offers 6 settling in sessions and add extra (at no cost) if your DC needs them. DD settled pretty well (at 6 months) but still ended up with 7 sessions as she was a bit tearful at one of the early ones. I understand that babies settle better before a certain age (the nursery could tell you when) so you could consider doing what we did and starting her settling in at 6 months then sending her for a couple of mornings a week until you go back to work. Then you get a couple of mornings off too. Obviously it is quite an expensive option, but DD settled so well at that age that I think it is worth considering.