11 month old starting nursery any tips to ease his transition?

[Jenniferb21]

Hi everyone

I'm a first time mum going back to work full time. DS will be 11 months in April which is when he'all start nursery Mon-Thurs and he'll be with his grandma on Fridays.

As he's been so used to me being at home I'm worried he'll find it hard. I'm sure all or most mums have this same worry when returning to work.

Does anyone have any tips to ease his transition? Was there anything you did before your DC started nursery? I'm wondering whether to alter his feeding routine now to match their schedule. Anything to help him adjust I'm willing to try!

Thank you x

Our nursery did a soft start to help settle the new kids - 1 hour first day, then 2, then a half day before moving to normal hours. Maybe yours will do similar? They asked what their home routine was like and gradually moved them over to the nursery one (although second time round I tried to set her mealtimes to roughly when I knew nursery ones would be).

I got my mum to look after DD2 for a few hours a couple of times so it wasn't a completely new situation being without me or her dad.

No matter what you do though it will be a big change and your DS is likely to be a bit unsettled to start with. Both our DDs went through a clingy tearful period at drop offs once they realised I kept taking them there and leaving them! But it soon passed and they bonded well with the carers (who are a lovely bunch).

Hope it all goes well for you

Following for advice

Just ask for a settling in period. You go for an hour a day and stay. Then you go two hours and leave for 30 mins. Then leave them for an hour over lunch. Go to a cafe down the road to settle your nerves.

I did that with my first over a month, she was a nightmare to settle. But loved nursery after about four months full time. Those four months were hard, but she was well cared for (spoiled) and adapted well.

My second we tried the same thing, assuming it would be the same. But she was happy to stay from day one. We did just three days settling in, and then put her in full time.

A good setting will work around you and your child to give them the best translation.

They are all different, see how the settling in period goes. But do not be disheartened, my terrible to settle baby is now 5 years old and is beyond happy to go back for a week at half term (she's in school reception now). She's also going back for Easter and Summer Holidays as she won't be 6 yet.

It is her wish come true to go back in the holidays (her words), not mine. She is still known as the hardest baby they ever had, but she became a very happy toddler and is now an outgoing well socialised 5 year old who just strolled into school with no problems.