Settling in sessions not going well please help!!

[violetsmam]

So.. my 9 months old daughter is due to start nursery in just over a week. A nursery which I have loved from the start of looking round them all and have been highly recommended it, won best nursery in our city, outstanding offstead etc etc.

Visit number 1 was just a 45 mins, meet her key worker, talk through things while she played etc and was all fine!

Visit number 2 was only 1 hour long, left her no problem said bye she seemed fine and left. Came back an hour later and I could see her through the door sat on her key workers knee not crying but a bit wingey, however she then seen me and her dad and had a terrible break down! Now I just put this down to being over whelmed with everything then not expecting us to be there, getting a shock etc. Key worker assured me the visit had been fine until last 5 mins or so and she was getting a bit tired!

Visit number 3 today was a disaster! 2 hours long, left her ok again however on our return I could hear her crying! :( it was awful! One of the girls said she's just upstairs she's been a bit upset ... went up she was sat on another girls knee (all the staff seem lovely btw!) but this time she was crying! ... they said she had been on and off crying basically the whole time, wouldn't eat much at snack time, however was trying to play while crying! They thought it could be teeth as she was biting all the toys however I'm not convinced and I just think she really doesn't like it! ....next session is going to be 4 hours long ... so sorry for the long essay but if anyone has any advise or similar stories please help!

Also normally she is very very friendly, happy, sociable etc! We go to tonnes of baby groups and always socialise with other babies and mums however I only ever really leave her with my sister or her dad.

Thanks in advance!!

My daughter was one year old when she started nursery. We had 2 weeks settling period and it was truly terrible. She cried for a good week non stop. I'm afraid there's not much you can do, apart from making sure you smile each time you leave her/pick her up. Babies are quick to pick up on emotions if she notices you're stressed she'll be as well. Of course after you left her, you can cry your eyes out outside just like I've done. :-) Also it would be a good ideas to stay with her in the first 10-15 minutes , just sit in the corner or something and let her explore, then leave. I know it's really hard but it will get easier I promise. My daughter loves nursery now. Hope everything goes well. Let us know xxx

It's a difficult age to start nursery but she will settle eventually. Will she be going full time? All the babies I know that started at a similar age struggled with the settling in sessions as there was look long between them. Once they were going in every day they settled within a couple of weeks and have been fine since.

Thanks for the replies! She will only be going in 2 days a week! We have our next session tomorrow then half day Wedneaday and Friday so I'm hoping with going a few times this week it will help speed the process up! Thanks!! X

How is your little one getting on? X