Settling clingy baby into nursery

[FrizzledFrazzle]

Looking for some reassurance that my clingy baby will settle into nursery ok...

He's currently 10 months and will be starting 4 days a week at 11.5 months.

My worry is how long it takes him to get comfortable with new people. I've been leaving him with DH for about 4 hours / day the last couple of weeks to do a language course and he's been mostly fine, which is reassuring.

BUT we've also been staying with relatives for 2 weeks and it's taken him all that time (2 weeks) to get comfortable with being held/picked up by his grandparents, aunt etc. Any attempt at sitting him with them was met with writhing, crying, and clinging to me or DH - even after lots of playing altogether on the floor, seeing them every day etc. Same happens when we visit my parents.

I can't see how DS isn't going to just scream non-stop if we make any attempt to leave him at nursery without either me or DH there, given he won't even be held by his grandparents for more than a few minutes.

What can we do / what will the nursery staff do to help him get comfortable during his settle sessions?

I could have written this post last year! Velcro ebf baby who couldn't even be left with her dad at times. I'd pre-warned nursery who were very reassuring. Long story short she settled fine. Ate everything - even food she wouldn't try at home and had the best fun during song and story times. I had cuddled her to sleep as she screamed blue murder otherwise but in nursery at 13 months she went and got her own blanket and lay down for a nap when she needed one. Unbelievable. Nursery workers are magicians your wee one will be fine! Good luck!

@Arewethebadguys that is reassuring! Was there anything special you or the nursery staff did to help her settle at first?

Honestly they just adapt and you'll soon be a distant memory 😂. My 3 year old loves hanging around with anyone except me now! I had to prise her off me in her first week at nursery.

My 19 month old still stands at the bottom of the stairs wailing if I dare to go and have a wee when we're at home. Adores nursery, quite happily trots in and waves bye to me. Took her a week or so to settle into the routine of two days a week, she now goes three days. Nothing special, just time and a good, patient nursery.

Thought I would update this for anyone else with a clingy baby ...

After a month he is settling, but it is a very slow process. The nursery plan for settles was:
1 30 min visit with parent,
1 hour-long session with parent leaving after 15 min,
1 2-3 hour settle without parent,
1 half day without parent,
full days on week 2.

That ... Did not happen. DS managed OK on day 2 by falling asleep, but had to be picked up after an hour on day 3 as he fell asleep then woke up and was panicking and frightened because DH wasn't there. Day 4 he had 30 minutes with DH there, then did an hour or so on his own (again fell asleep).

Week 2 we started with half days and have gradually built up over 2 more weeks to full days. At the moment he sleeps ok at nursery (although needed to be held almost constantly by a carer for the first few weeks to sleep), but is barely eating anything. He refuses almost all the food they prepare there, even if it is exactly the same stuff he eats at home. We send him with some snacks from home and some formula but he doesn't always eat or drink much of that either.

The staff have been really kind and accommodating - they obviously don't want a sad unhappy baby all day either! - and we've started getting pictures of him playing and interacting with staff and other kids, as well as out on walks etc. But it's not been easy. We are all trying our hardest to help him get used to being at nursery, but it's not just a case of leave him and the nursery staff will work magic at all.