Settling in at nursery

[Roo83]

My is 2yrs 2mnths and I am pregnant with baby no.2 (due sept). He was supposed to start nursery in Sept.but with baby arriving then they've managed to fit him in to start this week. I was hoping he'd really enjoy nursery (he's usually a very social little boy)and it would be something nice for him to have some continuity once no.2 is here.

I am a SAHM and apart from time with friends/relatives this is the first time he has been in any formal type of child care. The first day (trial last week) he was soooo excited ran off playing and no tears when I left...I arrived to pick him up to be told he had started crying in the last 10 minutes. Next session this week, he was fine when I left but cried when he saw me walk in, and they said he'd cried off and on the whole 2hrs he was there. Today he cried when I left, and shouted after me....I jumped in the car and sat sobbing too!! I called after 20mins and they said he was quiet but fine, he cried again when I got there to pick him up and kept saying 'Take me home mummy, take me home'

He's supposed to go for 3 hr sessions 2 x per week but so far I've only left him 2hrs. Is the way he's being quite normal? Would I be better to leave him longer and hope he settles quicker? Or should I just wait until he's older and try again?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

I did the same first time DD went sat in the car park and cried.

From experience I would suggest you stick with it, it's going to be hard, but you are thinking ahead wrt new baby, some one to one and some time for DS to make friends too. And he will give him a couple of weeks and you won't be able to get him out of the place.

Also I do feel that some children can cotton on to the fact that if they don't like something and say so then mammy will change her mind and all will be ok, but he will be going to school in the not to distant future setting a routine now is no bad thing IMO.

I think I would keep him home with me and maybe try again after baby is born.

That's just my opinion.

It is likely to be worse after baby is born and he feels unsettled anyway so I would persevere. DD2 was awful on settling visits but quickly settled when she started properly. She has been going for 3 months now and loves it.

I thought it might be worse after baby was born-don't want him to think he's being sent away because baby is here....so I either want him to go now, or leave it at least a year

Oh bloody computers, i just wrote a huge essay about this subject and accidently wiped it, so now for a very much shortened version, i think you should keep taking him, he will get use to it, he has just had a huge change to his routine and with like most things he just needs to take time adjust to it, and you'll soon see he will be loving it so much he won't want to go home.

Thanks for that, its nice to hear off someone with experience. Most of my friends children started at 6mnths when they went back to work so didnt really go through this.

Can't wait for the day he goes off without crying and is happy when I go to collect him!

Thank you x

take some favourite toys,talk about nursery at home.do persevere he will settle and love it,make wee pals.you and he will need time and have few wee ups/down but let nursery staff advise too.and grow a thick skin if anyone gives you jip

He'll be fine

2 years is a long time to be with just you, so it's bound to be odd for him at first.

Ds is 10 months and goes to nursery 2 days a week - he took a couple of weeks to settle in. he still has a little cry when I drop him off but this lasts only momentarily and he is beaming when I pick him up! I sometimes watch him through the window before I go in, and he genuinely is happy and settled now.

Stick with it, you and he will be fine in no time

Just thought I'd update to say he is doing a lot better. He stayed the full 3hrs of his session last week, and was only upsett when I left him but settled quickly. They also showed me some lovely pictures of him playing quite happily while he was there, so even if he cries when I leave at least I feel reassured that he is enjoying some of his time there.

Fingers crossed by the time no.2 is here in September he'll be skipping off without a backward glance! Thanks so much for all your positive messages on here, its really given me the confidence I needed to stick with it.