Longish post - sorry!
We have dd1 - a lovely, lively and very articulate 3yo who has been at nursery since September. She had previously been at a childminder 3 days a week, so she is used to spending time away from us and, until now, she has been very happy both at nursery for mornings only, and with the childminder - who basically runs a small nursery from her house - for one afternoon a week extra. We had dd2 during February half term and dd1 has been amazing - adores her little sister. We have made sure to keep giving her lots of love and attention and to keep doing the activities that we did before with her - e.g. baking / reading etc. Haven't seen much in the way of jealousy at all.
Until just before the recent school holidays, things were going really well. But then she started to get really clingy - not wanting me to leave her at nursery and screaming and crying when I went. Since the holidays, she's not been joining in so much with the activities, but been crying and ending up being taken out to do something else with another teacher. The nursery have been really good - tried sticker charts and letting her hold the special toy - but I'm concerned that this is becoming her 'routine' and I want to try to stop it. She tells me that she misses me (and daddy!) and thinks she will cry when we go to nursery.
So far I've had 2 suggestions from friends - to give her something of mine to have while she's at nursery to look after that will remind her of me and also to ask her to do something / make something for me (so that I can be suitably impressed when she gives it to me). Also, to start using the strap line - 'Mummy always...comes back.' - and to get her used to saying the last 2 words as a sort of mantra. I'm also totally downplaying my time away from her - telling her I'm doing really boring stuff like waiting in queues at the post office etc that i know she'd hate to try to make her think she'd definitely prefer to be at nursery.
Any other ideas please? She's going to 'big nursery' in September at a new school (no place for her to stay on here) and I want to try to nip this in the bud and make it all as easy for her (and me!) as possible. Thanks.