Nursery advice needed!

[ScarMatty]

DS is 2 years old and will, at the end of the month, be starting nursery for 2 mornings a week.

He has only ever been with me or grandparents for 2 years.

Any advice to help him settle, help me cope, any experiences?

Will he be doing settling in sessions before he starts properly? If not then try and arrange some, it really makes a big difference.

Start talking about nursery now, if you drive past point it out to him. Make it a focus of conversation over the coming weeks so it feels familiar. I think a general acceptance of the fact he will be a bit unsettled at first and that’s normal will also help you deal with it. I think I hoped my DD was just going to wander in and be fine when realistically it’s a huge change for them so there is always going to be that period of them being unsettled initially. Hope he gets on ok!

Yes, at least 2 settling in sessions and I've purchased a book about going to nursery that we can read for the 2 weeks before he starts

Agree with talking about it a lot, and describe what will happen there from you dropping him off to you picking him up.

When it's time to drop him off, be super cheery and happy, big kiss and a cuddle, bye bye see you later! And hand him over, and go. Lingering just prolonged the moment.

Even when he's not at nursery, talk about it every day and how much fun it is.

Two mornings per week might be enough, but it also might not be enough for him to get used to it.

I used to spend the whole day worrying about if she was having a good time and cried after I have dropped her off! Then, one day after lots of worrying on my part, I picked her up and she was so happy, they said she'd had a great day, and I just realised it would be better to assume she's perfectly fine all day long. Hope it goes well.