"Lockdown babies" starting nursery/childminder

[countdowntobaby2020]

Has anyone had any experience of this? I'm just filling out the nursery paperwork now and it's causing me massive anxiety!

I don't go back to work until after the Easter holidays but my intention is for him to start building up sessions after Feb half term to help him settle. My big concern is that at 7 months old he hasn't been away from me for more than a couple of hours at a time, and even then he's been with his dad! We got out to every baby group going when it was allowed as I was desperate for him to get some social interaction but obviously it was very different and he didn't get close to other babies.

I'm really hoping it's not going to be as bad as I'm making it out in my head and that the separation issue is mine rather than his but I'm just terrified he won't settle which will make going back to work even harder!

Has anyone gone through this recently and found baby transitioned okay? Or it went terrible and you have some tips?!

Also interested to hear if your "lockdown baby" wasn't your first if you noticed a difference in them settling at nursery/childminder in comparison to your previous child(ren)

I haven’t got a lockdown baby, but my daughter never ever left my sight before she started nursery. She coslept with me, I’d carry her all day in a sling, and I genuinely can’t think of a time she went anywhere without me. There were a lot of tears when she started nursery, but she settled eventually

7 months is a great age for this transition. When you get more the the 18 month mark it can be harder for the child but at 7 months (don’t take this personally) your son probably won’t notice too much. Try not to stress. I’m sure the nursery will comfort him if he becomes upset which at this age is usually when they want something/hungry/tired.

Mine started nursery during the first lock down. Some tears but she shoos me away when I drop her off now. She was older than 7 months when she started so more aware (I guess) that I was leaving her so I suppose 7 months is quite a good age. Its a transition for most kids to be fair so I would brace yourself for some upset feelings but it doesn't last forever!

I don't have a 'proper' lockdown baby DD was born a couple of months before the first lockdown but all she really knew was me and DP. She was 9 months when she started and she was absolutely fine. She loves it now! Don't overthink it, they'll look after your DC well and he'll soon settle in and start loving it, they adapt so quickly

Following as I have a lockdown baby and will be facing the same.. Until very recently she had only been held by me and her dad (plus midwives I guess). We had one day with grandparents and she was absolutely fascinated by them - I'm not sure she realised other people actually exist! Since then the virus round here has gone mental so we've stopped bubbling and it's back to just the three of us. OP I don't blame you for being apprehensive about nursery - I will be!

Didn't have a lockdown baby but pretty much didn't leave my baby with anyone else before nursery and it took a week or two to settle at nursery but then fine. Tears at drop off - but staff assured me that was short lived.

Dd was born last December so is pretty much a lockdown baby, as she doesn't remember socialising at all and wasn't used to leaving the house apart from for a daily walk. We call her howler monkey because she just used to cling to me. She screamed being held by family members during the lockdown break in the summer.

She started nursery in November. We did 4 settling sessions over 2 weeks prior to her starting nursery 3 days a week. I won't lie - the first few times she screamed when she left me and it was hard. After 2 weeks she could cry, but had stopped as soon as I was out of sight ( I could see her after whereas she couldn't see me). After 4 weeks she went in smiling and was eating and sleeping well. She never took more than 5 minutes to calm down in the morning, even on the very first settle. The hardest thing for her was getting used to other babies crying, as that would upset her initially because she was so unused to it.

In short - it was hard but improved very quickly in small steps. The more they go, the quicker they will settle usually - I was tempted to use leave to minimise her initial time at nursery but the staff their dissuaded me from doing that to help her settle, and in hindsight they were definitely right. I also sent her for 1 day between Christmas and New year to maintain some consistency for her.

That's all fine and really not different than many people's experience starting nursery. None of mine had ever been away from me before when they started nursery (older one who was bottle fed did stay home with dh for a day when I went to visit a friend, but youngest was bf and was with me for 11 months straight). I didn't really do baby classes (rural area, not really any around here), except for some baby massage classes around 6-8 weeks. Babies don't notice or interact with other babies, so it won't make a bit of difference. Those classes are for you.

I think that is fairly standard amongst people I know. I did meet up a bit with NCT friends first time around for a walk or a coffee. But generally babies are home with their parents up to about a year. I don't really know anyone who had family help or was away for the day or overnights at that age. So sounds pretty normal to me. Settling in at nursery is always a challenge and it will take a couple months, but everyone will be fine.

In the same boat with my 6 month old starting nursery next week! But I'm more concerned about the fact he absolutely refuses to take a bottle 🤦

Can you not tag team with a parent or do you both work the same hours?
Not taking a bottle is also so stressful - how about a cup?

My son was 4 months when lockdown started last March and like yours didn’t know a time where it wasn’t me and him plus siblings all day everyday. He hated nursery for the first two months, but I worked with the nursery to gradually build up the time he was there. (He couldn’t stay for longer than 20 mins the first week because he was screaming so much). A few months on and he seems genuinely happy when he is there although still cries every drop off.

Mine has just started this week at 11 months old. The only tears were mine and so far so good 🤞 they really are resilient little people 😊

My 2nd DD was 5 months when the 1st lockdown started. At that point she was not a very social baby, and even cried with my parents alot even though she saw them regularly. Hadnt been left with anyone up to that point as was exclusively breastfeeding. I was really worried when we went into lockdown that this would make things 10 times worse.

However when restrictions eased and we could see my parents again she was like a different baby- very social, very confident. She started nursery in september when she turned 1 and was really worried that it would be a nightmare as she still hadnt been left with anyone- not even my parents. But I was amazed at how well she did. Settled in straight away with no looking back!!!

We also have an older DD and in terms of them both settling into nursery, our younger DD who had spent half her life in lockdown actually settled easier.

Try not to stress too much.

My son was born into the 1st lockdown. He goes to nursery. There has been no issues. I am beginning to think that 'lockdown baby' separation anxiety is actually just their charactors, and lockdown is being blamed.

Thanks @B1rthis... Yes we've tried a cup... Many different cups actually 😂 but he's not even 6 months old yet and I just don't think he's ready for them - he can't figure then out yet and when he does drink something it's just little sips ... Certainly not guzzling ounces the way he does when he breastfeeds! Still, I'm sure the nursery have a lot of experience with this and we're just starting him on solids now so hopefully that will help. Dreading the idea of him reverse cycling through when we've just got his sleep back!
I think my son will find it hard at nursery at first as he's not spent time with many more people than myself and my husband... But babies are so so adaptable. I give it a few days and they'll be used to their 'new normal' (sorry). Hope so anyway!! 🤞🤞

Yes. Mine is 10 months and we planned to put him in nursery this month. I cancelled his placement as I didn’t want him in a nursery during this pandemic and my partner and I are able to do part time in the future and look after him ourselves. Everything I’ve read said babies don’t need that kind of social interaction until they are around 2/3 anyway.