2 year old doesn’t like nursery - what to do?

[Dinosaurhearmeroar]

Hi everyone

backstory here - 2.3 year old has changed from childminder (it was big - 3 of them and about 14 kids 0-3) to a nursery as we have moved up north. She did some settling in days at nursery and they seemed fine and has just completed her first week. She had covid over the weekend and missed Monday but was okay to go in for rest of week. Each day she has come home very very needy, crying when we leave and just generally quite tricky. Yesterday in the car she said really quietly and sadly that she doesn’t like nursery.

there has been a lot of change - change of area, house, my job AND nursery. Plus she wasn’t well. However I am still worried sick that nursery is making it all worse - she was such a confident little thing at her old place and she just has not been happy at all this week.

I have started a new job and am finding it hard to concentrate as I’m so worried about her. I try to make the time with her very normal and fun but this week she has really not been herself.

am I worrying unduly and this is just her reaction to all the change or is it nursery? How long should I expect the settling in to take?

no option to take her out of nursery - partner and I both need to work.

thank you ❤️

When she says she doesn't like Nursery she probably means she doesn't like all the changes that are happening and feels unsettled but is too young to express that.

Do the nursery staff have any concerns?

She may well just be feeling low because of covid (it can really knock the stuffing out of you) and nursery just being too much activity. I would try and plan as little as possible for her time outside nursery and try and just hunker down at home. If its possible for her to do half days for a week or so, I would see if I could make that work.

I would say that unless you have any specific concerns about how she's being looked after at the nursery, to persevere with it. She's only small and it's been a lot of change for her to process- when she says she doesn't like it, it doesn't mean that it's specifically that place she doesn't like but all the changes and unfamiliarity she's experiencing. She will likely become more confident and happy but 1 week isn't long at all in a new nursery especially when she's been poorly. Have the nursery staff said she's been unsettled?

It's so hard though transitioning them to new environments, totally get how stressful it is but hopefully in another couple of weeks she'll feel more comfortable there.