Calling all mums/dads with little ones in nursery, advice needed please

[forevared]

I'm back to work in 3 weeks and planning on putting ds2 (6 months)in the same nursery as ds1 (2.9 years)

My dilemma is how to best introduce him to it. With ds1 I was able to stay off work longer so by the time he started nursery he was over the stranger and separation anxiety. He was always a daddy's boy anyway and it seemed to go smoothly with him. Ds2 though is completely different. He's starting to show the early signs of separation anxiety and now I'm panicking as to how to proceed.

I'm due to take him there tomorrow as an introduction for a couple of hours and I'd planned on staying with him. Then on Friday I was going to leave him there, again for a couple of hours. Then from next week start gradually increasing the time he spends there. Is this the right way to do it or does anyone have any recommendations. The owners of the nursery are away at the moment and no offence meant to the girls that are working there but I'd not have the same confidence in asking them. They just say "It'll be fine!" I'm sure it will but I'd like something a little more robust than that IYKWIM.

Your suggested routine of staying first, not staying second visit and then increasing the time on subsequent visits sounds very similar to what I did with ds3 when he started nursery at 11 months and in full separation anxiety mode. He reliably doesn't have a wobbly lip now after a year. Breaks your heart, but you know two mins after you've gone, he'll be fine.

(Incidentally, ds1 and 2 who started nursery at 4 and 6 months were fine. Maybe you'll just sneak under the wire vis separation anxiety???)

I really hope so bosch, and I'm hoping that with big bro there, who he hero worships, he'll feel more secure.

I know that he'll be spoilt rotten, their policy is a maximum of 4 babies under 1 and the 2 owners have already told me they can't wait to get their hands on him!