Emotional Preparation for Parents and Children When Starting Nursery

Starting your nursery journey is one of the most monumental, exciting times of your child’s life. The first five years provide the core foundations of your child’s development and open up a world fueled with a love of learning. We understand that transitioning into nursery can feel overwhelming and slightly daunting for both you and your child, which is why we work closely with you to make this experience as reassuring and as enjoyable as possible. With this in mind, we have compiled a few tips as a guide to help you prepare for a smooth transition on the first day of nursery.

Most parents’ concerns often surround the environment, routines and the people within the setting. Thinking about your child’s mind, these ‘parental concerns’ are often shared concerns or anxieties of the child too.

Consistency, familiarity and communication are key contributors to making a nursery transition as smooth and as successful as possible.

So, how can you emotionally prepare yourselves and your child for nursery?

Follow your heart

When deciding to send your child to nursery the most important part is choosing a setting which is right for your child and for you. Viewing nurseries can seem overwhelming as many new experiences can be. Think about what you want out of a nursery setting. Whilst all nurseries are wonderful, each nursery will offer a slightly different experience.

We would suggest viewing a couple of settings to really discover what you are looking for. Are you looking for a setting with a large stimulating outdoor space, a nursery with a warm homely feel or even a nursery with additional curriculum activities such as learning an additional language?

Whatever you decide, follow your heart! When you feel invited, welcomed and supported that’s when you have found the right setting. Have faith in your decision and trust your instinct- you will make the right choice for you and your child.

Be strong and keep smiling… We are here for you too!

Look out for those small extra forms of support

Effective collaboration between parents and nurseries is essential to ensuring that your child embarks on their nursery journey with the best possible start.

Fennies are passionate about creating effective bonds with the parents and offering as much support to all families as needed. Look out for the small inviting touches such as a choice of a warm drink for you to take a few precious moments to unwind.

Dive into our additional support columns and blogs, which are there to offer a helping hand surrounding common help areas. Remember, there is no such thing as a silly question. We are all here to work together and to be that desired extension of your family unit.

‘Tips for a Smooth Transition into Nursery’ is a great read to offer support surrounding starting a nursery.

Talk to your child about nursery

Talking to your child about the idea of nursery life prepares their minds and understanding of what is going to happen.

Avoid using terms such as ‘in a few days’ and ‘soon you’ll be going to nursery’, most children have not yet developed an understanding of time frames so instead, use age-appropriate methods, such as visual time scales like crossing off days on a calendar, removal of post stick notes around a door to count down the days. This provides your child with a sense of security and control of understanding exactly when they should be expecting to start nursery.

Familiarity and communication are key contributors to making a nursery transition as smooth and as successful as possible.

Keep updated

Keep updated with the events which the nursery will be holding. These events are a great way to ‘Meet and Greet’ other parents and families to share experiences, familiarise yourselves with the management team and staff, and ask any questions. If you feel comfortable and ‘at home’ then we believe the child will feel the same.

Our wonderfully interactive Parent app is a great way of cascading out news and events to all families!

Create yourself a task tick list to feel organise

Creating a visual tick list is a great way to remain organised and if you're a visual learner, this is a perfect opportunity for you to visually see how much you are accomplishing. We have created an example below...  Keep it nice and simple!

To-Do-List

Dive into a world of imagination through the use of storybooks for emotional preparation!

Storybooks are a wonderful method of emotionally preparing your child for nursery. The power of text creates an imaginary world which is relatable for your child and can be used to explain the process of starting nursery, handling anxieties about forming friendships and suggesting coping mechanisms for adjusting to an unfamiliar environment.Below are a few beautiful, suggested books:

• Superheroes LOVE Starting Nursery!
• Hug less Douglas Goes to Little School
• Spot loves Nursery
• Pirate Pete- I’m Starting Nursery!
• Starting School!