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Babies and nursery

F had his first settling in day at nursery today. He was fine playing with the tons of toys but I have a really uneasy feeling about the whole thing and was wondering if some others could share their experiences.

i'm not sure what I expected, obviously he isn't going to get one on one attention but i felt because he was happy to sit and play he would maybe be just left to it which means he will fall. I understand he will have accidents but I don't want him banging his head ten times a day because there are needier babies who are getting held all day.

Do they not play games with the babies as a group? Maybe I was expecting a more baby class type environment.

What kind of food do your nurseries give? 

All the babies also seemed ill. how often do babies get sick in these type of environments.

Hopefully I am just being over anxious. I have been on the verge of tears all day and I can't pinpoint why. 

Replies

  • I think it's completely normal to feel very anxious when leaving your baby at nursery. I've not seen J play at nursery firsthand- I had a settling in session where I was there and he sat on my lap the whole time, and the next rime I left him, but from his nursery book he does a mixture of activities each day, sometimes he'll be playing on his own, but he also does some play in a group, eg making crafts, or messy play (he frequently comes hime with rice crispies in his pockets where he's had crispy play.)

    When you say you're worried he'll fall, is he just at the sitting stage, and does he fall from sitting easily, or walking but falling a bit? J has had a fair few bumps and bruises at nursery, but he's had plenty at home too, if he's happily doing something I wouldn't scoop him up just because he might bump himself. If you're worried about specific falling could you talk to nursery about it, eg when J was learning to sit I always had cushions round him if I wasn't there with my hands out.

    There's a chef on site at my nursery who cooks from scratch, he has all sorts, spag Bol, roasts, stews, fish pies, or for tea snackier stuff like sausages and beans, or quiche, and desserts (which he loves as he doesn't get at home!)

    He's ill a lot unfortunately, he gets a lot of colds and random temperatures. I think it's really normal in that kind of environment, I wish I could tell you otherwise, but he has been coldy a fair bit. That said, he's only needed to be kept off nursery once or twice in the 6 months he's been going, so he's not really poorly or anything. Plus he goes to toddler groups and we meet up with other kids a lot, so he's probably get poorly anyway!

    I cried almost all day the first few times I sent him, I hated the idea of someone else looking after my baby. Now I'm quite happy to send him off, he enjoys going (I asked him if he wanted to go to nursery this morning and he said yes, and was enthusiastic about getting coat and shoes on to go) and I like the mix of home time and work time, so it works out well.

  • Thanks for the input SG!

    He's only 7 months and has been sitting for around 2 months but can sometimes get over excited and fall forward. I will say to them about cushions or somewhere softer to sit. They were talking about sausage and beans etc as food but I was just taken aback because this is not something I would give him at home, he mostly has veg based dishes and fruit. The only thing putting my mind at ease is that my cousin's friend works there and has said it is a nice place and I'm sure she wouldn't have said that if it is not true. I am just not sure why I have a niggling doubt. He has been left with my family for a month while I have been at work but it definitely feels very different leaving him with strangers. I will leave him for a few hours tomorrow and see how it goes. And I thought I worried a lot before becoming a parent!

  • Hmm, I wouldn't give a 7mo sausages and beans either- overly high salt content for starters, I'd definitely talk to them about age appropriate food, and possibly send my own in if they couldn't make something suitable! As I said I think the doubts are really normal, it's so tough leaving your child with people you don't know. Hopefully you'll both settle into it as you both get used to it.

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