How To Prepare Your Child For Starting Nursery

Your child’s journey to starting their ‘early years’ education can be daunting. These years are crucial for their later growth and development. Every child reacts and settles differently in nursery, and it is important to understand this before they start. From being at home with their parent(s) every day, to being pushed out of their comfort zone to socialise with other children and adults can be a huge steppingstone. Fortunately, Scotland prides itself on its education, including its professional and skilled nursery staff and its ability to aid every child into the best possible start to education. Here are some tips on how to prepare your child for starting nursery in Wishaw.

Socialise Beforehand

It is important that your child can socialise before starting nursery as they are going to be around groups of other children every day/week. Try to incorporate play dates into your child’s life beforehand. This will reduce their stress and anxiety when starting nursery. Toddler meetings and play groups are a great way of encouraging your child to meet new friends.

Practice Tasks And Discipline

At nursery, your child will be expected to share, clean up after themselves, help others, and carry out tasks. It is best to start this at home, to ensure your child is used to following instructions and can be disciplined enough to complete tasks when asked. This can be as simple as helping clean toys away at home after play time.

Encourage A Positive Attitude

Children mirror their parents’ emotions, actions, and words. As a parent, sending your children to nursery is extremely overwhelming and can make you feel slightly anxious. However, it is crucial to show your child excitement and positivity when discussing nursery. This will help them to see it as a fun, exciting place to attend instead of a place they should feel anxious to go to.

Set A Routine

A week or two before nursery starts, try to incorporate a healthy routine into your child’s life. This may include waking up at the time they will be expected to when they start, taking a nap at a certain time, going to bed reasonably early, set meal times etc. This will make for less of an adjustment to nursery life if they are already familiar with daily routines.

Advice For Parents

It is important to choose a nursery in Wishaw that you feel confident in. You can often go and visit nurseries and attend induction days to meet the staff and see the environment for yourself. This will give you an indication whether or not you feel that specific nursery is suitable for your child.

Ensure you purchase your child their own bag, suitable nursery clothes, juice bottle, and whatever else the nursery may require each person to have of their own. Remember to stay calm, collected, and positive in front of your children to create the best possible attitude towards their new journey.