How to cope with the first day at nursery

After being 24/7 with your child from the second they were born, it seems impossible to think that you two will very soon be spending several hours a day apart. The truth is since he was born, he’s in constant evolution to becoming the independent person he will once be. If you can’t stop worrying about the first day at childcare and how to tackle it, keep reading.

First of all, try to calm yourself down thinking that your baby is probably not worried at all. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he can feel you’re stressing over something, and all that anxiousness is somehow passed on to him, and that’s not what you want for your baby, is it? Learn how to stop having anxious thoughts about your baby’s first day at childcare so that he, too, can enjoy the experience.

Tips for a smooth transition to childcare

Now that the date in which your little one will start attending childcare is set, it’s time to enjoy your baby as much as possible. So enjoy these last few weeks as much as you can, not by planning hundreds of activities with him outside the house, but by enjoying the little things and spending high quality time together, with no distractions (say bye to your phone for some days!), and focusing on bonding with your child.

It is important that you don’t stress over the fact that your child is starting nursery soon, not only because he will feel your emotions, but for yourself. When the time comes, there are some tips that will allow you transition to this new stage smoothly. They are the following:

1. Set your alarm early enough so you don’t need to rush on that very important first day.

2. Make sure your little one experiences this day as a stress-free one from the very beginning. Before leaving home, be clear that your goal for the day is to make it as smooth as possible, starting by providing a relaxing environment for your child in the morning.

3. Avoid drama. If you start the day by thinking how hard it will be to part ways and saying bye to him when you see his sad face, you won’t be able to make it to nursery. Try using that energy to turn it into something positive, thinking of how much fun your child will be having at childcare before you know it.

4. Once you enter the nursery, try to make everything as fast and effectively as possible. Your goal is to leave without your child noticing you’re sad or worried, so no tears allowed! He needs to see a happy, smiling, confident mum, that reassures him everything will be fine and she will be back for him soon. Remember this is new for the both of you, but you’re the adult, so he’s watching you to see how to cope with it all.

5. Once outside the building, you’re free to take a moment for yourself and cry for a while if you need to. Call a friend, your mum, or anyone you can think of if that will help you cheer up. It’s a good moment for a chocolate bar, too!

Don’t forget to bring everything to nursery properly labelled. This is required in every childcare centre, and teachers will expect all your little one’s belongings to have his name on them. At Stikets you have everything you need, clothing labels from only £9.95 or label value packs that include labels for clothes, objects, shoes and bags from only £17.95.

This is just one of the many challenges you’ll come across when parenting. Now that you’ve mastered this new exciting stage, you can focus on thinking you will soon be picking your little one up from nursery and enjoy the rest of the day together. What plans do you have in mind?