At Little Green Rascals, we know that starting nursery is a significant milestone in your rascal’s life. It is a time filled with excitement and new experiences and, as a parent, you play a vital role in helping your child navigate this transition and feel confident and prepared.Below we’ve come up with our top tips to support your child in preparing for nursery, ensuring a smooth and positive start to their journey at one of our nurseries.
Arrange a visit to your nursery with your child before their first day. All our nurseries offer settling in sessions, where you will stay for the first visit, allowing you to meet the team and chat to your child’s key person. We find this really helps them adjust to the new environment and also allows parents to feel comfortable in leaving their child in the care of others.
These sessions also give us the opportunity to get to know you and your child and find out important information, such as routine, likes, dislikes, and interests.
Following on from the initial visit we would then offer two further settling in sessions; one on a morning and another on an afternoon, where you can leave your child for a couple of hours in our care to get them used to this this transition. Each child is different and if we feel more visits are needed, we will book these in with you before officially starting.
At Little Green Rascals, we ensure your home routine is replicated and followed as closely as possible when your child starts nursery. This includes mealtimes, nap times and any other rituals and routines you may have. A predictable routine helps our rascals feel secure and provides a sense of structure, making the transition to nursery life as smooth as possible.
Engage your child in conversations about nursery, highlighting the exciting aspects of their upcoming experience. Share stories about your own positive experiences or read books about starting nursery together. Make sure to reassure them that nursery is a safe and fun place to play, learn and make friends. We will also share with you your child’s key person box and ‘All about me’, so you can share this at home.
Leading up to their first visit to nursery, encourage your child to develop independence skills that will be become useful at nursery. This could include helping them learn how to dress themselves, how to use the toilet independently, and by learning to practice good hygiene habits. These skills can help boost their confidence when navigating their nursery environment and be less self-aware.
At Little Green Rascals we find role-playing nursery scenarios at home can be a helpful tool for preparing your child for their new environment. Set up a pretend nursery area with stuffed animals or dolls, and take turns playing the role of the child, key person, or other rascals. This playtime can help to familiarise with typical nursery experiences.
It’s always a great idea to provide opportunities for your child to interact with other rascals before in the lead up to starting nursery. Why not arrange playdates or visits to local parks or playgrounds where they can engage in social interactions and practice sharing and taking turns. These experiences help develop social skills and create a sense of comfort in social settings.
In the weeks that lead up to you starting nursery, you can gradually introduce short periods of separation from your child. Start with leaving them in the care of a trusted family member or friend for brief periods, gradually increasing the duration. This practice will help your child develop resilience and adapt to being away from you.
Labelling your child’s belongings, such as their bag or their clothing will make it easier for them to identify their belongings at nursery. It also helps our nursery teams in ensuring that everything goes back to the right home!
Preparing your rascal for nursery is an exciting and important step in their educational journey. By following these top tips, you can help ease their transition and instil a sense of confidence and excitement about this new journey.
Remember to be patient, offer support, and celebrate each milestone along the way. With your guidance and love, your rascal will thrive in their nursery experience, building new friendships, and gaining valuable skills for their future.
We’re here every step of your nursery journey and have seen thousands of little rascals pass through the doors of our seven nurseries across York. Your rascals are at the centre of everything we do. With our help, and using these hints and tips, it will be a seamless transition to nursery life. We can’t wait to welcome you into our Little Green Rascals family!
