Achieving Excellence Together

Leaving your child at Nursery for the first time may seem a little daunting. At Marlborough Day Nursery we understand how parents feel and you can be assured our staff are experienced at helping you and your child settle in, making it an easy and enjoyable experience for both of you.

 

To ensure that you and your child benefit from a two-way relationship with Marlborough Day Nursery, we encourage families to take an active role in Nursery life. By arranging convenient times for you to make a few short visits to your Nursery, you will be able to familiarise yourself with the surroundings and start building a relationship with the Nursery team.

 

You will also have the opportunity to meet your child’s Key Person. This is the individual who will guide you through the settling in process, and will be responsible for your child’s development and welfare and who will be your main point of contact at the Nursery. You can provide them with details of your child’s preferences and any particular requirements so that their Key Person will be able to welcome and quickly settle your child into Nursery life. 

 

Before the Big Day

In the weeks prior to the ‘big day’ it can help to talk to your child about the new experience they are about to embark upon, mentioning all the new and exciting things they will be doing and the people they will meet. Even babies will pick up on the positive messages you give about this transition. You can also read books about ‘the first day’ with your child to prepare them for the experience. ‘My First Day at Nursery’ by Becky Edwards and Anthony Flintoff and ‘Maisy Goes to Playschool’ are two that have been tried and tested by some of our parents. If this is the first time your child is going to be separated from you, you could also help them prepare for this by spending short periods of time apart in the run up to their first day. 

 

On the Day

We will spend quality time getting to know your child on their first day, providing relaxed opportunities for them to choose what they play with, observing what makes them tick, their personality, likes and dislikes. This interaction is invaluable to your Key Person and informs them what experiences, activities, opportunities and/or games to plan for your child as they begin to settle in, discover and grow.

 

Do try not to be too anxious about leaving your child if he or she is crying. Our teams are hugely experienced in dealing with these situations and have strategies to help them (they might even share them with you if you ask nicely!) The most effective way of parting is to smile and clearly explain that you will see them later. As hard as it may be, aim not to prolong the goodbye. In our experience it is better for your child as they can then focus on getting on with their day! Of course we are always happy to arrange extra settling-in sessions if either you or we feel these would be beneficial.