Settling your baby into Nursery
You may feel that the hardest part of your child’s journey into Nursery life is over once you’ve made the very important decision of ‘which’ Nursery. However settling your baby/child into their Nursery routine can be stressful for all involved, but we hope that with help and guidance from ourselves this period runs as smoothly as possible for yourself and your
little one.
Top Tips.
Stay Relaxed.
You may be tense at the thought of leaving your child to cope on his/her own without you at Nursery. Be positive, try not to show it if you are upset.
Settling in session
Use the time of the settling in period to ask questions about the care your child will receive. Discuss your and your child’s needs in greater depth;
remember communication is vital at this point. Please do not feel that any question will be regarded as silly or insignificant. If it means something to you it will mean something to us
also.
Expect Tears
Many children become tearful when their parents or carers leave them at Nursery for the first time through a combination of excitement, anxiety and lack of
experience. Tears on parting at Nursery are common, but with the intervention of a kind and caring staff member she/he will settle soon after you leave.
Keep seperation brief
If your baby/child is upset as you are about to leave, it is preferable not to stretch out the moment of leaving, as this can make them more upset. Instead,
cuddle, reassure and then depart from the room. You may wait in the Nursery office/parent area until you feel comfortable and satisfied, that your baby has settled and is playing
happily.
Chat to your baby/child about their day
On the way home after collecting your child, chat about the other children here, the friends she will undoubtedly have
made and the range of activities she enjoyed. Your enthusiasm will rub off.
Get Daily reports from staff
Talk to the staff regularly, especially in the early weeks, to find out about your child’s progress and any minor issues that you or your child or little one may have.
EYFS Framework
At The Cheshire Day Nursery Group we use the EYFS framework to support children’s learning, development and welfare.
In our recent Ofsted inspection the inspector said “Children make outstanding progress within the EYFS and overall enjoy an extensive range of high quality enjoyable activities” “Children’s progress is imaginatively shared through superb partnerships with parents and carers and other Early Years professionals.”
“The whole staff team is inspirational, enthusiastic and highly motivated towards providing excellent quality care & education for children”
Common Childhood Illnesses
All children suffer from illnesses throughout their early years. Medical research shows that children under the age of two can suffer up to eight separate ‘colds’ in a year. As a parent this may feel like one permanent cold/snuffle without any letup, this plus teething and other incidental illnesses makes us worried, anxious and very tired!!
At Nursery we are aware that parents need to feel confident that their little ones are in a healthy environment cared for by healthy staff. This is why we cannot look after ‘poorly’ children.
If your child is suffering from;
Persistent temperature/fever above 37c
Diarrhoea
Vomiting (other than positing)
Undiagnosed rash
Untreated eye infections
Known infectious diseases where exclusion is necessary
The above list is not exhaustive.
In relation to the variations diseases we follow Dept of Health Guidelines as follows.
Chicken Pox:
Incubation period up to 21 days.
Symptoms: Children may feel generally unwell, headache and mild fever, prior to a rash occurring. The rash tends to start with one singular spot, spots then spread very quickly over the rest of the body. The spots can appear anywhere including the mouth, in the ears and in the scalp.
Exclusion from nursery:
Children must be kept away from Nursery for at least 5 days from the time when the blisters first appear.
Impetigo:
Impetigo is a common skin infection that mainly affects children. It can appear anywhere on the body but is most common on the face. Red, weepy sores develop, the sores blister and burst, and dry out to form an itchy, honey coloured crust. Impetigo is a bacterial infection and is highly infectious and is spread by touch.
Exclusion from nursery
Children must be kept away from other children until there is no longer any crusting over the sores. Your child can then return to Nursery.
Diarrhoea & Vomenting:
The most common cause of diarrhoea in babies and children is Gastroenteritis. Although it usually clears up very quickly, there is a risk that babies and young children can become dehydrated.
Seek medical treatment if your baby or child’s condition worsens.
Exclusion from nursery
Children must be kept away from Nursery for minimum 24 hours.
Conjuntivitis:
Red, itchy, gritty and watery eyes are often due to conjunctivitis. Discharge may stick the eyelids together. Infectious conjunctivitis tends to start in one eye and spread to the other.
Cleanliness is paramount with eye infections, treatment is not always necessary. If symptoms persist, seek medical advice.
Exclusion from nursery
Not always necessary, however a doctor’s opinion must be sought.
On starting Nursery, babies will be introduced to many positive influences including a host of different ‘germs’ which will ultimately help their maturing immune system. We couldn’t possibly cover every eventuality.
Most of you will experience (as we have) the joys of nappy rashes, night feeds, excessive crying, colic and feeding issues. Along with our Nursery staff we will always be happy to listen, support and advise, if requested, on the multitude of issues that may crop up during your babies time here.
