Nursery

I took my ten month old grandson to nursery for his first day nearly two months ago. He cried, I cried, he cried when I picked him up, and so it went on for weeks! However, he is now happily settled, beams when he sees his key worker, has lots of fun, and is tired but happy when he is picked up. So, don’t worry- it takes a little time, but I am sure your grandson’s parents have chosen a good nursery and he will soon think of it as a home from home. (I posted on gn and got lots of helpful replies.)

I'm sure he will be fine Jacksgrandma

I presume his parents will have done a bit of homework on which nursery to choose. My own grandchildren attended nursery from being just a few months old as minimum maternity leave. It served them very well as they are very social children (I will no doubt be accused of bragging now).

To answer your question you will know by how he reacts when he goes there (its natural for him to be upset at first until he gets used to the idea). Don't be frightened to ask questions of the staff....how has he been? what has he done? what has he eaten? etc. My DGC's nursery kept a diary for each child. I think feeling anxious about it is perfectly normal. My DDiL and I cried buckets when we dropped my little granddaughter at nursery for the first few times, we both said we felt like we were abandoning her. She was fine though. Good luck.

The nursery two of my GC attend is wonderful! So much to do and such fun to be had. They have a play bus, donkeys, goats, chickens and rabbits to care for, an allotment, massive sandyard, a maze, a music tree, different playgrounds and so on. They employ their own chef, too.

The carers are lovely, the seem to know the children well and every day at pick-up time they tell what the children have done that day including what they ate and if they napped.

It's been a very positive experience for my GC and I think they've gained a lot from it.

Thanks DoraMarr , I have had tears today but not had to drop him off!
Latest reports are that he's fine!

I ate a whole packet of M&S doughnuts when I got home from dropping him off the first time. I don’t have to do the drop-offs any more because my son in law is fit to drive now, but he reports that he just wants to play and doesn’t cry when he leaves him now. The nursery are very good about sending pictures and videos to my daughter. It’s a very caring place.

Haha! A friend has just brought me some goodies from Betty's which has cheered me up a bit!
Thanks, gillybob, I'm glad it's not just me who's tearful. And surely it goes with the grandma job description that you are allowed to brag about your grandchildren to anyone who will listen?!

My gs started a private nursery when he was 9 months old .first for 2days a week then to 3days a week and he loved it . They were brilliant and he learned social skills while there and it prepared him for reception classes at his primary school . You could definitely tell the children who had been to a nursery before reception classes .
It will be good for him I promise . I felt just the same as you when he first started though.

Haha! A friend has just brought me some goodies from Betty's which has cheered me up a bit!

oooo - I'm soooo jealous (especially if you have Yorkshire Fat Rascals!). My lovely ex-MIL used to send me Betty's Tea For Christmas when I moved abroad.

I think he'll be all right. Easy for me to write, I suppose, but lots of children go to Nursery and love it.

He isn't going every day anyway.

Thanks, SueDonim, it's good to hear of such a positive experience! It does sound as if his nursery does do most of those things.

I used to have to drop my GS off at nursery and for weeks he used to sob and sob, and then I would sit in the car and sob! We should have had shares in Kleenex! He settled down eventually and enjoyed it, and many of the friends he made there are still his friends now. His mother was the same as a small child and I made the mistake of taking her out because I couldn’t bear to see her so unhappy day after day. I should have persevered.

Thanks, Nanabilly! Another positive experience to reassure. It seems he had quite a good day yesterday and I have been 'talking' with him this morning, glad to report he is still alive and appears his normal, happy self! Feeling a little worried about how he may be when he goes next time, if he is more upset at being left etc as he will know what is going to happen? He goes again tomorrow...

I felt a bit the same when Gdd started nursery 3 days a week at 9 months - we were doing one day a week with her. However, apart from a little bit of upset for the first couple of days, she was fine, and enjoyed it.
She later moved to another nursery, also fine, and little Gds has also been going for some time.

I never would have thought before that nursery was a good idea - mine never went - but I have come to think a good one is brilliant for them. They do so many different activities, and it's very good for teaching social skills, taking turns and sharing, helping smaller or new little ones (Gdd is good at this!) etc. Not to mention sitting nicely at the table for meals.
FWIW, both our Gdcs are very happy at theirs.,

I too was appalled at my DGSs having such long days at nursery. However, their nursery is a very different place from the ones around when my own children were that age. I was extremely impressed at the care offered and underpinned by very professional standards indeed. The chef prepared meals, huge range of well-organised activities, cuddles as required etc etc. The boys absolutely loved it there and still talk about it. It was very good preparation for the social life of school. I feel sorry for children who aren't lucky enough to have access to such a place.

Thanks for the reassurances. He has just completed another two days this week. Is crying when my daughter drops him off but soon perks up, his sleep seems a little disturbed on a night but otherwise seems ok. We will be looking after him for two days so I will be looking closely for any possible changes!! And yes, Cold, Betty's goodies definitely helped !