Welcome to the nursery- we’re happy to provide respite for parents and an introduction to preschool for our little ones. Our names are Janette Plunkett and Delia Judd. We love working together and have these suggestions for nursery success:
Drop off –
• Initial – If your child is not used to being away from you and home we recommend you join us for a half an hour visit. Let your child see you admire the toys, activities and teachers. Let them know this is a good, safe place for them and next time they’ll get to stay. Talk through your parting ritual (e.g., “I’ll kiss you, say goodbye and then you can play with toys or read with teacher”). The next day, drop them off for an hour or less.
• Daily – A short, consistent routine works best. Let us know of needed insights (they stayed up late or woke early or anything out of ordinary). Be confident they’ll have a good day.
• Separation Anxiety – It pulls on your heartstrings when your child clings and cries. From the child’s point of view it makes sense to persuade you to stay- they want you and the excitements of preschool. Empathize with their sadness, assure them they’ll have a good day then follow your regular routine and depart. Feel free to wait out of sight in the hall to verify that they settle in. If a child is not settling after 15-20 minutes we will call.
Clothes – Please dress your child both for weather and messy play as we usually get outside each day. In addition to diaper supplies your child will need an extra set of clothing. Other than “lovies” please don’t bring toys or items from home. Sharing school’s toys is enough challenge at this age.
Food - If your child is staying for lunch pack a healthy lunch that includes grains, protein, vegi’s, fruit and a sippy cup. Save the treats until after school, the children don’t understand why everyone doesn’t have the same treats. We’ll prefer giving them water, as juice boxes/ Capri’s spill and spray. We promote healthy eating habits and recommend http://www.laptoplunches.com/ideas.html#pack as a reference for packing lunches.
Schedule – we have a flexible schedule, tailored each day to the children in attendance, which usually includes:
• Snack – youngsters eat an early breakfast and it’s pleasant to start our day with a snack.
• Books and toys – we have a large variety of toys that are fun to explore each day and we like to read books.
• Outside time- even the babies enjoy fresh air and observing all the activity on the playground.
• Lunch – this can take a long time. The youngsters benefit from sitting and relaxing. We do not have a group naptime but if a child is nodding off, we have cribs available.
• Play in a downstairs classroom (It is like a visit to the children’s museum for this age) or games in the fellowship hall.
• Pick-up – we like to share the highlights and adventures of the day.
Your child may need a few minutes to finish an activity or tell a story. If they are tired a meltdown may occur, it’s normal and we take it in stride. Hopefully that signals a nice nap ahead.
Lovingly yours,
Janette Plunkett and Delia Judd
