It's the last week of nursery for Paul, who starts school next week. I remembered with nostalgia his entry into the crèche 3 years ago. At just three months old, I entrusted my little one, who rarely left my arms and was still breast-feeding, to my care! Today he arrives at nursery running or on his bike ;) So today, I'd like to share my experience, my feedback on 3 years of nursery school, to help you prepare for your baby's entry into nursery school.
Nursery registration: be prepared!
To register your (future) child in a crèche (or should I say on the waiting list for a crèche place), you must do the following from the first months of pregnancy. Whatever your personal or professional situation, register and keep your application open. After all, places in municipal or community crèches are expensive! Very few places compared to the growing demand, especially in the big cities. It's not unusual for a child to get a place at 12 or 18 months. So you need to get in early and provide alternative childcare (childminder, private micro-nursery, grandparent, parental leave...). This is what I personally did: as I hadn't heard from the Mairie by the end of my pregnancy, I had to take the initiative. So my husband and I met several childminders in our neighborhood and applied for a place in a private micro-crèche. We chose the micro-crèche to start with, hoping to be contacted one day by the municipal crèche we were looking for. It happened! So Paul changed nurseries at 15 months.
Alternative childcare
Have you secured that famous nursery place? However, if your child becomes ill, which is very common between the ages of 0 and 24 months, you'll need to find alternative care. In fact, no contagious child will be accepted in a crèche, simply to avoid any risk of the virus spreading to other children. This is a strict rule. It is virtually impossible to deviate from it. In this case, you'll need to take a "sick child" day, or entrust your baby to his or her grandparents or a babysitter you trust. A word of warning: chickenpox, which lasts a good fortnight, is not a reason for eviction! Few nurseries know this, or don't want to pass on the information, but the child can return to the nursery as soon as the pimples have dried up, because at this stage they are no longer contagious. Provided the pimples aren't too itchy, of course.
Preparing and reassuring your child
As the adaptation period approaches, start talking to him about this new adventure, whatever his age. Explain that you're going to have to go back to work and that he'll be spending a few hours at the nursery, but that you'll always be coming back to pick him up. Tell him, and tell yourself, that although it may be very difficult at first, it will be beneficial for both of you!
Adjusting to daycare
A period of adaptation to the crèche (whatever the type of childcare chosen) is inevitable and above all essential for a successful entry into the crèche. During this period, the child will learn to get to know your new environment and the people who will look after you a good part of the day (and vice versa). The adaptation period lasts between 1 and 2 weeks, depending on the crèche. Most often, it involvesa week of "gradual" presence.
Example of an adaptation week
-
Day 1: You come with your child and stay at the nursery with him/her for 1 to 2 hours. This is often around 9am. You and your child attend the "Good morning". The children gather around a nursery nurse who, with the help of a song, names and introduces all the children and adults who are there! This helps the children memorize everyone's first names. The older children are then very proud to name their friends. Nursery rhymes follow. You'll certainly be able to talk to her.
In the crèche, several people, sometimes many, are involved in caring for your child. But your child will still have one or two "referents": a person "designated" to have a special relationship (at least for the first few days and for as long as it takes) with your child. This person will be a sort of reference point for your child, but also for you.
-
Day 2: You come for 2 to 3 hours. Still without separation, you'll take part in lunch and leave just before naptime. This will be your child's first meal at the crèche: you'll give him a bottle or a potty. And if necessary, you'll change his diaper in the nursery's changing area.
-
Day 3: This is the day of the first separation. You come and spend an hour with your child, before leaving him or her alone at the crèche for another hour. He'll certainly be with his referent, who'll give him a snack, for example.
-
Day 4: You drop your child off for a few hours. He'll spend part of the day with his new playmates and the nursery assistants. This usually takes place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.: an opportunity for him to have lunch and a short nap (two structuring moments in his day). Take this opportunity to take some time for yourself!
-
Day 5: Baby's first (short) day at nursery! You drop him off for the day, but don't go overboard: it'll be a short day. He'll arrive after the morning rush and leave before everyone else.
-
Day 6: you drop it off for a day at the times you have defined for the year.
Organization
You've probably deduced it yourself: you have to make this adaptation week before returning to work because this schedule is hardly compatible with office hours ;) It's also a good idea to share this adjustment period with your partner. The three of you can come together, or Dad can take over on certain days. This is the best way to get him involved from the start. As Paul was in two successive nurseries, we had two adaptation periods! That's how important it is! And it's a good thing we did: even though he was used to the community and his old crèche, where he spent 12 months, the first few weeks in the new crèche were not easy for him. Above all, don't neglect adaptation!
Dealing with separation from baby
You may be surprised or bewildered by your child's crying at separation. He's usually very smiley and sociable, but when you leave him at the crèche for even an hour, he may start crying his eyes out. It's important to remember that this is normal and even very common. After all, he finds himself alone in an environment and with people he hardly knows. It's his way of expressing a little anxiety. After all, we too have our apprehensions when we find ourselves in a new environment that takes some getting used to. But in adulthood, we don't cry about it anymore ;) The 3 rules for managing the moment of separation: 1/ Explain the situationexplain to him what is going to happen (you are going to work, he is going to stay with his friends at the crèche and have a good day... you will come back to pick him up when your day is over) 2/ Don't prolong the moment3/: you say goodbye by looking at him, kissing him and telling him you'll be back to pick him up. Don't leave without saying goodbyeIt's a difficult time for you too, and it may be tempting or less painful to sneak out, but it's a very bad idea. For his emotional security, don't do it. It's very stressful for a child to know that one of his parents may leave him without saying goodbye.
Getting off to a good start
Confidence
It is essential toestablish a relationship of trust with all day-care staff. Your child is unique, and entrusting him or her to people you don't yet know well can be a source of worry. But remember that these are professionals in the field of early childhood care, a team working for the good of every child. So don't hesitate to confide your fears and doubts. The team will listen and even suggest solutions! Talk about all your child's habitsIt's all about the child's rhythm, his likes and dislikes, and what can calm him down when he's really upset. For my part, my fear was that Paul, who was 3 months old at the time, wouldn't be able to take his naps at nursery, as the only position he would accept for sleeping was on his stomach! But this position is strictly forbidden in day nurseries (and strongly discouraged by doctors). Of course, I told his supervisor about this "peculiarity" and my anxiety, and told her that I understood that she couldn't put Paul on his stomach. Knowing all this, she quickly found THE solution! Paul wasn't put in the dormitory at naptime like the other children, but in a deckchair and stayed in the common area with the auxiliaries until he fell asleep. They then put Paul in his bouncer, in his bed! An ingenious way of allowing him to fall asleep on his back and still get him used to the dormitory (to the smell of the dormitory to be precise, they told me). This went on for a while, and then Paul accepted the dormitory and fell asleep on his back ;)
The transmission book
Like childminders, crèches play an important role in the life of a child. transmission notebook. A good part of your child's day is recorded here, to give you all the information you need when you pick him up: what activities he did, whether he ate well or not, how much milk he drank, nap times, diaper changes, and any other information the auxiliaries deem useful (if he's been grumpy, sad, tired... the games he's enjoying, the progress he's making...). Even if time is often short, it's important to take the time to pass on the message every evening. In additionhe auxiliaries expect the same transmission from parents in the morning. In this way, they will be able to give your child the best possible welcome and adapt to him throughout the day. If your child has had a bad night or woken up earlier than usual, they may offer him a nap in the morning, even though this is not his usual routine. So here's my insight and feedback to help you prepare for your little one's entry into the nursery! To celebrate Paul's departure from the crèche in style, and above all to thank the whole team, we gave each of them a little present. Below is a small photo of these gifts. gifts made with Paul's help who filled each jar with sweets (keeping a few for himself of course!) and my sister who designed the stickers applied to the jars! A diy gift idea ;)
