So...as I wrote on my last post, BB's first settling-in session at our chosen nursery was just about to happen. Naturally, I had mixed emotions about it, however, BB still being so little had no idea of what was to come.
As BB hasn't been away from me for very long, and if she has it has been with another family member, the nursery suggested that we do two settling-in sessions a week to start with to see how she does. On the Monday we had an 1hr30 session in the afternoon and I stayed with BB for the whole session. It mainly served to allow BB to get to know the rooms she is going to be in, the staff and some of the other little ones. And she did really rather well. She would look up at me every so often, as if to check whether it was OK to play with certain new toys and then she would happily play with them.
Our second session, was the following morning for 2hrs. We did pretty much the same as the previous day but they had a snack time mid-morning and when BB was put in the high-chair in a room full of other little ones bashing their tables etc she suddenly became overwhelmed. Standing in the doorway I could see her bottom lip start to wobble and I could tell she could have a little melt down. Luckily one of the staff noticed this and I went to BB. She had a little cry but once she got hold of a bread stick she was OK again. Once settled back in the baby room the staff asked me downstairs for a drink for 10-15mins to see how BB coped without me there. As it turned out I don't think she actually realised that I had gone as she was engrossed with the new toys that she was discovering.
The third session was the following Monday afternoon and after a good half-hour or so it was suggested that I leave BB for a while longer. So, not really knowing what to do with myself I went to the local newsagents and bought myself a magazine and sat and read for a few minutes, trying to keep my mind off of how BB was doing. After 25mins or so I headed back. As soon as I walked in I could see that BB was crying. I was suddenly concerned as to whether she had been upset for the whole time that I had been away or if she had seen me coming up the stairs and that she suddenly realised that I had been away. The staff re-assured me that although BB had looked around for me a few times that she had played well with the other little ones and that she only started crying shortly before I came in. Still, it was still hard to see her upset so I gave her big cuddles and we had nice mummy and BB time once we got home.
The next session was on the Thursday morning and the staff suggested that once BB was settled that I should leave her for the rest of the session. A full 1hr30! BB did her first ever hand painting whilst I was there and then I went off to do a little shop, got some petrol, phoned the nursery to check on BB (she had a few tears when she realised I had gone but had settled again), did some cleaning at home, prepared BB's lunch and then went back to pick her up. This was the week that we had really good weather so when I went back to pick her up the baby group was outside (under a gazebo), but again, as I got there I saw that BB was bawling her eyes out. I was concerned that she was not enjoying herself but again the staff re-assured me that she had actually been fine for most of the session and that it was only when one of the other babies had tried to get up onto a slide and that she was left for a few seconds that she got upset. Again, I gave BB big cuddles and got her home for more mummy and BB time. We had the long weekend ahead of us and her next session wouldn't be until the next Friday, so plenty of family time ahead.
Over the next few weeks BB will just be having one settling-in session a week and I'm just hoping that it will get easier, for both of us.
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