Settling in...

Welcome to all our new families and staff who have started with us this week.
We welcome our two new memebrs of staff; Jodie and Lorna. They will be a great asset to our team and both have teaching qualifiactions and will be working with us full time!!
I'm sure you will love working with them and already they have made a great start to their time with us.
Our new children aree gradually settling in this month and it can be a worrying and anxious time for everyone but especaially parents, Here at Mucky Pups we believe that as each child is unique and specail then so should there transition process so we tailor our settlling in process to each family according to their needs and circumstances. It is natural for your child to want to be with you but with love and care and friendly faces we can nuture a confidence in seperating and make the whole process a spositive as possible.
So here are some top tips to make the transition from home to nursery as smooth as possible;

Meet & GreetInitial visits are vital; We offer an inital meeting for you with your child's named keyworker and it is a really im,potrtnat time to start the relatiuonship with this person in a clam and relaxed manner. it is a special one to one time for you to discuss your child and your family and your needs, requiremnets and address any worries or concerns you may have.

Settling in
Come and play with your child alongside the other children and your keyworker so you experience a happy and postive time with us togwtjer. It allows you to see how child interacts with their keyworker and you acn ask any questions you have then too. This helps you all become familiar with the new environment and the people in it before your child officially starts.

Routine is important
Your child's keyworker or their buddy will be there to greet you each time you arrive. Try and establish a routine of home so your child can aticipate their arrival at nursery. Make sure you say goodbye and leave with a smile on your face no matter how worried you feel. You can always ring us and we will send you a photo as soon as we can to let you know how they are doing.
Be preparedEnsure your morning routine is the same every morning in terms of getting out the door and the journey to nursery. Try to have everything organised the night before, so you have a little down time together before leaving the house. Whether it’s hanging out over breakfast or doing a little colouring in.Be sure to give a five-minute warning before it’s time to leave. Leave your shoes by the door, so putting your shoes on together becomes a thing you do rather than a mad rush around the house trying to find your child’s other trainer!
Be Positive 
Try with all your might not to become overwhelmed and flustered if your child becomes distressed. If you feel good about the nursery and your handover, then you need to lead by example and show confidence even though it can be hard.Remember any change is difficult and needs time and nurturing. Be on the lookout for those happy moments and offer your little champion praise! “I really liked the way you opened the door for me, that was very kind”.

Think about nutrition!
Opting for a nutritious breakfast will set your little one up for the day and help feelings of contentment and satisfaction. This, in turn, helps your child to have a better day. If you need to prepare packed lunches, consider finger foods and picnic-style goodies such as mini quiches, slices, patties, balls, mini breads and fruit loaf. Make this a time for exploration of food and this too will help with those wobbles as it is fun and exciting!

Talk about it
Talk about nursery and what you like about it. Look at your pictures on Famly, facebook and the website together to encourage your child to remmebr the postive experiences even  on days that nursery isn’t on. 

Be proud
Hang creative masterpieces proudly at home, you could also create an art book they go into as a lot of artwork does come home! You could have a masterpiece of the week on display and talk about it proudly.

Get something special
Take your little one to buy a special backpack and drink bottle.Talk about why you’re choosing it and that it will have their name on, so it is special to them. Choose a special teddy or comforter you’re both happy with to take along to nursery for comfort or give them It could be something of yours that smells of you. You be surprised how comforting that is for them.

Raise concerns .
Don’t be afraid to raise any concerns to your child’s keyworker and never feel as though you’re being a burden. Trust us, we need to get to know and work with you in order to happily and positively teach your children.
Of course, there are going to be good mornings and not-so-good mornings, trust your instincts and let your little one lead the way. With constant support and reassurance from you, your child WILL settle and will soon be leading you in through those doors to nursery proudly.