| Would you believe that preparing your child for nursery | | | | parents to stay with the child for the entire time or just |
| school is sometimes harder on the parent than the | | | | a few hours for the first few days. You may interact |
| child? | | | | with him or her on a limited basis, but this is a time for |
| Most parents understand this because not only is | | | | the child to learn to play with the other children and to |
| nursery school the first time that the child will be | | | | be interested in the toys and activities with Mum or |
| separated from the parent for any length of time, this | | | | Dad simply nearby. |
| is also the first time that many parents will need to | | | | This way they learn to enjoy themselves at the |
| leave their children with someone else as well! | | | | nursery school without expecting a parent to hover |
| An occasional evening out while a babysitter watches | | | | over them. You do need to limit the amount of time |
| the child for a few hours is very different to the | | | | and number of days that you do this, however. |
| prospect of leaving a child in the care of strangers for | | | | Many children get a bit upset the first time they see |
| several hours per day, every day. | | | | Mum or Dad walk away, but usually get distracted and |
| So in preparing your child for nursery school, you may | | | | busy immediately afterward. If you let that small bit of |
| also need to take some steps to prepare yourself as | | | | unhappiness cause you to rethink your decision, your |
| well. | | | | child will never learn to separate from you completely. |
| The first thing you can do is to take a good, honest | | | | You can also quell some of this separation anxiety that |
| look at your own attitude toward this prospect. If you | | | | is naturally going to occur when it's time for nursery |
| present nursery school as a scary thing to the child, of | | | | school by having someone else care for your child on |
| course he or she is going to pick up on that thinking | | | | a regular basis when he or she is little. |
| and be apprehensive or even downright terrified. | | | | This means even when you don't necessarily need a |
| However, if you act excited and happy when you visit | | | | babysitter; have a friend or relative swap play dates |
| nursery schools to check them out, your child may | | | | with you or just give yourself a break by paying a |
| very well pick up on this enthusiasm and assume that | | | | sitter for an afternoon. |
| something good is going to happen there. | | | | If your child is used to being around other people |
| Be careful of not just your words but your body | | | | without Mum or Dad present, then nursery school is |
| language, your tone of voice, and everything you're | | | | going to be much less difficult for him or her when the |
| conveying to the child when you visit the school. | | | | time comes. |
| Many nursery schools allow and even encourage the | | | | |