10 Helpful Parenting Tips for Parents of Nursery Students

**Collaborative post**

Nursery is the first stepping stone in your child’s educational journey and it is usually their first step away from home too. Parents often choose to send their children to nursery in order to develop their child’s learning skills, social skills and to prepare them for school.  

If your child has recently started nursery or will be joining one soon, here is some helpful advice from Banstead Preparatory School…

1. When choosing a nursery it is essential to create your own ‘checklist’. This should include all of all the things that are important to you, along with any questions you may have. Find out what is provided by the nursey, for example, is food and drink included or will you need to provide a packed lunch? What about nappies or a potty? It is also a good idea to take your child along on nursery visits to see how they interact in each setting.
2. When your child starts nursery, try to include them in activities around the house as much as possible. They are all learning opportunities and can help to build up your child’s confidence and independence. It is also useful to teach your child how to do certain tasks by themselves, such as going to the toilet and dressing and undressing.
3. At nursery, children are usually divided into small working groups and each child is appointed their own key member of staff who can record their progress. This means that parents can be kept up to date on what their child has been learning and where they may require additional support. 
4. If your child seems shy or lacks confidence, nursery can help to develop these essential social skills. Playing and learning in an environment where there are lots of other children will help to improve their communication skills. As a result, your child will feel more confident when they move on to ‘big school’.
5. Of course, sending your child to nursery can have its drawbacks. For example, some nurseries are not flexible when it comes to session days and times. This is important to check if you only wish to book one or two sessions a week. 
6. It is also important to note that many nurseries close for the school holidays, which can be around six weeks in the summer. For working parents, these periods will need to be covered by additional childcare. 
7. When your child begins nursery, be prepared for more germs and viruses, such as colds and tummy bugs. This is because of the close contact with other children. Teach your child the importance of good hygiene habits, such as washing their hands after the toilet and before eating.
8. Don’t forget to take a spare change of clothes in a bag! There are lots of messy activities at nursery, so a spare set of clothes will come in very useful. Also if your child is potty training, you may need to pack a few additional items of clothing.
9. Ask your child what they have been learning about at nursery, in order to support their learning at home. Perhaps you could find books to help them learn more about particular topics or take them to a museum?
10. Finally, try to help your child develop a love of learning by teaching your child that learning can happen anywhere, not just in the classroom. For example, you can learn a lot from nature, by simply going out in your garden and observing the wildlife. This will give your child some exciting facts to share with their nursery group.

[AdSense-A]