Word of the Week 3/7/15

Hello and welcome to Word of the Week. One of my favourite parts of my week is reading everyone’s words, so thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and link up. And thank you all so much for your lovely comments and well wishes about Harry last week, all much appreciated.

If you’re new here, Word of the Week is a nice and simple weekly linky, with everyone welcome to pop by and share. You reflect back on the past week and sum it up in one word. Then share your word with us in a blog post, with as little or as much explanation as you like. It’s a fun and friendly linky, so please do be lovely and visit as many of the other blogs as you can and share with them your thoughts on their words and weeks. I do comment on every entry to the linky, and if you add the Word of the Week badge to your post to help spread the ‘word’, I also tweet them out.

My word of the week this week is:

nursery

We’ve had Little Man’s first two settling in sessions for nursery this week. He will start in September, going in for two school days a week.

It has dominated my week. It has been worrying me and making me question myself over and over. I am not sure he is ready to go. He will be three in September, but age is quite an arbitrary thing, and just because he’s reached the age that many kids, including Boo, started nursery, doesn’t necessarily mean that he should go, too.

At the first session, having been told over and over by him that he didn’t want to go, he did stay true to his word and refused to go in. So I ended up scooping him up and carrying him in through the door with him loudly protesting, as cajoling him just didn’t cut it. Not the start I’d wanted, with so many other parents looking on with their kids happily strolling in! He kept asking to leave for the first few minutes, so I kept distracting him with different activities and areas to explore. Eventually, he started playing and enjoying himself. It helped to spot a few familiar things, such as books he knows and loves. There was a great water play area that kept him happy for quite some time, and with his confidence starting to rise, his personality came through again. And by that I mean that when we wandered back inside, it wasn’t really the prepared activities that he was interested in, more the boxes and drawers he shouldn’t be going in, the taps, the scissors, the office – you name it, he had to look! He did seem to like his key-worker, and has told people about her. By the end of the session, just an hour, he didn’t want to leave. I was cautiously optimistic.

We went again yesterday, and he went in quite happily, and played contentedly for the hour, though needed me near him for the whole time. We have two more sessions over the next fortnight, and I’ll try leaving him there for at least one of them.

I’m still unsure. I’ve yet to leave him there, which is a whole other hurdle, and a big one with my son. He likes me with him, or at least a familiar adult. I’m hoping he’ll continue to bond with his key-worker. I don’t have to send him from September, of course. I’m home, I can keep him here. There’s no need to put him through it yet if it upsets him too much, we’ve still two years before he starts school. But then it just might be wonderful for him and he might well love it. We will see. I will no doubt report back!

What about you? What one word sums up your week best? Please grab the badge, link up and share.

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54 thoughts on “Word of the Week 3/7/15”

  1. Good luck with Little Man’s next two settling in sessions. Starting nursery is such a big step and hopefully he will take to it but if not, as you say, he doesn’t have to go in September, there’s always next year. Hope he enjoys his next two sessions whatever you end up deciding to do. Thanks for hosting #WotW.

  2. It’s a tricky one, isn’t it.
    You want your Little Man to settle in and enjoy his time in nursery, but on the other hand, his next 16 years are going to be taken up with school! Hopefully his next few sessions will go smoothly but, like you say, you have the option of deferring if you feel you need to,
    Have a great weekend and thanks for hosting x

    1. Exactly. There’s no point in pushing him, if I say leave him another 6 months and then he loves it. But then, he might love it now- we’ll see! x

  3. I know exactly what you’re going through Jocelyn. Harry is the same age as Little Man so starts 2 full days and a morning in September but he’s actually already been going for 2 mornings a week for a year now. When he first joined I didn’t want him to go and he screamed and screamed for weeks! It was horrid. But now he absolutely adores going and he can’t wait to take a packed lunch in September. I’m again not ready for September but I can see how much it has done for him. He started with little speech and unable to play and talk with anyone than just us but now he has come on leaps and bounds x

    1. Thanks, Sharon. I think it will be good for him, just still unsure about the ‘when’! We’ll see! x

  4. Aww my daughter is due to start nursery in September and I’m dreading it.I already have 2 boys in school but I feel worse this time,maybe it’s because she’s my last baby I’m not sure!Hope it goes well x #wotw

  5. I think from what I know of him, that if you give him time he will settle. It’s incredibly hard for you as his mummy to watch the first stages, but he’s essentially a happy little boy and it’s all about finding that balance to give him the confidence to make those first little steps. I’m sure you can work with his key worker and together find the right way to make the initial days less stressful. He’s secure in being loved by his family, that’s enough of a foundation to help smooth the rockier bits xx

    1. Thanks, Iona. He is happy, just so shy, so we will see. He seems to like his key-worker and she is lovely, and he definitely enjoys being there, so we’ll see how it goes xx

  6. Sorry to hear your nursery visit was a bit stressful! It’s great that you’ve got two years before he start school though (imagine if he’d been an August birthday!) – you can see the next year at nursery as a more flexible, optional thing (if this is allowed at your pre-school?). My youngest has had a year and half at nursery as he is one of the eldest – last year we did 3 afternoons a week, this year we do 5 mornings a week. Hope he settles in well come September! #WotW

    1. It is allowed, yes, so we are free to do as we please and defer for a year, if need be. Still trying to decide which is the best thing to do. Thanks x

    1. It is, I’m hoping to leave him at the next session and see how that goes. Should give me a clearer idea. Thanks x

  7. It’s a tricky one and must be upsetting for both of you. I think you can only take it a session at a time. Lots of reassurance that you will be back to get him and that he will lots of fun should help.

    Laura x x x

  8. Oh bless. I do agree that age is so arbitrary, we all mature and grow at different paces so it’s a really hard decision to know when is the right time.
    It sounds like he’s starting to settle in though which is good. Good luck!

    1. We definitely do, just my two kids are like chalk and cheese. He did do better yesterday, so hoping he’s liking it x

  9. Oh Jocelyn, it must be so hard! Why can’t they stay babies forever?? It sounds as though he started to settle once he was there though, so perhaps with your next few sessions he’ll get used to it more. Good luck! xx

  10. Sorry to hear it wasn’t the greatest start but it seems to be a little better now….Hope he continues to enjoy it more and more. Good luck! I hope the rest of the sessions go well x

  11. What a decision to make, I hope next week is easier for you both. Ethan started nursery at two and a half, I already know Little E will start later when she gets her free placement. I really hope she will be ready but I already know I won’t send her if she isn’t x

  12. I felt exactly the same when Monkey was at this stage.
    Like you say, if little man doesn’t feel ready then there’s always next year.
    Keeping my fingers crossed that he has an awesome time at his next session 🙂 x

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  14. One of my customers in the charity shop burst into tears yesterday as she’d just taken her youngest to check out the nursery. It’s probably the best way to be prepared for a school routine but you’ll miss each other immensely no doubt. I’m sure his big sister can convince him it’s not so bad 🙂 x

  15. Hi Jocelyn, Little Man is still very young and it’s not the end of the world if he’s not ready for nursery. Like you said age doesn’t matter, each child is an individual and not all of them are ready to spend time alone away from Mum at the same age.

    At least at the end of the settling in sessions, if he still doesn’t enjoy it you get to spend a little more time with him at home, knowing that you aren’t holding him back from something he enjoys.

    xx

    1. Thanks, Debbie, you’ve summed it up perfectly. I want to try as it could be amazing for him, but if it’s not, he stays with me for a bit longer x

  16. Aww bless him 🙂 give him time and he’ll be running the place! and if he really doesn’t like it then try again at Christmas. If you do leave him and he’s upset, still go but phone the nursery 15minutes afterwards. I would put money on him being fine by then 🙂

  17. Ah so tricky Jocelyn and I understand. After initially settling really well Monkey has been having a tricky time at playgroup lately and getting quite upset. He likes the staff but they are now expressing concerns that he always wants to be with one of them and gets upset if they leave him to play on his own or with other kids :/ not sure why as he does this when with me. He does 2 1/2 days at the mo and will do 2 full days in Sept and like you I am wondering if he is really ready for that :/ anyway sorry to go on, just really do understand how you feel. Hope Little Man settles in fine though! Xx

    1. It is so hard to decide what’s best to do, isn’t it? He may well thrive there and it could be great for him, it’s just trying to work out whether he’s ready. I do hope Monkey does well if you decide to keep him there xx

  18. Ah bless, its a big thing settling them into nursery isn’t it? My two are still best friends with their nursery friends. I love the fact that they still have those friendships. After the initial settle in period they both loved nursery so much and have many happy memories x

  19. Nursery is such a big step isn’t if, for your little man and for you. It’s always hard and I for me it was certainly harder with my boy as he’d been with me until 3yo and really didn’t want to go to nursery at all. He cried, and begged not to go and it was the most heart breaking thing. If I didn’t have to go to work those days I think I would’ve conceded to him and brought him home! Perseverance is the key and finding him some friends within the group
    Hope next week goes well
    xx

    1. I could do with him going, for me to be able to work and resume my degree studying, but then if he’s just not ready, so be it! I think it could be great for him, so am hoping he’ll take to it. Thanks x

  20. Good luck with nursery, my youngest (18months) started nursery took 3 weeks but absolutely loves it. He even gets excited when he knows we are close to nursery and I think it is good for them to go to nursery. Both my sons have changed so much from it (but I have the added worry being autistic so maybe but more concern over socialising). But you as mother know your child’s needs the best and go with you gut. I hate the fact we use numbers as some sort of bencvh mark there is more a person. X

    1. Ah, glad that he likes it so much. Thank you, I think I will know after the next couple of sessions x

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