Is your child starting nursery or pre-school in 2018?

Are you nervous about them starting nursery? Is your child anxious about the change ahead or struggling to settle in to nursery after starting in September?

Top tips for parents from the author of ‘I'm Going To Nursery'

Stacey Turner is a Children's Mental Health ambassador and champion for a positive step forward in highlighting children's anxiety/separation anxiety. Stacey is also a parent to two young daughters and a former teacher.

**Stacey has been invited to join a panel discussion to be recorded by Media Sound Wave on childhood mental health, focusing on childhood anxieties, inManchesteron the morning of 10^thJanuary 2018. Stacey, originally from Australia, will be travelling in from London and is available for live/face-to-face/in-studio interviews from the 9-11^thJanuary 2018 subject to timings. For more information please contact helenlewis@literallypr.com**

The January slump can be a grim time for many people, but if you have a looming worry about your child starting nursery, then you may be feeling anxious and overwhelmed by it. Try and break free from that feeling and learn how you can be guiding your child, leading the way and feeling better for it.

The most important part of your child starting nursery is forming a healthy attachment from the very beginning. It's OK to let your child's nursery know you are worried, they will understand and some nurseries have a settling-in program. They know that your concerns are out of protection of your child and they are just as keen to see your child settled and happily enjoying the nursery environment, making friends and trusting the teachers. I was very impressed by one nursery owner I met not so long ago; she has a very nurturing program in place to help the little ones settle. She bought my book and CD to sing along to with the kids too!

You can prepare your child by talking about nursery, introducing books such asI'm Going to Nursery, which offers reassurance that there is no threat and helps bridge the gap of communication if your child is still quite young. Stay and play sessions are a lovely way for you to reassure your child and I recommend arranging introductory visits gradually increasing to a half or full day.

You can send in a transient object of yours, I once sent Molly into nursery in a light sparkly scarf wrapped around her that I'd slept in so she had my scent, she loved walking around in it all day pretending she was a fairy! You might consider putting together a sensory box with items to meet the sensory needs, such as soothing music for the ears, a squishy tacky ball for touch, photos for the eyes and maybe a little pack of raisins for taste.

Saying goodbye is the bit all parents dread! You can confidently guide your child with your goodbye demonstrating you trust your child's teachers by establishing a little goodbye routine. You might like to start by getting down to your child's level, looking in the eye's and in a friendly manner and soft controlled tone, start your goodbye. You could create this bit together, have a secret little song or saying! In whatever way you say your goodbyes, it is important you are specific with your details yet offering comfort, such as: "I can see you feel upset we are going to be apart, it's OK to feel the way you do. Let's find your teacher and let him/her know you feel upset." In front of your child, say to that person: "Molly is feeling upset at us parting, but she understands I need to leave, can you please support her and help her feel OK about this?" Then say to your child: "Mummy must go now, I will be back to pick you up and I want to hear all about your day and your teacher knows how you feel and is here to offer you support, I will be back later - goodbye."

On some days, no words may be necessary but a secret for example closing your eyes with a little nod of the head and a smile can be enough. The teachers will be ready to help with any upset and please let the teachers know if you feel you may become upset.

Starting Nursery Checklist:
 -Nursery bag: All labelled clearly please
 While every nursery is different in what they provide, here are some essential items for the bag:
 -Spare sets of clothes
 -Spare underwear
 -You may need to provide nappies if necessary
 -Water bottle
 -Pacifier/Comforter
 -Coat
 Don't forget those wellies, hats, gloves and scarves for this grim weather!
 
While there is no magic wand, this is a good place to start to offer the reassurance you and your little one need to help soothe any wobbles. You are putting positive reinforcement in place should separation anxiety hit and if it does, there is a lot more you can do. We can guide our children, help them to feel better and show them it's not so scary.

Stacey x

Five reasons why it's important to recognise your child's separation anxiety

Separation anxiety is anxiety provoked in a young child by separation, or the threat of separation, from the child's mother or main carer. Separation anxiety is often a normal stage of childhood development from approximately eight months (sometimes younger, as was our case with our daughter) to five years, often older. It can reappear at times of change and stress.

It is vital for the health and well-being of your child to recognise separation anxiety, as it is a form of anxiety requiring help and support. Anxiety is an emotion with the sole purpose of helping us deal with the world around us.

Five reasons why it is important to recognise separation anxiety to put the appropriate support and care in place to

• Establish and form healthy attachments to people and places.
• Prevent naughty behaviour being misunderstood or a child labelled as attention-seeking.
• Put help and support in place to minimise distress within the family and at nursery/school.
• Teach a child how to reframe their thinking to overcome the current negative thought patterns. This then paves the way for a happier and clearer way forward, as the child becomes confident using these learnt skills.
• Build confidence, trust and resilience within a child to happily and confidently move forward.

Notes to editors

This article is available for reprint and use online in its entirety or in sections. We only ask that you attribute it to Stacey Turner, author of I'm Going To Nursery and ideally link towww.mytinybook.com.

Stacey Turner is available for interview and editorial commissions. She has written other articles including ‘Ten tips to help the first week of school go smoothly' and ‘Ten tips to survive the school holidays (for parents)'. Stacey is an author, Early Years teacher and mum to five and seven-year-old girls. She has first-hand experience of childhood anxiety and separation anxiety through her role as a teacher and a Mummy. For more information about Stacey and her books:http://www.literallypr.com/public_relations/file/Stacey-Turner-.phpandhttp://bit.ly/2vBOXkQandhttps://literallypublicrelations.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/im-going-to-nursery-by-stacey-turner/.

To book an interview with Stacey please get in touch!

--Ends--