Seventy-five percent of parents in the UK have reported to have used some form of childcare for their kids aged between 0 and 14. This a decision which most parents will have to consider at some point, however, starting your child in nursery can raise some concerns.

You may be worried about how well your child will adjust to a new routine after having then at home for so long. You have concerns over whether they will be happy in the nursery, or the quality of the childcare provided.

If you are in work, and do not have access to friends or family who can provide childcare, nursery is a necessity. Here’s how to incorporate the nursery routine to make it a seamless part of your life.

Packing the essentials

Before sending your baby off to nursery, create a checklist of everything they will need. This is important as they’re likely to require a lot more than you’d expect and it can be easy to forget essential things.

Ensure your baby has their food, drink and the correct feeding equipment packed. You will need to pack enough formula or expressed breast milk, depending on what they are on. Additionally, if your childcare provider doesn’t supply feeds, you will have to make these up at home and label them clearly.

Nappies, spare changes of clothes, and any required medications are essential for day-to-day happenings. You may also want to pack a couple of your baby’s comfort items – this could include a stuffed animal or rattle.

If you know that your baby will need a nap during their day at nursery, ensure that they have comfortable sleeping bags packed.

The key is to include items which will make your baby’s experience at nursery as comfortable as possible – this way, there is less likelihood for things to go wrong.

Get organised

After being off work for some time, you may have fallen out of an organised routine. Knowing daily start and finishing times is essential as you will ultimately have to create a routine around them.

To keep on top of your routine, set reminders and alarms or plan out your week in a planner. You may even have to change up your working hours to flex your day around childcare. In most circumstances, your work will be understanding of your situation and be able to accommodate to your needs.

Mix up their care in advance

Up until now, you will have been your baby’s main caregiver, and it’s true that they won’t have needed much other social interaction.

However, before their first day of nursery, it might be a good idea to start getting them to interact with a variety of people to get them used to the change and help their social development. When babies lack social confidence, it can become an issue when they go on to develop relationships during their time at nursery and so on. This is why it’s so important to foster your baby’s social development, and one way of doing this is slowly adjusting them to new people before attending nursery.

By following these simple tips, and with good practice, nursery will become a part of your routine without a second thought.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.