Settling Your Baby into Nursery with Muddy Boots
Starting Nursery is a big milestone for babies and their families. At Muddy Boots, we understand how important it is for your little one to feel safe, secure and happy in their new environment. One of the best ways we can support a smooth transition into nursery is by getting to know your baby as an individual.
In this blog, we’ll be sharing some tips on how you can help settle your baby into nursery life at Muddy Boots by working with staff as they get to know your child. The more we know, the better we can meet their needs and help them settle comfortably.
Our “All About Me” and First Settle Visit
During your baby’s first settling in session, we complete an “All About Me” form. This is a valuable opportunity for you to share information about your baby’s world. Through completing the form with parents, we get to learn about what’s important to them – their family members, pets, and any special celebrations or routines that are part of your babies life. These familiar connections help us to create a nurturing environment that feels reassuring and familiar.
Feeding Routines and Preferences
Feeding is a big part of your baby’s day, so it’s important for us to understand their preferences:
How do they like their milk prepared?
Do they prefer the room to be warm during feeds?
Do they enjoy being fed while cradled or sitting more upright?
Has anyone else in the family fed them, or is it usually just Mum?
These small details help us to create a familiar and comforting feeding experience at nursery, as well as keeping your child in that all-important routine you’ve built at home.
Mealtimes and Food Preferences
We also love learning about your baby’s relationship with food:
Are they a good eater?
What is their favourite food?
How do they prefer it prepared or served?
Knowing this helps us encourage positive mealtime experiences, and support your baby’s confidence as they eat with us at nursery.
Comfort Items and Soothing Techniques
Comfort is key when settling your baby into a new space. Some things you can let us know are:
Does your baby have a comforter? What is it?
Do they use a dummy or suck their thumb or fingers?
If your baby has a comfort item, we kindly ask that you provide it so they can have something familiar to help them feel safe and relaxed, particularly during the transition to nursery.
Familiar Sounds, Songs, and Play
Babies often find comfort in familiar sounds and activities. Let us know:
What is their favourite nursery rhyme?
What toys or activities do they enjoy playing with?
We can use these favourites to engage your baby with learning and play, build connections with them, and create moments of joy throughout their day.
Working Together
By sharing these key details, you’re helping us build a strong partnership with you as parents, and helping us provide the best possible care for your baby. Every child is unique, and this is something we encourage at Muddy Boots. Understanding their interests, preferences and more allows us to support them with confidence, warmth and consistency.
If you ever feel something has changed, or there’s something new you’d like us to know about, please don’t hesitate to tell us. Together, we can help your baby feel happy, secure, and settled into our care.
Save our Top Tips for settling your child into nursery life below, or share them with a friend who’s looking to start their childcare journey.
