It can be an exciting and scary time when you first put your child in the nursery class. Some parents are counting down the weeks until that day finally arrives. Other parents opt out of nursery for various reasons. Other parents are a bit reluctant because it can be hard to leave your child in nursery class for the first time, especially if she is your first child.
My son is approaching nursery age, just two months to go. And while I know he is ready, (He has become quite a distraction in Relief Society—a few weeks ago he started growling at the sister sitting in front of us.) I am not quite sure that I am. He is small for his age (he is in size six-month clothes), and I worry about how the bigger and older kids are going to treat him.
I know that nursery really is an important time for the children. Often it is the first time that they will spend away from their mothers on a regular basis. It is also a time that helps to prepare them for Primary. While I was serving in the Primary presidency, there was one group of kids that was consistently in trouble. They had a hard time sitting still, being reverent and paying attention. As we discussed why this particular group was so difficult we realized that the years that they were in nursery class, the teachers did not operate the class properly. They just played the entire time. It followed them through the years of Primary. They were all getting baptized the year that we had the discussion.
So I have seen firsthand the difference nursery really does make. I know that some parents choose to have their children not attend because of illnesses that they may pick up in nursery. I acknowledge that this can happen. If you have a newborn and a child in nursery, you may want to be careful in winter months. I know that children sometimes can get hurt in nursery class. My daughter fell and broke her arm the first week she went to nursery class. (I know that it was an accident and accidents happen.) We did keep her out for a few weeks, so that her arm could heal a little bit, since the doctors didn’t put her in a hard cast, but she did go back. I just think that the benefits far outweigh any negatives that people can think of in regards to a nursery class.
Your child may walk in the doors of nursery class the first time and never look back. But I think most children have a bit of a difficult time adjusting to nursery class. There are some things that you can do to make the transition to nursery easier.
1) Attend with your child for a week or two before leaving him by himself. This gives your child a chance to familiarize himself with the surroundings, and to know what to expect with nursery class.
2) Be sure to explain to your child that even though you will be dropping her off, you will be back to pick her up at the end of nursery class.
3) You may want to sneak off after your child has begun playing with a toy, and has become distracted. This is a lot easier than just dropping them off with them screaming.
4) As my daughter became used to nursery, she did better if we just walked her to the door, and didn’t follow her in. She would become upset if we tried to sneak off, but did fine if we let her walk in the door on her own.
5) Do not take your child if he is sick. It is not fun to have your little one come home from nursery, and have a fever in the next day or two. I’ve had it happen, and often many other kids have had the same fever start on the same day. Please show the same courtesy that you would like to receive.
As you make the transition, hang in there. It will be worth it. You can begin to enjoy your Sunday classes again, and your child will be learning and growing as well. The subjects that are taught in nursery are important. They are gospel basics, and what better time to start having your children learn them.