Settling into the Bright Horizons Family

Starting a nursery can be exciting time for you and your little one. It’s the place where new friends will be made and the next steps in development taken, but we also know that it can be an emotional journey. That’s why we want to make you and your family feel right at home when you join us and our settling in sessions will provide you with the chance to get to know your nursery from day one.

These sessions are non-chargeable and can start up to 6 weeks before your start date to really enable your little one to get to know the nursery team and become familiar with their new surroundings.

So to get started you’ll be able to book your session with your nursery manager at a time that suits you. You are welcome to stay so you can help your child feel comfortable during their transition from home to nursery, and eventually, as the sessions progress, you’ll be able to move to leaving your child with us. We very much work around the individual needs of your child and your family. Every child is unique, so this will be different for everyone. Some children settle quickly, others take a bit longer.

As well as play time for little one, you can ask the team questions about nursery life and see what a day in the life at nursery will look like. It’s also a great chance for you and the nursery team to build your relationship and get to know each other.

We want to make this journey as smooth as possible for the whole family and our team look forward to getting to know their new children. When you join us, we’d love to know any routines, likes and dislikes your little one has. From nap times and favourite foods, language spoken at home, to that all important cuddly comforter, the more information we know the better we can get to know your child and make sure we get them off to a great start.

And the settling in session doesn’t just start and finish in our nurseries, we also have a brilliant play and learn at home programme available online. Filled with activities, ideas and advice, this programme supports our curriculum so that you can continue your little one’s learning at home.

What to bring

It can be an exciting moment to choose their first bag or rucksack for nursery, and if your child is able then encourage them to pack it with you. You won’t need to bring a lot, a spare set of clothes is a must and an item from home such as a favourite blanket or cuddly toy and some of our parents like to also include an item of clothing that smells of their perfume or aftershave. This can often reassure your little one that you will be returning soon.

Read all about Susannah’s experience of settling her son into nursery last year, and her top tips. We also have plenty of insightful articles and useful tips for new starters in our family zone section.

We had the pleasure of catching up with one Bright Horizons parent who has recently returned to work from maternity leave. Watch our video now to find out how Tasha and her son got on at their recent settling in session: