New nursery

Oliver has started attending a nursery two mornings a week. We had tried to start him at another one a couple of months ago, but we were so unimpressed by it that we took him out before he ever spent a morning there without us. (He did spend at least 3 mornings with us there.)

This place is smaller, newer and therefore less busy so far. Hayley took him last week and stayed with him. Then the next time left him for an hour. He cried when she went but within a couple of minutes he was fine. We know this because she peeped through the window for 3 minutes after he thought she had gone.

Today it was my turn to take him and leave him there all morning from 9.30 til noon. He sounded absolutely fine about going there in the morning. He told me he was going there and I kept telling him I'd go to the shops while he was there (though in truth it was to work) then I'd pick him up later.

Once we arrived he got very nervous, so I stayed a couple of minutes playing with him at the water tank. But as soon as I tried to go again he was crying and clinging to me. I nearly choked up myself. I am not used to seeing him like that, let alone having to leave him like that.

We have wrestled with how best to rebuild his confidence after it was so visibly dented during the time Hayley was in hospital giving birth to Lucy. The last thing we wanted to do was to set him back again. So we've told the nursery to call us if he doesn't settle.

Today as I left the nursery, I met a friend going in with her son who also attends there. Not long after, Hayey got a text from her saying that Oliver was happy when she left. And whan I picked him up he was happy. In fact I had to persuade him to leave the toys and come with me. Although as soon as he saw me he did shout "Daddy", ran to me and said "he's come back"!

Tonight I took him to the shops. As I put him in the car seat I asked him about what he did at nursey. He told me he "did painting" (which was true, he brought one home), he "read stories" (that's nice to hear) and how he "shouted Daddy, Daddy, Daddy and cried". My heart sank.