Our little girl is going to nursery this September. At the time of her enrollment she will be exactly two and a half. I always thought that kids need to socialize from very early age and I do believe they really do, but nursery is a different story. I honestly did not see the need of Poppy going to nursery before her second birthday. Yes, she is very independent and love to play, but does she need to interact with kids other than meeting them on a play dates, not sure. After her second birthday though, things changed dramatically. She started to make full sentences, memorizing songs and dances, looking to play with older kids, got very fond to her baby dolls and it is potty trained. I can now call her really ready!

Choosing the right nursery for her (and us) was rather easy. I did choose her school ahead of the nursery. I then visited the nursery that is closest to home, but sadly they did not have room for naps, so it was a no for me. Next on the list was the nursery related to Poppy`s future school. It is really lovely, homey, yet engaging the children in so many activities. We set our hearts on it.

It is now nearly September and I put some of the things I prepared on the list below.  I hope it is helpful to you too!

NOTE: Always speak to your nursery beforehand to make sure what are their specific requirements.

1. Labels- As we all know kid`s items should be labeled in order for the Teachers Assistants to recognize them. I ordered mine from Stickerscape in the UK. Poppy chose her favourite Peppa pig.

2. Backpack – Think light and small, but big enough to put the lunch box and water in it. I am currently debating between few choices from Next, Kiabi and Robinsons. The final decision will belong to Poppy of course.

3. Lunch box- After many deliberations I decided to go for a simple lunch box from ACE. It is simple, cheap and I can change it anytime without feeling annoyed that it cost me gazillion dirhams. I don`t get the idea of paying 180 dirhmas for a box with a cartoon character on it. I was considering the bamboo boxes as a more green solution, but they all have odd lids or extra elastic to keep it together. Not ideal for 2 year old as she will probably loose this bits in a second.

4. Clothes- The nursery has their uniform t-shirt, so my choice will be pretty simple- leggings and that t-shirt. I will also include extra pair of clothes for the days where things go wild (most likely every day) and she needs to change.

5. Shoes- comfy is the key, but I also would like to add classy. At this point I haven`t decided on the shoes yet, but will probably go with soft leather sandals or monochrome soft shoes.

6. Drinks and food- The nursery encourage children to drink from big cups and sip their own water, which I think is great in terms of giving them confidence and teaching skills. Poppy is already big enough and she does this at home, so it is a nice thing to continue practicing at nursery. As for the lunch and snack time, I am working on a post that will hopefully inspire you and give you loads of ideas what to cook and prepare.

7. Wipes- I encourage Poppy to wash her hands, but the nursery will probably need endless supply of these, so make sure you send some. If your child is not potty trained yet, ask the nursery what is needed to have enough supplies for the week/day.

8. Sunscreen- We live in Dubai and we enjoy the sunny days 365 days a year. Make sure the skin of your child is protected with 50+ SPF to avoid rashes and nasty burns. A hat is also a very good idea as it will keep their eyes and neck as well.

I hope the above is оф any help. I wish you and your child a very good start of the new school year. If you have any suggestions what else to add, please let me know in the comments.

xoxo Radina