FAQ's

Breakfast and Lunch is provided by the nursery and is included in the term fees. We have our own cook, who prepares and cooks the meals for the children fresh every day.

Many toddlers are picky eaters. Being picky about food is a normal behaviour for many toddlers. There may be times when your child wants to eat a particular food again and again for a while, and then not want to eat it at all. Offer your child a variety of nutritious foods and let him or her choose what to eat. You may want to serve something you know your child likes along with another new nutritious food. But try to let your child explore new foods on his or her own. Don’t force your child to taste new foods. You may need to offer a new food several times before your child tries it.

You may need to be flexible with the meals you prepare to make sure your child gets a balanced diet. For example, if you're making beef stew for dinner and your child will only eat potatoes and carrots, you may need to cook some of these vegetables separate from the stew so that your child will eat them.
Setting a good example for your child can also help. If your child sees you eating a variety of healthy foods, he or she will be more likely to give them a try.

Eating new foods is all part of the settling in process when a child first starts nursery, therefore, this is very normal. At Indigo Valley, your child will neverbe force-fed and food will not be withheld or used as a form of punishment. However we do encourage the children to try the food that is presented to them. If your child refuses to eat anything he/she will be offered some fruit and a slice of bread with cheese, if they wish.  If this problem persists, the Nursery Director will speak to the parents on a one-to-one basis to discuss a way forward, with the child's best interests at heart. 

Tips for success if your child is a fussy eater...

Offer your child the same food you’re giving your family, and eat your meals together if possible.

Give smaller portions and praise your child for eating even a little.

If your child rejects the food, don’t force-feed him or her. Remove the food without comment.
Don’t leave meals until your child is too hungry or tired.

Don’t use sweet food as a reward for finishing savouries. To a child this might be saying, here’s something nice after eating those nasty greens. Reward them with a trip to the park or watching a video instead.

Limit in-between-meal snacks to, for example, a milk drink and a small cracker with a slice of cheese.

Your child knows that refusing to eat will annoy you, so try to stay calm. Eating with your child and eating the same foods will help to encourage good eating habits.

If your child fills up with juice or squash between meals and refuses milk or a snack, try gradually reducing the amount, diluting the drink well with water, and offer a small amount of food first. Sometimes, children mistake thirst for hunger and say they are thirsty when really they are hungry.

Try to make mealtimes enjoyable and not just about eating. Sit down and have a chat about other things.

If you know of any other children of the same age who are good eaters, ask them to tea. A good example sometimes works, so long as you don’t go on about how good the other children are.

Ask another adult, whom your child likes, to eat with you. Sometimes a child will eat for say a grandparent without any fuss. It may only be for one meal but it can break the habit. Your child may just be a naturally slow eater, so lots of patience will be needed.

Your child may just be a naturally slow eater, so lots of patience will be needed.

Children’s tastes change. One day they’ll hate a certain food, a month later they’ll love it. There will nearly always be enough that your child is willing to eat for some variety (say beans, fish fingers and fruit, potatoes and milk to drink). It may be boring, but it’s perfectly healthy.

The nursery will have transportation as from September 2011 - please keep checking the website for updated information or call the nursery.

This is not a problem. When your child is ready, we will work with you to help you train him/her.

We don't have a uniform at Indigo Valley, therefore, child can come in whatever they would like to wear (we've even had a little boy who choose to come to nursery as Spiderman for the day!). However, please bear in mind that we do lots of messy activities throughout the day, so please dress your child appropriately.

We ask that you inform us if you are going to be late to collect your child. We can then reassure your child that someone is on the way. Should this become a regular occurrence then we do render a fee for late stay.

When children first start to mix with more and more children they are liable to pick up illnesses of various sorts. Doing so is often beneficial as it helps build immunity in later life-tummy upsets, ear infections; sore throats are all very common.

Please keep your child off nursery when they are not well, and let us know on 04 2633544.
Starting at Nursery School can be quite stressful for a happy, healthy child. Feeling under the weather can make a child unhappy to come to school and can make it difficult for them to return even when they are well, as they tend to associate being unwell and feeling unhappy with being in nursery.

If your doctor diagnoses that your child has mumps, measles, chicken pox or other similar illness, your child will need to be kept at home for the entire incubation period to reduce the spread of infection.

If your child ever has sickness and/or diarrhoea they MUST be kept off school at least 48 hours after the last episode.

If your child is prescribed antibiotics please keep them off school until the course is finished, as their resistance to other illness is reduced.

If your child is on long-term medication (including antibiotics) please speak to staff.

Under normal circumstances staff will not administer medication to your child, as they are only here for a short period. Under your guidance and with your permission, staff may help children with various asthma inhalers-please, again, speak to staff about this.