HEALTH & WELLBEING

Eat Good, Feel Good

Healthy eating is an important part of the nursery and as a result we offer a wide and varied range of food for children.

All meals are prepared by our own cook using fresh ingredients. Fruit and vegetables are offered for every meal.

Please discuss with the Nursery Manager if your child has any dietary requirements e.g. allergies, intolerances, vegan diet, vegetarian diet or religious requirements.

We also provide food in different textures if your child is still weaning. We also support baby-led weaning if this is something you prefer.

Milk and water are offered to drink. Water is available and offered throughout the day; children who are able can pour their own drink whenever they are thirsty. You are welcome to provide breast milk for your child to have at nursery, or come in to breast feed your child during the nursery day.

Mealtimes are a relaxed, social experience for children at The Bruce Nursery where they are encouraged to be independent depending on their stage of development: feeding independently, self-serving their meals, pouring their own drinks, clearing the table and washing their own hands and faces before and after meals. Staff fully support children who are not yet able to be independent.

Lunch

We follow the NHS Health Scotland Guidelines – Setting the Table and the Care Inspectorate publication Food Matters.

Our Menus are rotated on a 4 week cycle and have seasonal variations.

Sample Lunch Menu

BAKING SUNFLOWER

Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Garlic Bread

Fruit Crumble and Custard

BAKING DAISY

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
with Baby Potatoes

Fresh Pear and Natural Yoghurt

BAKING SUNFLOWER

Fish Pie and Broccoli

Oat and Raisin Cookies

BAKING DAFFODIL

Homemade Vegetable Pizza
with Vegetable Cous-Cous

Warm Banana with Honey

BAKING SUNFLOWER

Spaghetti Bolognese

Fresh Fruit Salad and Cheese Sticks

Snacks

A morning and afternoon snack will be offered to your child daily. Some examples of snack foods are:

Health and Wellbeing

Exercise

We value the importance of fresh air and exercise for your child’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and physical development. Your child will use the garden or enjoy walks in the local area every day.

Emotional Wellbeing

Young children can find it difficult to regulate, understand and articulate the ‘big feelings’ they experience at this stage. This can result in your child becoming overwhelmed and they may then display unwanted behaviour.

We encourage children to recognise their emotions, understand why they feel that way and reassure them their feelings are validated. We then support you and your child to find strategies to enable them to communicate how they feel to help them manage their feelings better and to avoid them becoming overwhelmed.

At The Bruce Nursery, we recognise that this equips your child with the strategies and communication skills to deal more effectively with their emotions which will benefit them throughout their lives.

Sleep/Nap Times

We always try to maintain your child’s routine from home and can accommodate their usual nap times.

Babies will be offered a nap in a cot or a sleep coracle, which is a small bed, specially designed by Community Playthings for baby’s naps at nursery. As your child gets older, naps are on a small bed on the floor. Each child has their own bed linen which is laundered at least weekly.

Staff create a calming atmosphere at nap times and will follow your sleep routine form home where possible. Please bring any comfort toys, blankets or dummies to nursery that your child may use when they sleep. These familiar items from home will help your child feel secure
during nap time at nursery.

Tooth Brushing

All children at The Bruce Nursery brush their teeth regularly. Your child will be provided with their own toothbrush and toothpaste.

Illness & Medication

For the health and well-being of all children attending The Bruce Nursery, your child should not come to nursery if they are suffering from an infectious illness.

Exclusion periods for infectious illnesses can be found in the Health Protection Scotland and NHS Scotland document: Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings.

If your child suffers from a non infectious illness or an allergy, we will endeavour to accommodate any requirements they may have. Parental permission is required for all medication to be administered at The Bruce Nursery.