💡 In Spanish nurseries children are brought between eight and nine; the teacher (profe, seño) greets the child and you briefly say how the night went; greet everyone: buenos días.
💡 The teacher tells: ha comido (ate), ha dormido la siesta (napped), ha jugado (played), ha llorado (cried); some nurseries have a notebook (agenda) with notes.
💡 You take a muda (spare clothes), babero (bib), chupete (dummy) and label everything with the child's name; for older ones a mochila (backpack) and botella de agua.
💡 Allergy words: alergia a los frutos secos (nuts), intolerancia a la lactosa; the nursery asks for a doctor's report (informe médico) and informs the kitchen.
💡 The child is handed only to people named by the parents (personas autorizadas); a new person is added or given written permission; without it the teacher will not hand the child over.
💡 If you are late phone: that way teachers know whether to wait for the child; a late arrival may disturb the day's routine.
💡 When a child cries at parting, they say: Le cuesta separarse; the teacher advises saying goodbye briefly and calmly, not dragging it out.
💡 The período de adaptación is a gradual settling in: in the first days the child stays an hour or two, a parent may be nearby; it usually takes several weeks.
💡 The nursery gives a list: a snack (almuerzo), water bottle, spare clothes, sometimes a bata or apron; everything is labelled.
💡 Food words: come bien, come poco, no quiere comer; you can ask to change the menu for allergy or religious reasons.
💡 A sick child is not brought in; illness is reported in the morning by phone or app; for a contagious disease (enfermedad contagiosa) you must say what it is.
💡 After illness the child returns when healthy and no longer contagious; after a fever they usually wait a day without it; after some illnesses a doctor's note is needed.
💡 Contagious illnesses: varicela (chickenpox), piojos (lice), conjuntivitis, gastroenteritis; report them at once to protect the others.
💡 If a child has a fever the nursery phones and a parent must collect them as soon as possible; keep your phone near and say who else can come.
💡 Teachers give medicine only with written permission and a doctor's prescription (prescripción médica) with the dose; without them not even syrup.
💡 After a fall they say: se ha caído, se ha dado un golpe, tiene un chichón (a bump), se ha hecho una herida (a wound); they tell you in a note or at the door.
💡 Lice are piojos, nits liendres; the nursery tells parents by note; treatment is a pharmacy shampoo (champú antipiojos), after which the child may return.
💡 If the child will be away longer, tell the teacher and, if needed, provide a note; it is polite and helps plan the group.
💡 Enrolment (matrícula) in public schools takes place in spring: you submit the application with documents and wait for the allocation; the early years (0-3) are often private or municipal (escuela infantil).
💡 The cost is a cuota mensual; the comedor (dining) and horario ampliado (extended hours) are paid separately; public nurseries cost less.
💡 For enrolment you need: the application (solicitud), the child's birth certificate or passport, the certificado de empadronamiento and the vaccination record (cartilla de vacunación).
💡 The form asks: nombre, apellidos (surnames: two in Spain), fecha de nacimiento, domicilio, teléfono, alergias; Spaniards have two surnames.
💡 Nurseries are usually open from eight to five; horario ampliado (extended hours) and madrugadores (early shift) are paid; in summer they work shorter hours.
💡 Before enrolling you can ask to visit the school (visita): they show the rooms, playground and dining room; ask about what matters: hours, food, staff.
💡 The allocation result is published online and notified; if no place was granted you can appeal (reclamación) or take from the waiting list (lista de espera).
💡 Lista de espera is the waiting list; ask what your number is and when they might call; leave your phone number.
💡 Dining-room discounts (becas de comedor) depend on income and number of children; ask at the office or on the council website.
💡 You can say it plainly: No habla español todavía; teachers help: they explain with gestures and children learn fast.
💡 The reunión de padres is usually in the evening or morning, announced by a note; a parent attends; ask when and at what time.
💡 A tutoría is an individual talk with the teacher about development; it covers language (lenguaje), movement (motricidad) and relations with children (socialización).
💡 Teachers assess movement, speech and relationships: progresa bien (progresses well), tiene que mejorar (needs to improve), se relaciona bien (gets on well).
💡 For parties parents are asked to bring something: tarta, bocadillos, zumos; ask what is allowed and not, especially because of allergies.
💡 On the night of the sixth of January children wait for the Three Kings (Reyes Magos): they leave shoes and get presents in the morning; the school usually has a party before the holidays.
💡 Carnaval is a party with fancy dress (disfraz): children come as a pirate, princess or animal; at the end of February.
💡 For a birthday in class you can bring a treat, but many schools limit sweets: ask what is allowed; family parties invite the whole group or a few friends.
💡 For outings and photos a written consent (autorización) is requested; read where and when the group goes, what to bring and what it costs; ask if anything is unclear.
💡 If something bothers you, say it calmly and specifically: Me preocupa que...; better to start with the teacher and only then the head.