First your child needs to be diaper trained <out of diapers>. Next you can introduce your child to playmates with tehr kids, with otehr aprents. Usually meeting at a playground of the Nursery school and with other parents and kids before Nursery school; as play time and stay away with otehr kdis, the first time you visit another place where kids are. It makes it easier for your child. A first time and good visit with other kids and older adults, makes it easier on you to walk away when she or he does have to go to Nursery school. For each visit away from you the dominant parent makes it easier when they do go to school or with another babysitter. And having a good time with other kdis starts way before they go to school. How they react away from their parents should be a gradual desensitizing experience. each trip away or with other kids, should be a slow transition before going to nursery school. And a positive one. Then it wont be a negative experience when the child has to stay longer at Nursery school. Make it a fun time. And that will make it a good first time visit. and if you make it exciting like shopping for it and preparing your child for getting the child own independance and by incorporating the props for it as a trip that will be good, like buying him or her, their own backpack and planning their trip that way, by adding small lunches to it when they do have these play dates to Grabdma's or other friends, they will see it like that when they go to Nursery school. A good transition depends on these before activities of going somewhere. Make it fun! And let them shop for ther own stuff for these transition VISITS to Grandma and other play dates and the kid will just see it as one more fun thing....and introducing their to their new teachers etc also. This will win an approval from the kid if they have their own space, their own backpack and schedule etc. The backpack makes the transition a fun thing, and you just have to say, "get your backpack" were going on a trip or play date. alway use the same wording and that also will help to make it a Connective adventure the child likes. Kids get used to protocols. Fun labels, fun times, etc. Make every activity with the backpack, FUN! and then when its his time to Pack up for real, all these little test with his "backpack" as the ideal stimuli, will just be one fun activity and every thing connected to the "backpack adventure will eb seen as fun and the child will look forward to everything conencted to it! Its the thing that helsp, the tools for getting kids to take part of growing up! Great preparations all connected to the backpack.....to be just like the older kids...., he or she will make the transition a good experience and something to look forward to. I understand if the kid is involved he or she will likely have an easier time going to Nursery school and regular school. And adjust to it also. Making the first visit as everything conencted to "school" as nice fun thing to do... as you can and staying the first time at the Nursery school will also help it be an easier transition. So plan it right and your kid will feel good about it all. And it makes it easier for the kid to adjust to the staying away "longer each time". These backpack preparations as I call them. So make play time dates a transition to school by planning everything for this "Date" to play with other kids before this nursery school transition. You will find it easier for kids to adjust to being away. If it is done in sequences as this is all preparing your kid for being away. Play dates, the backpack, friends, sleep over etc. all acts with your child will be just one more step to going to school. whether it is nursery school or regular school; planning some tools to help the kid make the transition (getting his"backpack") will be just one more helper tool. If you already have such a protocol wth your child for such "backpack adventures" any play time or visit away will be what makes the transition a pleasant one and easier for you, so make anything connected to his backpack a pleasant experience and you will not have any problems getting your child to cooperate for such an adventure as school. a time of fun away from you. And the dominate parent. like going shopping or the dentist, its how you tackle each set of protocols (each activity) with your child before going to school is going to make it easier on you and the child. Having the backpack as part of every going out or adventure and this way the child just sees it as one more fun thing. Plan every detail worked out ahead of time for such play dates". which will make the transition easier for your child . each time your away should be done easier. which is what its all about... getting kids prepared for independant living away from you the parent! One step at a time. each step will lead to the next and each success will help towards any away adventure.... going to school or nursery school. Good luck. Hope I expalined it well .