Of all the things I’ve had to do thus far as a mom, dropping Kaiden off for his first day of daycare was one of the hardest.
I kept it together all weekend, and then on Sunday night, as I watched Oprah give her powerful and inspiring speech (not sure why it set me off…all the emotions I suppose), I lost it. As I sobbed and sobbed, I thought about how in less than 12 hours, I would have to bundle K up and drop him off to a new/strange (to him) place for 8+ hours. And then I thought about how I would work from home for those hours. Without Kaiden’s presence. This would be my first time at home without him. So yeah, I was a hot mess!
Thank goodness Vishnu was sitting next to me. He reassured me that daycare would be great for K, and that we need to give it time, etc. He also said something else that really resonated –> this is K’s first experience in the “real” world, and it’s only going to help him grow…it’s a joyous occasion and we shouldn’t take that away from him.
When did my husband get so smart?!
I’m happy to report that I kept it together in the morning. I repeated “you can do hard things” until I believed it/walked into the classroom.
I’ll share our morning routine with daycare in the mix a bit later, but essentially, Kaiden woke up, Vishnu changed him, I fed him, and then we put him back down for another 30 minutes. Because our timing wasn’t 100% on point, I ended up having to wake K up from his nap to get him ready. But like the trooper that he is, he took it in stride.
Once we were both ready to go, I bundled him up in his stroller for the walk over to his daycare (5 minutes). The teacher in the room gave me a mini day of orientation and showed me where/how to sign in, where to put his food, where he would sleep, etc. The next teacher walked in the door a few minutes after us, and Kaiden immediately took to her. When I was ready, I handed him over to her and he never looked back. My big boy!
I would be lying if I said I left on a completely happy note. While I was happy he transitioned ok, I couldn’t help but tear up on my walk home and then sob as I entered our apartment. I let myself cry for a few minutes before giving myself a pep talk much like the one V gave me the night before. And then I was fine!
What really helped (and what I appreciate about our daycare) are all the updates and pictures Vishnu and I received throughout the day. He ate, played, and slept (kinda!) his way through the day. #proudmama
All I want to do when we get home is cuddle, which we will, but we’ll also play a little, eat some oatmeal + bananas + peanut butter, and take a bath before going down for the night.
My big lesson learned – I can do hard things and so can K! You just have to give it some time and hope/pray for the best. 🙂
On to day 2…
Bless you, honey.
I swear it is so much harder on the parents than the babies!
He will thrive. You will be fine. All will be well
Xxx
Olivia! Thank you! You’re right, it’s always harder on the parents. I’ll be ok 🙂
Hi, I am a long time reader, and a first time mom. Our son Rohan is 11 months old, and a lot of your thoughts and posts resonate with me. From angst over starting day care at 4 months, to guilt over weaning – there is so much that I over analyze.
I am fascinated by other new moms and their routines, and I look forward to your milestone updates. Rohan loves his day care teachers, and we feel that it has been a safe, nurturing environment for him. I hope Kaiden settles in at day care too.
– Nirupa
Hi Nirupa! It’s so nice to know my posts are resonating with you. I tend to over analyze a lot too. In fact, Vishnu and I had a big discussion about that last night! Funny how some moms and dads are so different.
Kaiden’s doing really well so far! He’s a social baby so I think he enjoys the environment and attention!
And even though it’s been 11 months, congrats on baby Rohan!
The importance of child care quality is the most consistent finding among the many studies linking child care to children’s development.
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I really appreciate you being honest about what you felt when your son successfully transitioned into daycare. I’m a bit hesitant to leave my daughter in a childcare facility, but my husband kept on convincing me that being with an unfamiliar but healthy environment can help her grow and learn. Also, reading your article makes me hope that we’ll also be able to find a child care facility that can definitely meet my child’s needs.
You really are a good narrator!
Thank you! 🙂