05-1-2009 - 1st Day of Daycare

My mood while writing this blog: Bittersweet

My husband and I consider ourselves extremely lucky that we were able to keep Wyatt out of daycare for 4 months. The truth is in this economy it is very difficult to raise a family or even support yourselves on one income. We knew from the beginning I would continue to work after the baby, but who would have thought the day would come when I would actually have to drop my child off with strangers while I went to work. As much as I wished for this day to be put off, it has finally arrived. Wyatt is currently in the care of someone other than myself or my husband.

I would no longer say he is in the hands of strangers since we looked long and hard for the perfect daycare (and are paying nothing short of an arm and a leg for it)! Again we consider ourselves extremely fortunate that the one we liked the best also happens to be less than 2 miles from my job. That allows me to see him at every lunch hour I have. However, having just been there to check on him, my lunch hour doesnt seem NEARLY as long as it used to. I feel like I have to defend daycare to everyone I know. Everyone always says, 'oh how can you put your kid in daycare' or 'I would never put my kids in daycare'. Frankly, I trust my child to this daycare more than I trust some of my relatives to watch him day in and day out. Daycares get a bad rap and it really is important to do research to find the one that suits your needs.

None the less as happy as I am with my choice, I was in tears with a knot in my stomach the whole drive there, feeling like a rotten mother. Know what though? In the long run we all have to make the choices that are right for our families. By not having a financial strain on our household, I believe that I am making the best decisions in my power. And it turns out that Wyatt handled the change way better than I did! He was happy and laughing when I got there and had taken his bottle and nap already like a champ. The only tears shed were by mommy!

UPDATE: Wyatt LOVES daycare so far! He loves watching the other babies especially the older ones. He cracks up at the babies jumping around in the jumparoo. The daycare people called me to tell me that he is eating and napping right on schedule. And he looves being in his crib (we put a mobile on it and he is mesmerized - we dont really use the one at home because it is time to sleep whenever he is in his crib at home)