Daycare : First Week

His monkey

The eve of the first day we talked about bringing a big blanket for nap time, so I showed him this cozy quilt and I asked him if there was a lovie that he might want to bring to daycare and he chose a monkey that I crocheted for him while I was pregnant. I explained to him that he would use the blanket at naptime and then we had our regular daycare conversation that we've had almost daily in the past several weeks.

Day 1: When he woke up after 6 am I went to get him and bring him to nurse in our bed and he said, "Daycare blanky?" So I grabbed it from his crib(he wanted to sleep with it that night to become better acquainted) and brought it with us. I nursed him for maybe 15 minutes and then it was time to get up and going. He knew what that day was because he said, "Daycare? Play? Kids?" We got ready and hopped in the car; the drive was less than a minute! We went inside and he was the second child there, so it was pretty quiet. He went directly for the play kitchen. I talked to the present caretaker and then I told Stan B that it was time for me to go and he frowned and started to cry. I wanted to cry with him, but I held it together and just gave him a hug. I grabbed his monkey and gave it to him and told him I'd be back later and that I knew he would have fun. The caretaker picked him up as I walked out the door and they waved bye bye to me as I waved back - Stan B still crying. Then off to my first sub job! (I subbed for a Special Ed. teacher/aid in elementary school and worked with 5 different students - one at a time. It was a nice way to break a new sub in - plus I got to sit in real classrooms and observe other teachers teach which is awesome.)

When I picked him up he was sitting at a table with many other kids (it was lively) and he turned around, still sitting, and said, "Mama! Mama! Play-doh! Clippers!" (he calls scissors, clippers.) Aw. Those Mama, Mamas are music to my ears (most of the time) but especially today. It was both of our first times away from eachother in ages. Only one of us cried but now that he's asleep in his crib and I'm sitting here reminiscing there are tears down my face. Oh, how I missed him...but I loved trying something new, for myself, too. Parenting and adulthood are so complex and full of emotions. I love it (most of the time). The two caretakers that were there said that he did great but that he had a hard time during transitions: moving from play to nap, waking from nap, moving from play to lunch - apparently he would cry a little for me. One caretaker said he needed snuggle/lap time after nap and then they went outside which almost immediately calmed him. (She said that when they went outside it wasn't raining and when she asked him if it was raining he said yes...and then it immediately started to rain - he and mother nature are partners in crime.) Snuggle/Outside Bear, that's him.

Day 2: At home while I was making breakfast I reminded him that we were going to leave soon because I had to work (2 day subbing assignment at another elementary school for Special Ed! I worked with a blind girl and a 3rd grade boy with some learning disabilities.) and he said, "Mama come?" and we had our conversation again...but this time he responded, "I want Mama!" which is so sweet to hear but man, does it break my heart and make me want to cry, forget teaching and stay home with him FOREVER - but I reined it in and just said, "I know you do but you had fun yesterday, didn't you?" and we went through all of the fun things he did which distracted him a little. Then he said again, "Mama daycare?" Oh, my heart. I didn't think I'd get him to the car voluntarily but he did. He repeated "I want Mama" - tears in his eyes on our 1 minute drive to daycare. He got out of the car while we talked about cars and dinosaurs (he pronounces dinosaurs, "Dennis" - which makes me the happiest person on earth.) When we got inside the daycare he started bawling. I handed him over to the care provider and told him that I would be back and that he would have fun and that I loved him. That was super hard...the hardest it has been.

When I picked him up he was playing in the yard and having a blast. The director said he did much better today with transitions, he didn't hang on to his monkey nearly as much, yay! He helped make blueberry muffins in the kitchen and got to plop the blueberries in his very own muffin! Stan B heaven! As we started to walk to the car he saw that I was holding his monkey and he said, "Monkey night night in der." and pointed to the door. So we went back in and he put the monkey on the counter. I showed him where his cubby was and I put the monkey in there instead and he said, "Night night, Monkey." I think that was a good sign.

Day 3: This was the worst drop-off day yet. (Big frown.) I decided to walk to daycare and then from there walk to my sub job since it was fairly close(second day at the same school, working with the same two students.) On our 5 minute walk Stan B cried on and off and often said, "I want Mama!" When we turned up the drive to the center tears started pouring down his little face and he started sobbing. Oy. I took him inside I handed him his monkey and said goodbye. Stan the Man (one of the care providers names is Stan too!) swooped Stan B up and comforted him. I then walked out the door.

When I came to pick him up he had just woken from his nap (I got there earlier today because the schools get let out early on Fridays) and one of the care providers was squatting down to his level and it looked like they were doing high fives. Apparently he had just woken up from his nap and was asking for me. When he saw me he ran over and gave me a big hug. Then he put his monkey in his cubby and the caretakers asked him if he wanted his snack because they made him one. So, I stuck around while he ate his snack. They said that he asked for me around lunch and after nap the most. They also said that he really liked his snuggles. Aw. And caretaker Stan apparently has a sense of humour because whenever someone says something like, "Have you seen Stanley's jacket?" He will respond, "Yeah, it's on the chair in the office." And the questioning caretaker will look in the office and find big Stan's jacket not the Bear's jacket. Or, "Stanley, do you need your diaper changed?" "No, I didn't wear a diaper today." etc. Ha.

So, I hope next week gets better. I think it will just take a bit more time to get used to it all...afterall, his Mama has been at his beck and call for over 4 months straight! Change is hard but change is essential. I know he will adapt.