To the new parents at daycare:
I can’t tell you how my heart broke for you this morning at your very first drop-off. Your 12-week old looks so small, and is still so needy. He can’t hold his head up or speak or understand that you’ll be back. I know it was hard for you to hand him over to the teacher, and I saw you fighting tears. I fought them myself.
Because there is something so deep and soulful about that first day of daycare. With the wisdom of three months experience, I can tell you that it won’t go away completely — those butterflies and painful stab in the heart you feel when you turn toward the exit — but it will get easier. And there are a million little things that will make a difference.
our first day…I almost couldn’t let go!
You’ll soon see that your son will develop at a rapid pace, starting with push-ups (yay for tummy time!) and then rolling and cooing and oh, boy, will you be proud. The teachers celebrate every milestone, too, and instead of making you feel separate, they include you in those celebrations.
Artwork for your walls — you’re going to get daily additions. You’ll laugh because really, how is a 3-month-old who can’t sit up painting? But you’ll be so thankful for that connection.
Phone calls and notes from the teachers about funny moments, or about concerns — here they come! The staff will remember that you are the mom and dad and that they are just the sacred guardians for a few short hours and they won’t take the decisions away from you. I’m not saying there won’t be battles – there will be, and you will question yourself even more deeply those days – but they will be great sources of information and of discussion on all things baby.
And the highlight? You will appreciate every single moment that you have with your son, as well as every single moment that you’re away. You will run to the door at pick-up, ready for the drooling and babbling and nap strikes and blowouts because you know how lucky you are to have them in your life at all. You will miss your baby, and find yourself thinking about him in every meeting, during every commute and, frankly, every hour of every day. But you will know that he is safe and well and will love you with all of his heart.
I hope you both had a good day at work. I’m sorry you’re back sooner than you wanted to be, mom, and I know you’ll have a few dark moments this week as you wonder if you made the right decision. I hope you find some peace — I’ll be wishing it for you — and I hope that when I see you tomorrow, there are more smiles than tears.
Hang in there, new parents at daycare. It’s rough. But it will be OK.
From,
Formerly new parents at daycare
awe, this made me tear up a little. It is SO hard to drop my LO off every morning. It’s so true, that the whole time I’m at work thoughts of him dance in my mind. And at the end of the day I can’t wait to pick him up from the sitter to kiss his smiling face!
I had to fight back some sniffles as I read this, sitting at my desk and crunching on some dry cereal to settle my 23 week pregnant belly. I can already imagine how tough that first day will be and I don’t even know my son yet! I love your insight though, it helps to know it will get easier.
Ohhhhhh 23 weeks…so close and yet so far away. Hang in there — I loved sour candies and sparkly water when I was having tummy troubles.
It really does get easier, and hopefully, your baby will thrive as much as mine has. There will be hard days but truly, if you are at a place that you trust — and that’s the key — you’ll survive.
KatyBug recently posted..To the New Parents at Daycare
So sweet <3 This will be me later this summer, so I might need to bookmark this!
This is so sweet. I will never forget that first drop off, but then again I will never forget the joy and excitement I felt when I picked him up from his first day back too. I think daycare is an absolutely wonderful thing for moms, dads and babies, but it definitely takes some getting used to!
Amanda Perry @ Sistas of Strength recently posted..More Ways to Achieve Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals
This totally made me cry. I have taken a year maternity leave and am scheduled back to work in September. However, a position became available that would be a great opportunity to advance my marketing career, with a start date of mid-May. I bawled for an hour thinking about having to leave my baby so soon. I don’t want to do it. If I had a choice, I’d be a stay at home mom so I could be with him always, but it’s just not feasible for our family right now. This post is something I’m going to have to come back to again and again when I go back to work, whether it be in May or September.
Becky @ TheBexFactor.com recently posted..Weekend Recap
Love love love this. It’s so true and it’s amazing how quickly you do settle in – but still always feel that pang (said with the wisdom of 2 years experience) at dropoff and joy at pickup.
Very well said. It’s funny how grandparents and others offer to watch the baby, saying things like I’m sure you need a break. It’s like are you kidding?! If I am not working than I WANT to be with my baby! I treasure it all and cling to each second I have with him and being apart makes being together so, so special. It’s also crazy to see how fast he has developed, I think in part to being around all of the other, older kids. That’s one good thing about it. It’s so important to feel confident and comfortable with the day care provider too.