full time daycare?

[Meenah]

Give it a litttle time, it is always harder for the parents!!! Once you get into a routine it will be much easier. What kind of work do you do? Is it flexible? Good luck and post more often!

Everything that Annie said. My oldest was in daycare/preschool either full-time, extended schedules, or a regular preschool day depending on how much I was working. I don't feel it was detrimental. My second hasn't been and that has worked for her too -- but she will start preschool this fall.

It will likely get better -- try to give it a few weeks. Maybe you could talk to the teacher about some ways to help him transition? Could you get there a few minutes before everyone else?

Just another thought -- sometimes the "best" preschool isn't the best fit for you and your child.

[samssugarmomma]

I second talking to the teacher about ways to help with the transition. Would it be possible to leave him for just a few hours for a few days until your son is better adjusted? That is the approach that our daycare uses when they transition children from one room to the next and it helped when we went from the infant room to the toddler 1 room.

Have you considered looking at a smaller place that takes less kids? Ours is on the small side and I think that has helped too.

Good luck and hang in there!
Kate

[houseelf]

Hi Willow,

Ohhhh....the child care issue. I could write epistles on this subject, but I'll try to stay on the topic at hand. First, let me say that you have one very lucky lucky little boy. Not everyone has someone analyzing, advocating, and studying his or her best interests from all angles.

Through the years, I've looked into a gazillion daycares, but I kept coming back to inhome daycare providers. (Some of these daycares won awards and had fabulous adult to child ratios because they were attached to college campuses with students "interning" in the centers in addition to the full time staff). Still, I just never felt that cozy, warm, huggy, lovey feeling with so many kids.

Have you looked into in home daycare? Don't get me wrong, this isn't a perfect scenario either (don't get me started), but it seemed to resonate better with our family's needs/wants.

Additionally, there may be a family looking to nanny share. If it is the right situation, it could provide both socialization and intimacy for your kid. (Again, this could also be a friendly version of hell depending on the situation).

Best of luck, I'm sure you'll find the perfect fit soon.

Kelly

[Ames]

Willow,
Ok, so I'm probably biased considering I teach preschool but that said...
I love the kids in my class like they were my own and I guarantee you it's always harder on the parents than the kids. It will take some time to get used to this change in his life and trust me, I know how hard it can be. Daycare may not be the right choice for your son, but give him some time to adjust first. I agree with the idea of marking a date on the calendar. If after this time he seems unhappy, then I would consider another option. Daycare isn't for everyone, my cousin goes to a home daycare and she loves it. She is a very quiet child and the home daycare setting suits her better. I think I basically repeated what everyone else was saying but I just wanted to reassure you, as someone who sees this issue all the time, that it is harder on you and you are doing no damage by bringing him to preschool. Amy

[Ames]

Congrats Willow,
Glad to hear it's going well. :ra: