But he settled down within minutes after I left and he was always playing contentedly when I collected him.
This is the important part, of any childcare assessment. If they're crying for hours and hours, something is wrong. Don't be afraid to quiz the daycare providers on this, and/or give them a time limit (e.g. "If Em cries for a half hour, I want a call, immediately."). Some kids have stronger separation anxiety than others. I cried at nursery school, ALWAYS, and hated it, but they were mean to me, and I know as an adult that's not just the separation anxiety memory. They once made me stay in the cloakroom all day, because I couldn't stop crying. That was the last straw, and my mother finally withdrew me.
On the other hand, I cried for months, going to kindergarten, and settled as soon as my mother (who was a sahm, then) left. When my father (who worked outside the home) took me, I didn't cry.
My kids went through spans of crying when I took them to pre-school, but they loved it, and then settled right down. The teacher said it's actually a little weird if they never go through that, at least for a little while, and she always wonders about it, when she has a kid who has never cried at least once or twice, about being left at school, by a parent.
On the other hand, I cried for months, going to kindergarten, and settled as soon as my mother (who was a sahm, then) left. When my father (who worked outside the home) took me, I didn't cry.
This is why I started taking O to DC part time now. I want him to socialize and be ready for me to drop him off before we start preschool and kindergarten. Plus, it gives me some more time with Liv so she gets a little undivided attention.
Has the daycare provider told you she settles in quickly once you're gone?
Yeah, she'll probably call me in about 20 minutes, after drop off finishes up, to let me know she's cheerfully eating her French freedom toast dipped in egg with syrup and playing just fine.
Cash, when billytea is here (August 31), can you bring the Os down to go to the zoo with us?
I wish I could go somewhere to play all day where people made me French toast and let me nap.
Okay, if you come down when billytea is here, I'll make you french toast and let you nap!
OH! We had billytea over last night! Em said "Poncy bugger" for him and yelled at the dog.
Cash, when billytea is here (August 31), can you bring the Os down to go to the zoo with us?
Ayup. Are you going in the morning on Thursday? We can definitely make that.
Okay, if you come down when billytea is here, I'll make you french toast and let you nap!
SWEEET! Owen loves the zoo.
That's sounds just right, Aimee. I'd say she's doing really well. She's just feeling the change. Life is full of changes, and we don't always like them, or even if we do, we don't always like them right off the bat. Crying is one of her only ways of casting her vote, and since she's happy at the end of the day, it doesn't sound to me like she's voting, "This place sucks," so much as she's voting, "WTF. Don't I get any say, here? Respect my author-tay!!! Oh! Dollies!"
This is why I started taking O to DC part time now. I want him to socialize and be ready for me to drop him off before we start preschool and kindergarten. Plus, it gives me some more time with Liv so she gets a little undivided attention.
I really think this is a good move, all around, Cashmere. I tried to get a niece and later a cousin's daughter to come over and be a mother's helper (for pay), but it ended up being like having another kid of my own, I think because of the family connection. My kids all started pre-school when they were three years old, though, and I know they needed it. My boys needed it more than Julia, because they're just less social and far more change averse.
