Over the past week we've been introducing Elliot to daycare. I was off work (yes, for those keeping track, it's been quite a while, meaning I have a good month or so in June when I'll be working non-stop) so I got the privilege of picking him up and dropping him off.
We started Monday afternoon at 3pm. I left him in Yvette's capable hands for about an hour or so. They said he cried a little and then played and ate and was fine. Tuesday he came in at 10am and stayed til noon. (I frantically tried to get work done during this time. It was precious freedom.) Wednesday was 2:30 to 5:30, and by this point he was noticing the pattern and starting to protest. Yvette's hair was, perhaps by coincidence, a little frayed around the edges when I picked him up that evening.
On Friday he smiled and gurgled at Yvette and Christina when I dropped him off, but there was a look of exhaustion in their eyes when we came back. They love him and are excited to see him, their eyes still light up when they crow "Good morning Elliot!", but there's a hint of wariness now --- clearly they have heard the power of his lungs.
On the upside, they told us he slept for nearly ninety minutes in his crib, an event unheard of in our apartment.
Tomorrow (Monday) Hannah will drop him off for his first full day of daycare. Keep your fingers crossed....
fingers crossed and knocking on wood at the same time. xoxo
ReplyDeletehey, he is doing great learning those new skills. it is a victory already even if he fusses this week. nice going for a crib nap. now you need a crib!
ReplyDeletexo,
C/Mom
Here's a (political) tip from the spouse of a seasoned professional in the field: It's not daycare, it's child care.
ReplyDeletehmmm.. I thought "child care" was the genus and "day care" the species. e.g. child care could also include "baby sitting," "Playgroup" etc.
ReplyDeleteIs the term daycare politically incorrect? I don't want to offend anyone. Usually....
ReplyDeleteGood point, Kate. Still, I'm hesitant to question management on this one--there's a large stone on the front lawn with "Child Care" etched in it. Maybe I could bring it up at our next staff meeting, along with the issue of "daycare" vis a vis the post-PC world we all now inhabit.
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