Starting Daycare.

So Babe started daycare a couple weeks ago. I was really excited to see how it would go. She is usually very social and independent so I initially thought it would be a pretty smooth transition, except for the group napping which I scoffed at and figured would take months for her to master.

Surprisingly it's been a little more difficult on her than I had anticipated. I think she really likes the kids and the teachers but she is having a harder time with the separation from me than I thought she would. She cries and looks genuinely worried and heartbroken when I leave but as a former nanny I know that she is fine a few minutes after I'm gone. And I know it is healthy for her to have time away from Mommy, learn how to interact in a group environment and form bonds with other adults. Still though, it's hard to walk away from her when she seems so upset.


The anxiety of our separation is now spilling over into the rest of the week, to the point where I can no longer shower or pee without her sobbing from abandonnment in the next room. But hopefully this is all part of the transition period and it will pass.

I know she has fun because when I come to get her she is smiling, dirty or covered in paint. She mentions her new friends and teachers throughout the week and plays new games that she has picked up from school.

But the biggest surprise of all is that she napped right from the first day! This is the child that at home needs her crib, blackout curtains, three specific stuffies, white noise and music, a bottle and her star projector. And here she is, napping in a room with a bunch of other kids. I just can't believe it.

I'll write updates as they happen but for now it's been a pretty run of the mill first daycare experience. Lots of ups and downs and a real milestone.