Hi moms. I have been a stay at home mom since my little boy was born. He is now 21 months old. My little guy is a premie( 12 weeks early! ), so my husband and I decide it was best to not put him in daycare and expose him to all the germs. Well, now he's almost 2 years old. As much as I love being a SAHM, I have to return to work ( husband's work is doing phases of layoffs).
My concern is this. My son has never been in daycare, grandma watches him 1 day/week. We are in ECFE, where there is random separation from me. Other than that he's always with me and is very attached to me. Have any of you had a similar experience of child being new to daycare, how was the adjustment? I know it will be difficult at first, but I am very nervous about how he will do
( and mommy too). I plan on starting off with him in daycare 1-2days/week for him to get used to being away from me. Full time hours will start in early May. I appreciate any insights from those of you who have been there. Thanks!
My kids have attended day care and now attend White Bear Montessori School. Your son is the perfect age to begin at an AMI Montessori school. I recommend checking out this option because the cost is the same or even cheaper than full time day care and your child will receive both excellent care and an outstanding Montessori education.
I did that with my son. Then I had to go back to work but my bf and I worked opposite shifts but there was a 4 hour differential time difference which we had to put him in daycare. Now, this is a little different because his 4 yr old sister was with him too which was sort of his comfort blankie but I just made sure I made it a super fun experience. Get excited about it,ask if he wants to bring a treat for him and his friends, bring comfort things from home (blanket, stuffed animal etc). It takes them a little while to get adjusted but don't ever back down if he crys about it, he'll get the wrong impression. He'll be fine and find friends and love it!
The hardest part will be getting used to other kids and getting used to their set rules. Try and get a copy of their schedule/rules and try to implement some of them into your home now so that he's used to them when he goes.
Also, if possible, try and take him for a few days when you are home so that if he is really having an issue, the school can call you. Not to take him home necessarily, but to come and sit with him until his ok. When my son transitioned, the new school let him come for 2 half days, with my hubby staying the whole time. This helped my son feel safe while getting used to the new kids, teachers and routines.
Our son went into daycare the week of his 2nd birthday. Prior to that, he'd had the mother of a neighbor come to our house to watch him.
The first week was a little hard on him, but his anxiety only lasted a few minutes, and being professionals, they were able to get him preoccupied in something interesting making the transition so much easier.
I've always been a working Mom, so it was probably easier on me to leave than it may be on you having been one of his sole providers to this point. My advice for you is to take him in and leave no matter how hard it is. Had we stayed to placate him, he would have had a harder time.
There is NO better feeling than seeing the look on your child's face at the end of the day when you go to pick them up. Their faces are so enlightened, and the hugs are incomparable.
Good luck to all of you - I was laid off last May, and there is nothing fun about the experience. I hope it does not affect your family.
I feel your pain! We just put our little guy into part time daycare (2 days/wk) when he was about 20 months. My mom watched him 5 days/week before this, but we thought it would be good for him to get some interaction with other kiddos and to be able to follow directions in the classroom setting. Did I mention he is a HUGE mommas boy right now too! The daycare was extremly nice and let us visit together a few times before we actually had to leave him there the first day. He cried and clung to me and cried for momma all day for the first few times he went there. The teachers understand and will take care of your little guy, they made me feel so much better. I had to keep in mind that this was good for him and he will eventually like going to "school" to play with other kiddos. It has been almost two months and he is getting much better. He will walk into the classroom on his own and not cry or anything now. Good luck, and let me know if you have more questions. I am all about sharing my experiences to help out!
My son has been going to daycare since about 3 months and he is still a mama's boy. :) I know how hard it is, and you can call and check on him as often as you want/need. While I can't help with the daycare at a later age, I would like to recommend that you do your 2 days a week in a row. When I started my son, the only opening they had was M and F. By the time he got in the swing of things at daycare, it was back home...he got used to that, and daycare. It made it that much harder for him. There is currently a boy in my son's class that is only there on Fridays, and it seems much harder for him than the others that go daily. I'm sure once you son goes full time, it will just become part of his routine. Good luck. It will be harder on you than him.
