We tried very hard to figure out a way to keep them there but the commute was just too much for us to handle. Especially in the peak of rush hour! No thank you!
If you are a working parent then you know how hard it is to find child care that you are truly happy with. Leaving your whole world in someone else's care for 8 hours a day is only possible if you have confidence and trust in where you are leaving them. I have to say that where they've been going did just that for us.
A bit of back story: The very first daycare center we took Little C to was fine. We liked it and his needs were being met. But now when I think back on it, there was a lot of turn-over in the infant room and that was hard for us to feel comfortable leaving him especially after we'd just gotten used to the teacher before. I did LOVE the director of this particular center, she was on top of it and always addressed any concerns or questions we had.
When I was 9 months pregnant and told they were closing their doors, we were forced to find a new center stat! Luckily we came across the perfect place literally within walking distance from our home. I've mentioned before that it took Little C quite some time to adjust but once he did we all were loving the new center! For me the shining star was the infant room. The teachers had been there forever and had such a gift when it came to caring for babies. There was never any turn-over in that room and leaving 4 month old Baby D-Nut wasn't an issue at all.
Then there were the parents. We met some wonderful people and a couple of them I now consider friends. Both kids made good friends and we've had a blast attending birthday parties and play dates. It really was a special place and making the decision to leave was hard for Hubs and I but it simply had to be done.
This morning they were off to their new schools respectively. For the time being Lil Miss Mayhem has to go to a different location until there is room in the toddler class at C's school. I'm so bummed they can't be together at first, not only because of convenience, but because I know it helped them knowing their brother/sister was right near by.
The way this center is organized they put Little C into a preschool program which is totally different from where they went before. He was so proud with his new "big boy" backpack this morning and was chattering away in the car ride to school about how excited he was. Unfortunately, as we entered the school and eventually his classroom, he had clammed up and wasn't saying a word. Which is VERY unlike him! He clung to my leg and it took some distracting to get him off. He never cried and as I peeked into the window as I was leaving I could see he was sitting down to breakfast with his new friends.
I was so proud of him! This new center is much larger than where he was before and today it seemed bustling with energy. It was kind of noisy and the hallway to get to his classroom must have felt like a mile long to a little 3 year old boy!
Lil Miss had a much harder time from what Hubs told me. She was screaming at the top of her lungs when he tried to hand her over to the teachers. He said it was so hard leaving her but he knew he just had to go in order for her to calm down. Now matter how many times you go through it, it never gets easier to leave your child when they are so upset. I know if I had been dropping her off I probably would have needed a tissue in the car on my way to work!
We did take the kids to their new school the week prior to starting so they could have a "discovery day" and see what it was all about. They spent time in their respective classrooms, met their teachers, and the kids in their class. It went so well and we were crossing our fingers that it would help the transition. I do think it helped Little C tremendously, plus we had been talking it up with him leading up to the big switch. But Lil Miss Mayhem is at an age where no matter how much we explained things she just can't fully grasp the concept of what we're trying to convey.
I did call in a couple hours after drop-off just to see how they were doing. Both had acclimated at that point and were doing great! It was so nice to hear.
I hope the rest of the week gets easier for them and I hope we are all going to like this new center. We've had so much change lately that I'm really looking forward to falling into a groove and officially settling in. I really have been impressed with how well the kids have been adjusting to everything and I think the fact that we moved houses first and waited about a month before switching schools was definitely a good idea.
I can't wait to see where our journey leads next!
When I was 9 months pregnant and told they were closing their doors, we were forced to find a new center stat! Luckily we came across the perfect place literally within walking distance from our home. I've mentioned before that it took Little C quite some time to adjust but once he did we all were loving the new center! For me the shining star was the infant room. The teachers had been there forever and had such a gift when it came to caring for babies. There was never any turn-over in that room and leaving 4 month old Baby D-Nut wasn't an issue at all.
Then there were the parents. We met some wonderful people and a couple of them I now consider friends. Both kids made good friends and we've had a blast attending birthday parties and play dates. It really was a special place and making the decision to leave was hard for Hubs and I but it simply had to be done.
This morning they were off to their new schools respectively. For the time being Lil Miss Mayhem has to go to a different location until there is room in the toddler class at C's school. I'm so bummed they can't be together at first, not only because of convenience, but because I know it helped them knowing their brother/sister was right near by.
The way this center is organized they put Little C into a preschool program which is totally different from where they went before. He was so proud with his new "big boy" backpack this morning and was chattering away in the car ride to school about how excited he was. Unfortunately, as we entered the school and eventually his classroom, he had clammed up and wasn't saying a word. Which is VERY unlike him! He clung to my leg and it took some distracting to get him off. He never cried and as I peeked into the window as I was leaving I could see he was sitting down to breakfast with his new friends.I was so proud of him! This new center is much larger than where he was before and today it seemed bustling with energy. It was kind of noisy and the hallway to get to his classroom must have felt like a mile long to a little 3 year old boy!
Lil Miss had a much harder time from what Hubs told me. She was screaming at the top of her lungs when he tried to hand her over to the teachers. He said it was so hard leaving her but he knew he just had to go in order for her to calm down. Now matter how many times you go through it, it never gets easier to leave your child when they are so upset. I know if I had been dropping her off I probably would have needed a tissue in the car on my way to work!
We did take the kids to their new school the week prior to starting so they could have a "discovery day" and see what it was all about. They spent time in their respective classrooms, met their teachers, and the kids in their class. It went so well and we were crossing our fingers that it would help the transition. I do think it helped Little C tremendously, plus we had been talking it up with him leading up to the big switch. But Lil Miss Mayhem is at an age where no matter how much we explained things she just can't fully grasp the concept of what we're trying to convey.
I did call in a couple hours after drop-off just to see how they were doing. Both had acclimated at that point and were doing great! It was so nice to hear.
I hope the rest of the week gets easier for them and I hope we are all going to like this new center. We've had so much change lately that I'm really looking forward to falling into a groove and officially settling in. I really have been impressed with how well the kids have been adjusting to everything and I think the fact that we moved houses first and waited about a month before switching schools was definitely a good idea.
I can't wait to see where our journey leads next!
He looks so big in his cute backpack!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for blogging about this! It is nice to know that another mother is going through the same thing. I have a similar situation, but unfortunately not as sucessful. My son is the one crying everyday when I drop him off and he just turned 4. They say he only cries for about 10 minutes, but for me it ruins my whole day. He will be starting the VPK program in just a few days, so I'm hoping it was just the relaxed atmosphere of the summer that he wasn't adjusting to...fingers crossed. BTW...I love your blog...I found it searching for working moms.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this comment. I know exactly what you mean about it ruining your day. It's definitely hard! I hope your little guy is getting better and your having more good days than bad. Hang in there!
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