The stress of daycare

I believe sending your kids to daycare is a right of passage. It’s a mile stone. It’s the Pièce de résistance of your kids infant years. Pat yourself on the back, you made it this far! Now its time for the next step; social interaction.

My mother always told me horror stories about how much I threw a fit when she dropped me off at school. My aunt also. Apparently I would throw myself on the ground, kick and scream and cry. I’m not totally convinced that this happened. After all, I don’t remember it.

We stuck our kids in a new daycare two weeks ago. This was a massive change not only for our kids but also for Crystal and I. It means less time on the road, less miles on our vehicles and more adult social interaction between my wife and I; priceless. It also means a brand spanking new change for our kids. Different schedule, strange people and a cesspool of disease and sickness that they have never been exposed to. Crystal and I were nervous.

Here is your opportunity to say “I told you so”. Dropping the kids of the first week was a nightmare. Liam was hysterical and did not want to go. When people tell you their horror stories, its just that; a story. They can not articulate the feeling inside that you get when you see your child screaming in terror, wanting nothing more than for you to come back and hold them. It’s probably one of the worst feelings you’ll experience as a parent.

Here is the kicker… Walk away for 30 seconds, come back and they are fine. They’ve moved on, playing with blocks or trains or a big trough of pinto beans. It’s amazing how fast the drama begins and ends. It’s a roller coaster ride for sure. It’s not easy…

I’ve come to the conclusion that while it’s probably difficult for my kids, it’s much harder for the parents. We stress out about it all day, hoping things are going well. Our kids aren't worrying about us. They aren't hoping mom and dad are doing ok. They are thinking about and stressing over who took their toy, how much paint they can get on their clothes and how many blocks they can stack without knocking them over.

We worry too much as parents and torture ourselves over such little things. Crystal and I are paying $400 a week to stress ourselves out. It’s time to relax a bit. My kids aren't a car payment. The first week cam and went, they are doing fine know. Drop-offs are easy, they seem happy; we are happy.

P.S. I forgot to mention the side effects of day care. My kids are total brats at home now. Just another fantastic milestone in parenting. Enjoy your kids!