Taking Care of Daycare

So what week is this of the academic semester? The third, I believe. And how long has Aiman been going to daycare? Hmm, I would say two days. Yeah. Exactly two days, and that was during the first week of school. So where, oh where, has Aiman been?

Let’s rewind to two weeks ago when I was anxious, but a little excited? No, “excited” isn’t the word. I would say “sort of anticipating” the whole daycare situation and having some time to do homework and what not because it’s near impossible to do anything school-related without time to myself. So he was there for Tuesday and Thursday of that week and I can not even begin to explain the guilt that I went through. But that’s natural, you know? Well, the guilt felt natural to me and I honestly felt terrible, terrible, terrible, leaving him there with people he’s never known except for the few days that we visited the center. And then he was spending so much time with them? He didn’t take that well. At all.

They said it was just the adjustment period and that the longer and more frequently he stayed there, the better the adjustment would be, which makes sense. He was going for only Tuesdays and Thursdays and they said that the kids that were there almost everyday, or at least for three days consecutively “handled it” better than those that weren’t. And like I said, that makes sense. But was I going to leave him there for more days and for longer periods of time?

Hell. no.

I was completely blindsided by how much it was an adjustment for me as much as it was for Aiman. And I can say that neither of us took it well. Every time I went to pick him up, he was crying and dishevled, but eh, he’s a toddler–it happens. But then I noticed that he was having what I call the crying hiccups. The ones when you’ve been crying so hard, for so long, that your body sort of heavily ”hiccups”. I can’t think of the word right now, but point is that kiddo was crying for a very long time.

Every time I called, they said that he was fine! He was snacking! He was napping! He’ssss fiiinnneee! Oh and the napping was another thing. He would sleep for about 30 minutes while he was there, which is far shorter than the 2 hour naps he would take at home. Which, hey, again, I understand is the “adjustment” part of it, but an overtired baby that evening is not what I need with work to do.

Anyways, the two days weren’t going well for the both of us. And especially for my tendency to be deeply emotionally invested in something like MY BABY.

THEN!

Then something totally unexpected and incredibly relieving happened. That same weekend my mom was available to watch Aiman during the days I was going to be on campus and even Wednesdays for me to get work done.

A-freakin’-meen!

So that following Tuesday Aiman stayed at home with his grandma and would you believe me if I said that the kid was clean, happy, and a great mood when I came home? He even raised up his hand and said “Hi” like “Oh me and my grandma are just having a grand ol’ time. Nice of you to join us!”

SUCH RELIEF.

And that’s been the story since last week: go to class, study/do work worry free, and come home to a happy baby.

Needless to say, I like this story much, much better.