I returned to work about 9 weeks after Greenleigh was born. While it was hard to leave her at daycare, returning to work allowed me to resume some sense of normalcy following such a life changing event. After Hazeline was born, returning to work was a lot more difficult, but I like what I do, love my friends at work, and enjoy the benefits that health insurance provides, so I returned.
Some days it’s easy to send the kids off to daycare, but other days are hard. Days when they aren’t feeling their best or cling to you as you drop them off are by far the worst. I’m lucky that those days are rare. I often meet people in everyday life who aren’t tremendously supportive of the fact that I work. Complete strangers like to let me know about the precious milestones I am missing while I’m at work and the kids are in daycare. Everyone I meet seems to have an opinion on my employment and feels the need to share it with me…many of these people are my clients at work.
The other day I was perusing message boards when I came across a post from another working mom which stated something to the effect of, “as far as my daughter knows, everyone goes to daycare.” Funny how a sentence you read on the internet can put things in perspective. Greenleigh is 2 years old. When I bring her to play dates, she isn’t comparing notes on whether the other child’s parent’s stay home with them during the week. She probably has no idea that there is a portion of the population who never sets foot into a daycare. As far as she is concerned everyone’s mom wakes them up in the morning and takes them to daycare. She quite possibly thinks that everyone has a group of friends that they see 5 days per week between the hours of 9am and 6pm. The other little kids that she has virtually grown up with have become her best buddies, and as I tuck her into bed we often talk about all the people we are going to see at daycare the next morning. If I didn’t take Greenleigh to daycare everyday, I have no doubt that she would be concerned.
So while adults I meet often work themselves into a tizzy show concern over my child being in daycare, it is my kids’ perspective that I need to keep in mind. While my girls will eventually know that not everyone goes to daycare, at this moment in time, daycare is their normal. They enjoy their time there, have great friends, and in their mind, everyone does it.
As a childcare provider with an award-winning program, it’s good to hear parents singing praises of childcare. I’m glad you found a great place for her!
I think its so silly for people to judge your decision! I went back to work after my first and I’ve never regretted it! We both cried on her last day of daycare! She still talks about her teacher and that was 2 years ago!!
Doing what makes you happy is part of what makes a great mama!!
I found your blog on the Friday Blog Hop on Mama to 4 Blessings! I hope you’ll follow me back! 🙂
http://www.whenwereathome.blogspot.com
This post was extremely interesting to read because I am expecting my first child in 4 days and I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about whether I will return to working or be a stay at home mommy.. This post definitely gives some positive light to childcare!
I hopped over from the Friday Blog Hop, and I follow you on GFC 🙂
I really love your blog, I’ll be visiting frequently and hope you can take the time to check out my blog sometime, and follow back too! 🙂
@ http://www.magicallifeofmamas.blogspot.com
Xoxo,
Sarah Kay
That’s a great way to look at daycare! Everyone makes their own choices with their family, it’s no one else’s business whether your girls go to daycare or not!
I stopped by for Friendly Friday and wanted to say hello. I have the Google Friend Connect widget on my site, hope you’ll stop by and follow!
Jen – I’m totally with you on this. My son Riley is also 2 (3 in December – how time flies!) and he’s been in daycare since he was a baby. My husband and I are both full time commuters, and that’s just the way it is right now. We feel it has made Riley into a vibrant, fun-loving kid who shares well and is very social. While we wish we had more hours in the day with him, we know he’s in great hands and learning a ton, and participating in so many great activities. We devote our weekends to doing fun things together as a family, and that works well for us. Some drop offs are tougher than others, as you say, but on the mornings when he happily yells “bye, Mommy!” and runs for the paintbrushes, I know that we’re both headed for days where we both get the mental stimulation that we need to grow as people. 🙂
Sounds like we have a lot in common!
Daycare is perfectly fine, it’s just not an option for us for financial reasons and because my mom is here to watch my kids. 🙂 I started work 5 weeks after my daughter was born and my mom has been my full time babysitter ever since! I do think, however, that daycare teaches kids socialization…that’s something both my girls had problems with early on due to being with my mom all day. 🙂
I’m your newest Friday Follow blog hop follower! Hopefully you can visit my blog and follow me back. 🙂 Thanks!
Krissy @ Mommy Miscellaneous
I am expecting my first in January, and plan to return to work after 12 weeks. Because like you, I love my job and the people I work with. And also, because my husband and I have become accustomed to both incomes. I’m sure it will be hard at first, but I am fortunate that my husband is a fire fighter and his schedule allows him to be 2 days on, and then 4 days off. So he will be providing daycare on his off days and then the days we both work, we will put the baby in daycare.
I love the name Greenleigh. I’m an “All My Children” fan…is that where you got the name from? It’s really pretty.
No, actually I found it in a baby book. When I read about it in the book it was spelled Greenlee, but my husband and I decided to change the lee part. I have seen AMC before and know the character you are talking about though.