DREUX'S FIRST DAYCARE EXPERIENCE!!! Part I

So today marked Dreux’s first daycare experience. When ALL my baby sitter options failed, I had no chose but to take the alternate route. My company is partnered with a well known daycare, whose name I will not list, offering its employees with back-up daycare options when your original daycare has fallen through. One of my co-workers recommended it so on my lunch break yesterday I walked up to the selected location and took a tour. How perfect was it that there was a location only 3 blocks away! I met with the director and the infant teacher and laid out all my questions and concerns. After filling out countless forms, Dreux was registered for her first day of daycare for the following day. As nervous as I was, the ladies seemed really nice and being that this care facility is a VERY well known facility, I said a prayer and walked back to work.

Fast forward to this morning….

I ensured I packed and labeled all Dreux’s belongings. Down to her diapers, “DY” was carefully written on all her items. My aunt came to get us from the house this morning so that we would not have to take public transportation. When we arrived to the daycare there were already two kids there. And they were SCREAMING. The girl was clearly a little older than 1 because she was walking and the boy was crawling so I would assume maybe somewhere between 9-11months. Within minutes the room filled up with more screaming children. Before I knew it there were 7 children, including Dreux, in this small yet colorful room. One boy was in a high chair as his mom feed him, another was playing with the fish tank. The crying girl was tugging her blanket around as she stayed close to the director and another girl attempted to wipe snot, with her finger, from the crying boy’s nose. Anxiety began to set in as I realized there were only two teachers in the room. As they juggled between trying to calm down the crawling infant, making his bottle, and tending to the girl, who probably just wanted her mommy, I wasn’t ready to leave Dreux just yet. I took her into the sleeping quarters plopped down on the rocker chair and began to nurse Dreux. I had a quick chat with her and told her to please hold it together and not to scream like the, now three, kids that were there.

After nursing, the teacher whom I met prior walked through the door. Yes! Another person! Ok, maybe now things will get under control. I asked the director if the children who could walk would be around Dreux. She informed me that two of the kids in the room were actually going into the toddler room and that Dreux would be placed in a chair away from the other children until they went to their respective room. Ok, starting to feel better. I looked at the clock and realized I had been there for half an hour. Hey, what kind of mother would I be if I just dropped her off and left? I had to scope this place out a little more. This is my angel, my pride and joy, my baby! I handed my baby over to the director as she placed Dreux in a small bouncy chair. Dreux just looked around in shock as these kids snotted, walked, and cried over everything. The youngest in the room, and yet she was the most well-mannered. I kissed my baby (moved the chair over a few inches to make sure the baskets up above wouldn’t fall on her lol) and I proceeded out the door. I peeked through the window one last time and headed to work. AND DIDN'T CRY! Points for me!!!

I told them I would be back on my lunch break to feed her. I can’t wait to go back to see my baby and to make sure they are doing everything they said they did ,and are doing when I called at 10am. So far the morning has gone well. Hope the same for the afternoon.

"Daycare? I don't know about this mommy"