Taken the plunge - enrolled DD to daycare

[Ngala]

Hi All!!

I've got a new job that I am starting this coming Monday its a new position that I can mould in to my own and could be very exciting (or a disaster!). So today I enrolled DD in to daycare, just 3 days a week and I am starting to stress!!

DD hasnt been away from me much. I think since she has been born, I have not been there 10 times or less and I am very stressed that she will not cope with me not there!! I know how she is at mum's - I will go and leave her there and she will be looking for me and she doesnt sleep! If mum is lucky, she will sleep 30mins and thats it. So how is it going to be in daycare?! How quickly do they settle in?

My other problem is that she is breastfed and most of the time she is breastfed to sleep with her day sleeps and if she is not asleep after the breastfeed, I will rock her to sleep. Will they do this for her if she doesnt fall asleep??!! All I can picture is my little girl screaming and crying because she cant get to sleep because her mummy isnt there...

Does the daycare try and keep the routine the same as what she is used to? Like will they put her to sleep at 9am and 3pm like I have been doing at home? Will they feed her when I do? Do they provide food or do I bring my own??

So many questions going through my head!! I am going for a tour on Thursday and I hope I ask all these questions, but knowing me, I will forget

So tell me what I need to know about daycare - I've enrolled her in to ABC so not sure if this makes any difference?

Also, tell me how YOU coped with leaving them in daycare!! DH has asked how I am going to be leaving her there and I dont know - I think I might be OK but then I am not sure, I could be balling my eyes out in the car on the way to work!!

[Antheia]

Firstly congratz on the new job!

Secondly i think you should ask the day care all of these questions because each centre is different.

In regards to her coping, well in my experience DD started care when she was 2.5. She'd never been looked after really by anyone else before then. She was ok. She didnt really talk to them for a while and she picked 1 teacher to follow everywhere lol. But after a couple of months she was fine. She loved it. In the mornings dropping her off she'd cry but picking her up she didnt want to leave lol. And they said she only cry for about a minute and then forgot bascially.

DS was only 6-7 months old and he loved it from the word go. No complaints there.

I coped alright. I did miss them a lot in the beginning, even though it was only 2 days a week. But i took it as a blessing, i could actually relax and get things done.

Goodluck with it all. I'm sure she'll be fine, and you too.

[Chocaholic]

Write your list of questions down so you don't forget. Most daycares try to keep to your routine as it settles the kids better.

My son loved daycare when he went. I would take him and he would ignore me from the moment we got there. He was too busy playing with the toys.

[Nai]

Veronica, make sure you write these questions down to take with you or you will forget. Most daycare centres try to stick with your routine however you may find that the room has a routine and that your DD will settle in to that. Funnily enough kids can adapt to having one routine at home and a different one at childcare. They will also often do what the other kids are doing - just because the others are doing it! Eg. DD doesn't eat certain foods at home but will at childcare because all the other are eating it!!

Be prepared to be completely preoccupied and worried for the first week or so about how she is going and also ring them as many times a day as you need to to make yourself feel more comfortable.

It's hard but both of you will get used to it and you will probably find that she has so much fun that some days she will even forget to say goodbye to you (a very bittersweet moment!).

[Ngala]

Cool. I will write up a list of questions to ask them tomorrow when we go in to check the place out.

But do you think I should encourage them to give DD a bottle before a nap time? I am going to try and get her to sleep without a breastfeed and see how we go. I've just started trying today and DD is still playing in her cot when I know she is tired!! I'm just afraid I am not going to have enough milk for her to make up all these bottles and she hates formula!!

[mrsmac]

I left DS in FDC from 8 months and cause there were only 5 children and noone else under1 his carer rocked him to sleep until he started to go off by himself. I bf him before work and when I picked him up and he drank water at FDC but I only worked 3 days from 8-3pm.