PP - Huge hugs honey. I think you did the right thing! Children at this age really do need Mum and Dad and will thrive in that environment. Children don't learn from peers until the age of 3, so there is no real need for her to be "socialised" as such from a learning point of view. I do however agree with playgroups and babygym. Little ones can learn and explore under the watchful eye of Mum or Dad and know that if they need you, you're right there. I personally believe (this is just my belief) that children who are allowed to take steps towards independence at their own rate are more settled and more self confident.

I was taking Caeleb to the creche at the local gym and he HATED it. I'd take him, sneak out and within 2 - 3 minutes, he'd be crying. I said every time I went in there that if he cries for more than 5 minutes, come and get me. They never came and got me even once, and he was crying every time I went and picked him up 45 minutes later. They broke my trust and for that I will never forgive him. I've never taken him back since. Caeleb was extremely clingy and fretted a lot in the following weeks. I'd say it's taken me a good month or two of going to playgroup, story time at the library and having playdates with friends, letting him play with the kids there, for him to let go and go off on his own again.

So, child care/creche isn't for Caeleb yet. He's just not ready. I want Caeleb to know I'll always be there for him, no matter what. My heart goes out to mothers who have no choice but to place their children in care and the child reacts like Ashley is. I'm not saying that childcare isn't right for ALL children this age, just in some cases, they're just not ready.

I used to be a child care worker. We had a little boy called Blake, about the same age as our little ones are now. He'd cry and cry and cry all day. It would break my heart. He formed a bond with me and would be comforted by a cuddle, but the problem was, I only worked part time, so I dread to think what it was like for him when I wasn't there. It took him a good 6 months for him to stop crying for hours when his Mum dropped him off... and he was in 5 days a week!