First visit at the day home?

Question

So I just came back from our first visit to the day home that we will be sending our 13m old to. She is now 10 1/2m old and I am going to be sending her a few times in July for a few hours every week and in August for 2 days a week and then she starts full time in Sept for 4 days a week. I know she will be just fine and she will have fun with the other children. Today she was laughing at the other children and thought it was pretty neat to be around the others. But when I left the day home I was sooo sad, it was becoming a reality that I will be going back to work in a few months. I felt alot of anxiety and just wanted to hold her and never let her go. I kept thinking what if she doesn't sleep OK, what if she doesn't eat, what if she cries and needs me and I'm not there etc etc... Any advice out there, how do you make it easier for them and you??

Answer 1

For them show no fear or anxiety. With kids even babies if you are confident they are confident. Make it a happy time and be smiling even if you cry once you get in your car. For you just take it one day at a time, time is actually the only thing that will ease your worry. I felt the same way when I sent my daughter, but I had faith in my daycare and my daughter loved it! My mom also ran a daycare for years (she died before my daughter was born) and the parents who left confidently the kids may have been a bit scared but were fine shortly after. The parents who went on and on and cried made it 10x harder on their kids. Good luck to you both. I called her daycare a couple times a day for the first week. The lady was very understanding and never once got mad.