August 4, 2009 – Phoebe’s big day. It was her first day in a group care after being solely with me for almost two years. A few months ago, I made a list of the things I’ve been dying to do if I’d be blessed with more alone time. I couldn’t wait to drop her off, wave goodbye and rush back home to the books and DVDs that have been untouched for quite some time. Yes, I was silently counting the days to my “freedom”.
Weeks passed and to my surprise, the excitement slowly wore off. I started to feel it – the anxiety, guilt and self-doubt.
Are we really doing the right thing?
Then came the dreaded day. Phoebe was in good spirits. She ran around the house humming her favorite nursery songs, not knowing what lies ahead of her. It made me feel worse. My heart melted of guilt.
Are we really doing the right thing?
When it was time to leave her, I braced myself for the worst – screams, tantrums, wails. After a quick goodbye and a kiss on the forehead, she looked up then went on playing with the other kids on the water table. That’s it? She cried, of course (for a minute or so according to her teachers) but when I picked her up in the afternoon, she was happily “chatting” with another girl in her group. I looked at her for a few seconds, not wanting to interrupt the awfully cute scene that reminded me of a younger version of 90210.
Are we doing the right thing?
I honestly don’t know. But I guess that’s the beauty of parenting – there’s no right answer, no correct decision, no perfect strategy. Just gut feel and love.
If you are planning to have your children start school soon, here are some tips that helped us during the transition period. Who knows, it could work for you too.
Check out this post: Six Easy Ways to Ease Your Child’s Anxiety
