On the First Week of Daycare

I have a nice job making a decent amount over minimum wage. Did you know that putting two children in daycare would take up almost my entire paycheck? Childcare costs in this country can be insane, especially when facing them as a single parent. I am very lucky to be eligible for government help in this…without it my mother would have to keep watching the babies…which took a huge toll on her two new hips and her neck problems. My father had to help her watch them, which took him away from his work. It was a tough situation, but FINALLY daycare was set up.

It is expected for a parent to cry more than the child when dropping them off at the first day of daycare. Let me tell you…there is no possible way on earth I could have cried more than these two!

They started on tuesday and spent 95% of the day in screaming tears. They even refused their bottles so I recruited grandma and poppy to come down midday and feed them.

Wednesday- 90% of the day in screaming tears; still refused bottle, grandma and poppy came down to feed them.

Thursday- 85% of the day in screaming tears; drank 2oz of bottle each.

Friday- Eloise has a good day, only 50% in screaming tears while Marvel hovered at 85%. They both still drank less than 3oz of bottle.

I guess I should be happy it’s gradually getting better? I feel awful that they have cried so much; in general I try to keep the tears to a minimum, getting them a bottle, food, fresh diaper, new toy, or a snuggle as quickly as possible. This may seem overkill to some, but it honestly has helped us cut down on the total crying episodes. They feel more secure that their needs will be met that they don’t cry right away for something they want but don’t need.

That is until they started daycare!

This may sound ridiculous to some, but I feel they have lost some of their sense of security and it is really killing me 🙁 especially Marvel. Since starting daycare, she went from crying for a very short time a very few times a day to crying and whining the majority of the day. I’m not worried about what the daycare is doing–they have a live feed that I check up on while i’m at working, and they are always actively engaged with the girls and trying to encourage them to take bottles.

I know it will take time for them to adjust, I just wish that my daycare case hadn’t gotten lost in the cracks and taken so long to go through, I feel they would have adjusted easier at 6months than at 10.

BUT I am grateful to have found an awesome daycare, so close to home, and I hope that later next week I can report that the girls are doing better!