For the last five months Logan has been attending a daycare center not 2 minutes from the hospital. He has adjusted to having other adults care for him, feed him, play with him, and nurture him when he got a boo boo. The transition for both of us was not smooth. It took over a month for us to leave Logan without him crying desperately for us to come sweep him back into our arms. I was conflicted by the need to provide for our family while also wanting to wipe away his tears and do just what he wanted: quit my job and stay home with him. But I can't. Our family needs both incomes. So after accepting my amazing job offer at the hospital I quickly found a daycare for Logan. It was clean, the teachers smiled, and the kids seemed happy. Plus, as I said before, it was only 2 minutes from the hospital should an emergency occur.
Daycare has done amazing things for Logan both socially and developmentally. He continued to learn and use the signs we taught him at home while also at daycare. He learned to walk and talk and play nice (for the most part) with other kids his age. He learned that it's okay for mama and daddy to go away for a little while and that all his new friends and fun toys would keep him busy. He learned how to wash his hands after eating and diaper changes. He learned how to sit in a chair at a table and that getting up meant he was all done. He learned how to sleep on a cot, unhindered by crib railings and bumpers. All this, and more, he will continue to use and learn. His fine-motor skills have always been incredible and have only improved. I'm sure he has learned even more I am barely aware of, especially since daycare and home environments are different. For all this and more, I am so thankful for what daycare has provided during such a crucial developmental stage in Logan's life.
Unfortunately, we have had to make the hard decision to take Logan out of daycare. On a weekly basis, the cost became too much, especially since Tulo's accident one month ago today. Every month we've cringed as too much of our much-needed income was going towards daycare. So two weeks ago, after talking with a close friend, we decided to pull Logan out of daycare and today was his last day. This close friend will be taking care of Logan a few days a week and together, we're helping each other out. She gets to make some extra money for her family and we get to save quite a bit for ours. Win win.
I have nothing bad to say about Logan's daycare. We had a few issues but nothing serious. If our finances were not an issue then we certainly would keep Logan in daycare. So for now, he will instead be in the loving hands of our dear friend and her sweet 2 year old son will be is buddy. Logan will still have a schedule (she's strict with one-I like that!), he will eat well, take a nap, play hard and still get social interaction with a child his age.
I feel like most of this decision came to me in prayer. There did not seem to be any other way to save/make money at the time and for that I am even more grateful.
Showing posts with label daycare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daycare. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
My Sick Little Seal
No sooner did Logan recover from Roseola did he bring home a new bug. The lats four days he has been coughing almost uncontrollably. At 2am this morning I swept my miserable baby into my arms and held him while we sat on the toilet in the bathroom. I let the shower run as hot as it would go and we breathed in hot steam in hopes of giving him some relief. This was the first official night ever that Logan actually slept in bed with me. We got a solid 4 hours before he was awake and coughing again.
I had to work at noon and did not think twice about calling the doctor. Logan has had a cough for months now but this seemed different. I could just feel it. On my way to drop Logan off with his sitter Logan began coughing again and it was in that moment that I heard the bark. I must not have been paying attention before but it was clear as day now. Logan was barking like a baby seal, the kind of bark in a cough that other mamas and doctors warn you about. I was moments away from urgent care and without a second thought I made the turn, called B and my mom, and checked us in.
I told the receptionist that I *thought* it was just a cold but that he needed some kind of relief (something!) to ease the cough and give Logan's body a break. Surely it was nothing more than a cold.
An hour later we were discharged after two chest xrays to check for pneumonia and a prescription for a steroid. The diagnosis? Croup. As I was waiting for the doc to come check Logan out I received a text from his sitter, who is also his day care provider, telling me that "Oh by the way....there was a child in his class this week with croup." :::headdesk:::
I just want my baby to be healthy! His little immune system is getting rocked right now and I only pray that it is 10 times better than it was a week ago. So there, new mamas who are wondering what day care is like. You're kid will get sick. And not just cold-sick but sick-sick. It's exhausting, mentally, emotionally, physically and your patience will be tested more than it ever has before. I love being a mom. BUT taking care of a sick child who has no words yet is by far one of the hardest mom-things I have ever had to deal with. And I know I will be 10 times stronger because of it.
I had to work at noon and did not think twice about calling the doctor. Logan has had a cough for months now but this seemed different. I could just feel it. On my way to drop Logan off with his sitter Logan began coughing again and it was in that moment that I heard the bark. I must not have been paying attention before but it was clear as day now. Logan was barking like a baby seal, the kind of bark in a cough that other mamas and doctors warn you about. I was moments away from urgent care and without a second thought I made the turn, called B and my mom, and checked us in.
I told the receptionist that I *thought* it was just a cold but that he needed some kind of relief (something!) to ease the cough and give Logan's body a break. Surely it was nothing more than a cold.
An hour later we were discharged after two chest xrays to check for pneumonia and a prescription for a steroid. The diagnosis? Croup. As I was waiting for the doc to come check Logan out I received a text from his sitter, who is also his day care provider, telling me that "Oh by the way....there was a child in his class this week with croup." :::headdesk:::
I just want my baby to be healthy! His little immune system is getting rocked right now and I only pray that it is 10 times better than it was a week ago. So there, new mamas who are wondering what day care is like. You're kid will get sick. And not just cold-sick but sick-sick. It's exhausting, mentally, emotionally, physically and your patience will be tested more than it ever has before. I love being a mom. BUT taking care of a sick child who has no words yet is by far one of the hardest mom-things I have ever had to deal with. And I know I will be 10 times stronger because of it.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Daycare, revisited.
>
Logan has officially been in daycare for a month now. His start was more than rough and now that the biting has stopped, we are in full blown separation anxiety mode. I kick myself because I always bragged about how well Logan did with other people when he was younger. He never cried when we'd leave him with a sitter or my parents. He was such a happy guy and now that he is old enough to notice our absence he wastes no time expressing his anger over it.
The rip-your-heart-out-don't-leave-me cry slapped me in the face two weeks ago Friday. Logan is usually one of the first kids at daycare when I drop him off and I wonder if that makes it harder for him. He doesn't have the distraction of the other kids to play with and so far he could care less about the toys. Since then, he beings to cry the moment we walk into his classroom. I take his coat off and grab his paci to help comfort him. He's still crying when we get into the other classroom with his morning teacher whom I really like. She is sweet and does her best to help Logan calm down. I never have enough time to stay there until he's better but maybe that is a good thing. I literally have to set him down and dash out the door without looking back just so I can keep it together. All while he is screaming his little head off.
Logan's teachers reassure me that within five minutes he isn't crying and is happily playing. I believe them and I believe that this is the right daycare for Logan. The first week was gut-wrenching but I am glad we did not jump ship. I am usually a "trust your gut" type woman and while I was worried about Logan's safety, deep down I knew it would all pass. And it has. Logan is still sad when we leave but I know it will get better. Thankfully, none of this has caused me to regret the job change. Adjusting to working during the day was hard (I was napping with Logan every day!) but the job has been amazing! I used to hate hospitals. I would get a terrible feeling all over when I walked into one and it was not until a friend had a baby 6 years ago and I visited her did I get over that phobia.
Overall, daycare and work are getting better. Each day is new and different.
***
On a side note, I spent 5 hours packing with my MIL and we did an awesome job! Just a few things left in Logans room, our entire bedroom, some bathroom things, and then all the dry foods. Moving next Saturday! Can't wait. :)
The rip-your-heart-out-don't-leave-me cry slapped me in the face two weeks ago Friday. Logan is usually one of the first kids at daycare when I drop him off and I wonder if that makes it harder for him. He doesn't have the distraction of the other kids to play with and so far he could care less about the toys. Since then, he beings to cry the moment we walk into his classroom. I take his coat off and grab his paci to help comfort him. He's still crying when we get into the other classroom with his morning teacher whom I really like. She is sweet and does her best to help Logan calm down. I never have enough time to stay there until he's better but maybe that is a good thing. I literally have to set him down and dash out the door without looking back just so I can keep it together. All while he is screaming his little head off.
Logan's teachers reassure me that within five minutes he isn't crying and is happily playing. I believe them and I believe that this is the right daycare for Logan. The first week was gut-wrenching but I am glad we did not jump ship. I am usually a "trust your gut" type woman and while I was worried about Logan's safety, deep down I knew it would all pass. And it has. Logan is still sad when we leave but I know it will get better. Thankfully, none of this has caused me to regret the job change. Adjusting to working during the day was hard (I was napping with Logan every day!) but the job has been amazing! I used to hate hospitals. I would get a terrible feeling all over when I walked into one and it was not until a friend had a baby 6 years ago and I visited her did I get over that phobia.
Overall, daycare and work are getting better. Each day is new and different.
***
On a side note, I spent 5 hours packing with my MIL and we did an awesome job! Just a few things left in Logans room, our entire bedroom, some bathroom things, and then all the dry foods. Moving next Saturday! Can't wait. :)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
When do I say "enough"?
>I need your help friends. I mean, really need your help. I'm asking all you regular lurkers out there to actually leave me a comment and tell me what to do. I know, shocking.
As I mentioned in my last post Logan has been in daycare a total of THREE days and has been bit by three different children FOUR times. Yes, one child actually bit him twice, once on each arm. Since the initial shock of my child being injured while in someone else's care by another child has lessened over the last few days, my anger over the consistent occurrences has only increased. Taking Logan to daycare to begin with was a big deal. I was worried that he would miss me, that he would realize that everyone in the room was a new person and I had not been there to help him get aquatinted and comfortable with his teachers and the other kids. I worried that he would not take a nap, that he would sit alone in a corner and not participate in activities, and that he would cry and cry and cry. My heart ached with these concerns as the days approached and not once did the thought of him getting hurt cross my mind. I'm totally aware of his risk of falling and bonking and bruising from play but never from another child. So when I brought him home and told my mom and B that Logan had been bit TWICE, we were all fuming.
My heart broke thinking about him being hurt and wondering where I was to make it all better, to kiss his boo boos and hold him until he felt better. Logan happens to be a little dramatic when he gets hurt and while I do my damnedest to NOT help fuel that by gasping or instantly running to his side, he still cries. I want him to know that not every single time he bonks his head does it mean he's actually hurt. But this is not what this post is about. This is about other kids biting my kid at daycare.
So here is where I need your help. I need to know what to do. I've worked in daycares before and I don't remember kids biting each other. Sure there were squabbles and such, but I do not recall a single child ever having an issue with other children so much so that he was going home every night with a new bite or bruise caused by another child. I'm sure if I had, that I would have had a serious talking to about how our supervision of the children needs to improve, even though we were there. Anyway, I'm lost. I have made countless mistakes as a parent and I don't want to just jump ship from what could be a potentially good daycare just because Logan is being bit by other children every.single.day. It's not like the teachers are encouraging it and the director has been very honest with me about what they are doing to try and prevent it. Even so, he is still being bit. He has a buddy in his class and they've both been in the class the same amount of time and he has not been bit. I don't get it. The teachers are telling me that Logan is not the only child being bit. So what the hell is going on?!
Logan is not the youngest kiddo in his class, but I would put money on him having the fewest teeth. He has been a late bloomer with getting his teeth and I would be livid if BECAUSE he has been getting bit that he himself adopts that form of ill toddler communication. LIVID!! My mom has been in early childcare for 20+ years but does not have recent experience with a group of 1 year olds. She works with 3 year olds, kids who have words and understand directions, etc. Regardless, she cannot believe this is happening every day. I cannot believe it. As I said, I am trying not to bail right away and blame the daycare. Finding another daycare is a huge pain in the ass and there are several perks of him going to this particular one, the main one being he is a block away from where I work.
So please help me out here! I am at a loss. Obviously Logan quickly forgets what is happening to him and so far none of the bites have broken the skin. I've notified his doctor and have yet to hear back. Thank you SO MUCH for any and all advice you can offer! No more bites for my baby!
As I mentioned in my last post Logan has been in daycare a total of THREE days and has been bit by three different children FOUR times. Yes, one child actually bit him twice, once on each arm. Since the initial shock of my child being injured while in someone else's care by another child has lessened over the last few days, my anger over the consistent occurrences has only increased. Taking Logan to daycare to begin with was a big deal. I was worried that he would miss me, that he would realize that everyone in the room was a new person and I had not been there to help him get aquatinted and comfortable with his teachers and the other kids. I worried that he would not take a nap, that he would sit alone in a corner and not participate in activities, and that he would cry and cry and cry. My heart ached with these concerns as the days approached and not once did the thought of him getting hurt cross my mind. I'm totally aware of his risk of falling and bonking and bruising from play but never from another child. So when I brought him home and told my mom and B that Logan had been bit TWICE, we were all fuming.
My heart broke thinking about him being hurt and wondering where I was to make it all better, to kiss his boo boos and hold him until he felt better. Logan happens to be a little dramatic when he gets hurt and while I do my damnedest to NOT help fuel that by gasping or instantly running to his side, he still cries. I want him to know that not every single time he bonks his head does it mean he's actually hurt. But this is not what this post is about. This is about other kids biting my kid at daycare.
So here is where I need your help. I need to know what to do. I've worked in daycares before and I don't remember kids biting each other. Sure there were squabbles and such, but I do not recall a single child ever having an issue with other children so much so that he was going home every night with a new bite or bruise caused by another child. I'm sure if I had, that I would have had a serious talking to about how our supervision of the children needs to improve, even though we were there. Anyway, I'm lost. I have made countless mistakes as a parent and I don't want to just jump ship from what could be a potentially good daycare just because Logan is being bit by other children every.single.day. It's not like the teachers are encouraging it and the director has been very honest with me about what they are doing to try and prevent it. Even so, he is still being bit. He has a buddy in his class and they've both been in the class the same amount of time and he has not been bit. I don't get it. The teachers are telling me that Logan is not the only child being bit. So what the hell is going on?!
Logan is not the youngest kiddo in his class, but I would put money on him having the fewest teeth. He has been a late bloomer with getting his teeth and I would be livid if BECAUSE he has been getting bit that he himself adopts that form of ill toddler communication. LIVID!! My mom has been in early childcare for 20+ years but does not have recent experience with a group of 1 year olds. She works with 3 year olds, kids who have words and understand directions, etc. Regardless, she cannot believe this is happening every day. I cannot believe it. As I said, I am trying not to bail right away and blame the daycare. Finding another daycare is a huge pain in the ass and there are several perks of him going to this particular one, the main one being he is a block away from where I work.
So please help me out here! I am at a loss. Obviously Logan quickly forgets what is happening to him and so far none of the bites have broken the skin. I've notified his doctor and have yet to hear back. Thank you SO MUCH for any and all advice you can offer! No more bites for my baby!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Wednesday Mish-Mash
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(found Logan asleep like this a few nights ago)
- My running re-cap for last week is pretty lame due to the fact that I only ran twice and the weather was crappy. I still go up and down on how motivated I am to get out there and do it. I know for sure that I hate running inside on a treadmill. Seeing how long and how far I have been running actually makes it harder for me to keep going. I have a better/faster pace, but the moment I hit one mile the wind in my sails goes away and I justify running a mile and that was good enough.
- I'm still trying to decide what kind of runner I want to be. Maybe running 1-2 miles a few times a week is all I really want to do. I know regardless, the fact that I am doing it at all is good. I'm staying active and healthy. A few goals I have set are not realistic for me--not yet anyway.
- I am so effing sick of the cold, windy weather I could cry. Seriously. Come on summer!
- My new job is going very well! I love what I am doing and the opportunities I have. Only been there two days and I already have a chance of becoming a full time benefit eligible employee, which has been my goal all along. The people are so nice!
- Logan has been in daycare the last two days and has been bit a total of 3 times. Yes, my child is coming home with bruises! I would be lying if I said I was just kinda mad. I'm fuming!! My heart breaks at the thought of Logan being hurt by another kiddo. Seems that there are a few biters in his class and he is not the only one being bit. This makes me feel a little better and after a long conversation with the director yesterday they have a very solid plan on how to get the biting to stop. He is home with me today and will return the rest of the week. If he is bit again I might just loose it on them!
- I'm going shopping today for new clothes for work and I'm actually pretty excited about it! I love getting new clothes.
- I cannot finish a cup of coffee at home to save my life but at work I drink 2-3 cups in an hour! What the?
- And that is it. Have a great week everyone!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Still in the Woods
>Kinda.
Our child care situation is looking up, however it will be a major blow to our bank account. But we have no other options. So I have broken one of my mommy "I will nevers" and enrolled Logan into an infant daycare center. He will start on Tuesday and I am actually excited for him. He is going to love all the toys and interactions with children. The center was clean and the people were friendly. It is highly regarded in our community and I figure if we're gonna go broke we might as well go broke with the best care...right??
Anyway...glad that headache is semi-solved.
And where in the woods am I? Well...still having stomach issues. Again, I am not knocked up! I promise. This is severe abdominal pain that is coming and going and after revisit webmd.com tonight, I have all the symptoms of acute pancreatitis. I'm going to keep waiting it out though. I went all day today and the last two days with not much more than some mild nausea. I will be calling my doctor in the morning, just to let her know what's been going on. Knowing her, she will want me to go in and do a blood test, etc. She has closely monitored this since I first had it, always asking me about how my stomach has felt at every well woman check I go to each year. So that is where I'm at. If it is the onset of this horrible illness, I will have one hell of a shitty week ahead. Just sayin.
Our child care situation is looking up, however it will be a major blow to our bank account. But we have no other options. So I have broken one of my mommy "I will nevers" and enrolled Logan into an infant daycare center. He will start on Tuesday and I am actually excited for him. He is going to love all the toys and interactions with children. The center was clean and the people were friendly. It is highly regarded in our community and I figure if we're gonna go broke we might as well go broke with the best care...right??
Anyway...glad that headache is semi-solved.
And where in the woods am I? Well...still having stomach issues. Again, I am not knocked up! I promise. This is severe abdominal pain that is coming and going and after revisit webmd.com tonight, I have all the symptoms of acute pancreatitis. I'm going to keep waiting it out though. I went all day today and the last two days with not much more than some mild nausea. I will be calling my doctor in the morning, just to let her know what's been going on. Knowing her, she will want me to go in and do a blood test, etc. She has closely monitored this since I first had it, always asking me about how my stomach has felt at every well woman check I go to each year. So that is where I'm at. If it is the onset of this horrible illness, I will have one hell of a shitty week ahead. Just sayin.
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