Parent's Day Out

When I asked my husband to take off a little early this Friday for a parent day out and to "test out" daycare for our daughter, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he took a half-day instead of a couple hours. On the agenda: lunch, exploring our new city and neighborhood, the casino and a movie.

I was ecstatic this morning, as I explained to little Layla that she was going to "school" today. But as we arrived at the daycare center, I was overwhelmed with nervousness and sadness. I don't know how I can go from sheer joy at the thought of freedom for a day, to having separation anxiety before entering the building! The facility instilled a great deal of trust when we toured, and the staff was exceptional, all credentialed and knowledgeable. I've heard stories of moms being more traumatized than the kid going to daycare, so as I went over the laundry list of things I felt the care providers needed to know (as if they don't know these things already), and told them to call me at any point, I pried Layla away from me kicking and screaming and told her goodbye. As I swallow the lump in my throat to avoid crying, the executive director followed me out to reassure that everything will be fine, and it's normal for first-timers to have this feeling. She advised I can call as many times as I want to check in, and to come by if I feel like it. After a few minutes of chatting, the admin staff member that initially took Layla and I back to the room, came to the front desk to advise that Layla was fine seconds after I left, and she's happily playing with a baby doll in a mini kitchen. At that moment I knew Layla was in good hands.

As I drove home a bit more relieved, I thought to myself, "What am I going to do all morning before Chris gets off work?" Well, I went for a 1.5 mile jog around the neighborhood and chatted with neighbors, and scoped a few garage sales. I took an uninterrupted shower, followed by a cup of coffee and breakfast on our deck that opens to the wooded area where you hear nothing but the light sounds of birds and nature...FREEDOM!!! I can get used to this.

-OzzyMommy