To get everyone up to speed, AM and I visited the new DC together and made a decision. A very hard decision but one that I think (and desperately hope) is the right one. As of February 11th, both DQ and WM will be attending a new day care facility. The DC seems to really have their stuff together as far as daycares go. I popped in unannounced twice and didn't see anything that was alarming. It is an older building and there are probably 85 kids or so total but they are well within the established teacher/student ratio. The director has been there for 15+ years and most of the teachers there have been there for many years as well. I even talked to DSS to check on the reviews & complaints and they stated that there hasn't been anything that I should be concerned about at that location. It is run by a church and occassionally they have an issue with equipment or such, but there have not been any serious violations or abuse reported. And DS's teacher stated that she would start him in underwear when he started coming. YEAH!!! Maybe he will finally catch on and get potty trained. The whole pull up thing isn't working for me or him. I may ask her to hold off for a week or so though so that he can get used to the new place first. I'll have to talk to them about that.
But overall, we are happy with our decision and we told the kids they would start going to school soon and they both seemed really excited. I just hope that the transistion isn't too stressful for them or me :)
OK~ back to the present. Today is their first day. All weekend we talked it up that they were going to start school and they both seemed really excited. I walked them in and it was all a little overwhelming for all of us. The DC Director and the kids' teachers weren't there yet, so it was a little of a shuffle to get them where they needed to go. The looks on their eyes made me want to cry...so wide with amazement and confusion. DQ went right into her room and I didn't hear another peep from her. I did hear the teacher tell someone (who I assumed was her) to put her shoes back on. I forgot to tell her that they don't take their shoes off. I then took WM to his room. All he wanted to do was go play on the slide so he was a little upset. I left him and put his bag and blanket in his room and took a peek at him before I left. He still had his coat on but was standing in the room watching TV and had stopped crying. I was a little sad that I didn't get a chance to hug and kiss them goodbye, but I know that at least for now it is better to keep the goodbyes short and sweet so that they don't get a chance to get upset.
I cried all the way to work and I am trying to keep myself busy so that I don't think about it too much today. I am sure that I am probaby more upset about the whole thing than they are. I just worry. I can't help it. I worry most about WM since he is still so young and used to his old routine. DQ just rolls with the punches. I am sure that I will drive them crazy today and probably for a few more days until we all get used to it. I am going to call them in a few minutes to make sure that they got all settled in and things are going ok. I have thought about going in at lunch time, but I don't want them to see me and get upset when I have to leave again. I might sneak over and peek in the window at nap time to see how they are doing. Obesses much? :)
They say change is a good thing. I am sure it will be, but I don't like change. It gives me too much anxiety.
I have a situation that I am not sure what to do about.
My children have been at a home daycare since they were newborns. They love Ms. T and she seems to genuinely care for my kids as well. However, we fall victim to the usual home day care dilemma...She is closed on ALL holidays plus a few more days. In addition, she also closes a week in the summer and a week at Christmas. We don't have to pay when she is closed for a full week, but all the days here and there are paid and are becoming all the more frequent. She posted just this morning that she will be closed February 22nd for a medical procedure. In addition, because she is a home daycare she doesn't teach. So other than socialization (which I know is important) my children receive no educational benefit.
I was debating sending my oldest, Drama Queen who just turned 4, to preschool. However, I was told this morning that the rates are the same even if she only comes part time. I was told that the new comers are paying more than we are, and most day cares now charge almost $200 a week. While this is certainly true, the other daycares also claim it on their taxes which means that I can as well. No such luck when you pay in cash, but that has its advantages too. At this time there isn't an all day 4K in our District. There might be one in the Fall, but they don't know yet (which it a topis for a WHOLE other post-how can you NOT know what you are going to be doing in a few short months when registration is in March?) Ms. T asked me today to make a decision as far as preschool goes because there are other people waiting on a spot. :sigh:
I have been on the phone calling upteen day care centers and I am now emotionally distraught. I really can't afford it. There is no way I can afford $100+ more a week than what I am paying now. There are a few that are within our price range, but they don't have the best reputations. I have a call into DSS to find out exactly what complaints they have recieved over the last several years and I think I am going to visit one this afternoon. But herein lies my dilemma. My kids aren't babies anymore, so I don't worry as much about them as I did when they couldn't speak up for themselves, but I still worry. As much as I know that Ms. T takes good care of my kids, I am sure that there are things that go on when no parents are around that might make my head spin. No child care facility is perfect and I am realistic in that expectation. There is one that has immediate openings that is mere minutes from my work. But it doesn't get rave reviews from most of the people I have spoken to about it. It is run by a local church. More than one has claimed that it is dirty. That one I guess I will have to see for myself. The other option is another church run facility. The only problem is that they only have openings for DQ right now. That and I have to pack their lunches everyday. Which I guess isn't that big of a deal really. Do I go ahead and get DQ in the program and then wait for an opening for WM or get on the waiting list and hope that something opens up soon?
Ugh! What to do? It is a heart-wrenching decision for me. I am terrified that I am going to make the wrong decision. What if I pull them out of Ms. T's and later find out that the place I chose was deplorable? Can I trudge through and deal with the current situation for the next 2.5 years? I just want whats best for my babies and I don't want to put them in any situation that could be potentially harmful.
Why can't this be easy?
Labels: Parenting
