You could say that my girls go to daycare, but I’ve never called it that. We call it “school” because it’s so much more than just babysitting. My girls are learning, socializing, and being loved all day long. When both parents work full-time, you have to choose who will care for your babies. There are lots of options – family, a nanny, an au pair, an in-home daycare, or an early education center. For various reasons, we chose an early education center because we thought it best fit our needs and wants. As such, my oldest daughter has been in school since she was three months old and my youngest daughter since she was 10 weeks old. Actually, as I’m writing this, it is one year ago today that my maternity leave ended with my youngest.
Looking back on the last 3 1/2 years since we made the decision to have our kids at an early education center, it was by far one of the best decisions that we’ve ever made. It was definitely the right fit for us and what our family has gotten out of the experience will be with them for the rest of their lives. When you have someone else outside of your family caring for your children while you’re at work, they become family. You leave a piece of your heart with them everyday and you are trusting them to care for them, keep them happy, and be there for them when you can’t be.
I’ve been reflecting back recently because we are switching the girls to a new school, which has been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster for me. I know that it is the right decision for our family at this point, but I can’t help getting emotional about leaving behind three years of memories and love. I want to say thank you to all of the early education providers out there, especially those that spend their days with the three and under crowd, which is one of the toughest crowds around. Here is my ode to you for the tireless hours that early education providers put in:
Thank you for your kindness.
Thank you for making me feel like my children were always your number one priority.
Thank you for encouraging my children to take their first steps, write their name, sing the alphabet song, go on the potty…the list is endless.
Thank you for celebrating every milestone with me.
Thank you for making my children feel special on a daily basis, even if it was just saying how beautiful my daughter looked in her dress that day.
Thank you for letting my children make messes so that they can explore their artistic sides.
Thank you for understanding that my baby needs to be held a little bit when she gets to school before she warms up.
Thank you for knowing my children as well as I know them.
Thank you for being wonderful hair stylists and experts on Elsa and Anna braids.
Thank you for loving my children as if they were your own.
Thank you for the wonderful pictures and videos of my children in their environment.
Thank you for making my children laugh.
Thank you for helping us transition to a family of four.
Thank you for brainstorming with me when my children had various symptoms, rashes, etc.
Thank you for introducing my children to yoga and musical instruments.
Thank you for listening to me when I needed a sounding board.
Thank you for listening to my children, even if it was about something you’ve already heard a million times.
Thank you for taking care of my children when they got sick in the middle of the day and I had to drive 40 minutes to pick them up.
Thank you for your calm nature and ability to roll with the punches.
Thank you for allowing me to focus on my job, knowing that my children are being well taken care of and having fun.
And finally {although I could keep going}, thank you for love that you have poured into my children, which will stay with them {and me} forever.
Can you relate? Do you send your children to daycare?
