I am happy to report that I had a wonderful weekend with Angel Face. Daddy went camping, so it was just the two of us from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.
We went to the Children’s Museum and played with the other kids and participated in story time and stared at this huge taxidermy polar bear for at least 15 minutes. She loved that bear. She loved it so much that when Mommy told her she could have anything in the entire museum gift shop, she chose a 50-cent postcard depicting the bear and kissed it repeatedly on the way to the car, all whilst repeating “beah” and holding up the card for Mommy to kiss also. (The card is currently on my back floorboard and when I showed it to her yesterday, she threw it on the ground. So fickle is child!)
We ordered pizza and ate it on her princess table and chairs in front of the television. She helped make pancakes for breakfast and meatballs for dinner. We went for long walks and to the park and to the Zionsville Fall Festival. It was totally awesome.
She has learned to say “Sit down” and “Get up,” both very useful when your Mommy is either a). Busy doing something and unable to sit down on the floor to play with you or b). Very tired and just wants to rest for minute before dancing to Skip to My Lou for the eighty billionth time. Thanks so much.
I’ve tried the transition time that you all suggested, and it’s mostly worked. Sometimes she still doesn’t want to leave. And yesterday it about broke my heart when her two little “friends” waved to her from the door, calling out after her, “bye! Bye!” and she turned around, waved at them and plaintively said, “Bye.” Poor kiddo.
Since then, I’ve had a very difficult time at work, which I shall not talk about because of the Golden Blog Rule and also the thing called Company Blogging Policy for Employees that is posted on our intranet site. Suffice it to say that at one point I crazily thought my job was in jeopardy, and I have needed copious amounts of a.) vodka b.) Lunestra c.) pain relievers left over from my C-section and d.) All of the above, in order to get even five hours of sleep a night. This situation should be resolved on Monday, which still leaves four sleepless nights, but I think I can handle it.
Anyway – I need some advice on something, and if any of you out there have not completely given up on me for not updating for a week, can you help? We are looking to switch our child care situation. Right now, we go to a home day care and we LOVE our babysitter very much. However, at our last doctor’s appointment, the pediatrician indicated that Angel Face is VERY FAR AHEAD developmentally (making up for the slowness in physical development, I suppose), and we’d like to get her into a program that includes some teaching element.
Now I have some angst over this, for a number of reasons:
1. How do we make the switch? Do we just drop her off at the new place one day, cold turkey?
2. How do I tell our babysitter, who is like a part of our family? She suspects already, I think, so this wouldn’t be as traumatic as I once thought, but still…
3. What about her friends at the old day care? Should I give my contact information to our babysitter so she can pass it along to the other mothers to see if they want to get together?
4. Also, we plan to move at some point in the next two-three years. Is it crazy to change her day care now and then have to change later?5. If you were looking at two day cares, and one was a lot nicer than the other, but they are the two best you’ve seen and you’d be comfortable with your kid at either one, would you wait until spring for the much-nicer one (with a waiting list) or go to the other one right away? And if you went to the other one right away, would you then switch again in the spring? This seems unnecessary to me…
Help!
Lede Me On 
I’m really no help at all on the child front, but that story about Angel Face and the bear is adorable!!
My assvice well is totally dry today, but I loved your post and I hope you get some sleep soon. I am a BIG fan of Ambien myself.
Noodle took my exact comment. I actually audibly “awwed” at the bear story. As for the daycare thing.. just jump in. She’s too young to fixate on it for too long, and if she really is that far advanced.. she’ll probably love the new (more interactive and challenging) environment!
Is it possible to take her to a preschool type setting a few mornings a week and still continue with the babysitter as well?? This what we did and it worked great. Way out west where we are most Methodist Churches have fabulous programs that take wee bitty ones.
I would talk to the babysitter, you never know when you will need her again. She should understand.
As far as the two centers? Go with your gut. Its the right way every time.
I cant help with the day care issue but the story of your weekend just made me smile! I so enjoy reading about you two, and of course it gets me that much more excited for my own mommy and me weekends!
I did have one thought about her day care friends if you do switch, go ahead and give your info to the other moms, you could end up with a new play group with some great new women in your life.
If you do decide to switch, you are dealing with that transition piece again. Any place worth anything will let you bring her in for a visit! Ask to take pictures so you can remind her late (or send them to Auntie Erin and she can write you a nice story about the new daycare).
With the two centers….choose one and stick with it, even if that means waiting. Changing caregivers that often can be very stressful. And if one really is a lot nicer….I would wait until Spring and go with that. A few months won’t hurt….and Auntie Erin knows lots of fun educational games!
Aren’t kids funny…all the cool things in the museum and gift shop and she loves the big dead bear, lol. I think that the babysitter will be very understanding…either that or you may inspire her to have a home preschool program. I did that when I had a home daycare and it was great for all the kids. Definitely give the contact info to the other kids so she can see her friends for playdates once in a while.
Here’s my thought, for what it’s worth. I’m fairly bright – brighter than average. So that’s my bias.
Look at what you are giving up by leaving your beloved caregiver. What do you teach your baby? That love, caring, friendship are really not as important as being smart? Because coming from someone who’s smart? It’s not. Being smart is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Having struggled all of my life with social situations, it’s my opinion that if she’s bright, she’ll get it all when she’s ready for it. I’d leave her at the old place where she’s loved.
If it’s a done deal, what Marlee said is what’s suggested. Bring her there for a week to ease the transition.
I’m confused. You are switching from a daycare situation that you really like to one that is unknown because your pediatrician said that she is advanced for her age? Forget it. If you have found a situation that fits you and your child, stick with it. My child does go to a daycare center and we really like it, but the educational activities that they participate in are secondary to the care that is being given. If your child is, in fact, gifted, she will be gifted her whole life. Let her be where she is happy….she will have her whole life for advanced classes. Advanced intellect at this age is often a false indicator – she is only like 2 years old right? It is often not accurately assessed and i would be cautious about a well meaning physician whose assessment is based on self-reporting and minimal observation. It sounds as though you are otherwise happy with your child care arrangement and the only reason you are questioning the arrangement is because your physician said that she was intellectually advanced. Plus, if she is not as physically developed as one might expect, maybe she just needs some time to let it catch up to her intellectual development.
In the end, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.