I’m ready Mum..I’m ready. Set me loose into the world. So now that I’m getting on…like almost two, Mum and mostly Dad since he’s craving for some peace and quiet, feel that their innocent little baby is ready for some daycare, two crazy hours of fun. When the day dawned I suddenly had mixed feelings, I changed my mind I’m not ready for daycare, sheesh who was I kidding I need round the clock care and ONLY from my parents and in the comfort of my home. Plans remain unchanged it seems, Mum drops me off, she’s can’t stay apparently, that’s the rules. GULP, now that prospect itself is a little daunting. I watch through the glass doors, sniffling a little as she runs off to the car, that was way too fast running Mum, are you glad to get rid of me or something?. It’s so cliché to cry, everyone expects me to, but hey I never conform to normality, I’m different, I’m not like the others, I’m not going to bawl my eyes out, scream Mum’s name…..even though it’s taking every ounce of willpower to not let those tears roll down. Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts I mumble to myself. Maybe these carers will feel sorry for us at being abandoned by our parents and just let us watch T.V and eat candy all day. WOW, now that would be just great! Anyways down to the reality at hand everything is different, different environment, new toys, strangers’ called carers, who smile a lot, with those scary white teeth, I mean do they really care??? Seriously!.

Tell me once again why I’m here. I’m sweaty, I nervous, I’m scared and I’m think the fear has brought on a marathon toilet run and my diaper is soaked to the bone, now how do I tell someone I need a diaper change and who the hell is going to do it!!!! YIKES. Usually I have that look and Mum knows, she just know people, she just knows!!!! At the thought of my mother I feel a sudden tug of the heart strings..what is she doing now I wonder?..Is she racked with guilt, is she rolling on the floor crying without her precious bouncing baby at her side..I do remember her chatting to her friend about meeting up for a frozen yogurt, whilst the baby is away. I must have heard wrong, she can’t be enjoying my absence CAN SHE????With a heavy heart and an even heavier diaper, I reject all tries from the carer’s in trying to engage me in some play. Forget Thomas the tank engine, Bob the builder is kinda annoying and I’m not reading any book about Goldilocks and some three bears. I’m just going to crawl into this play tent and wait for Mummy, she’ll come I know she will. So that is where I stayed for the next two hours, some of the toothy carers tried to cajole me with apple slices and carrot sticks. Other’s danced to songs and played instruments, whatever so lame…but I wasn’t having any of it. As soon as those nursery doors opened I made a run for it, and there was Mummy in all her glory, she hadn’t abandoned me forever. I couldn’t hold it any longer I just bawled my eyes out. Mummy, le'ts never come here again. Daycare is over rated!!!!

Is daycare good for your baby?

Daycare has a variety of measurable effects, many of them positive and some of them negative. And they hinge on the quality of the care, the type of care, and the amount of time spent in it, pretty much as with parenting.Researchers now know that the nature of daycare arrangements (more than ten hours a week spent in the care of someone other than the mother) has a long reach. The type and quality of care can influence many aspects of development—including memory, language development, school readiness, math and reading achievement, the nature of relationships with parents and teachers, social skills, work habits, and behavioral adjustment—at least through grade school. That's important because in many domains, patterns established by the third grade tend to become highly stable and enduring.

Helping your child adjust to daycare

Depending upon your family situation, your child may have no trouble at all getting used to a new childcare situation. On the other hand—particularly if he or she is a certain age and has been home with you as the primary caregiver for the past few years—going to a new location or having a new caregiver in the home all day may prove to be a difficult transition. The good news is that most children do eventually make peace with the new order. One of the best ways to put your child at ease prior to starting day care is to have him or her visit the facility or family day care home, preferably more than once, for short visits. He or she can interact with the primary caregiver at the facility, as well as with the other children that will be in his or her room, or not interact at all. It may take some time before your child is ready to participate with his or her classmates, and that is all right. Your job is to be supportive of your child and not push him or her into playing with or talking to others if he or she is not yet comfortable doing so.

By Mayuri Jayasinghe