Coping with childcare (part 1)

We just dropped Stickybeak off at childcare for the first time. Here are some words to describe this moment:

Aaaargh!

Sob!

OMGOMGOMG

Here's another word: Anti-climax. We kissed him goodbye, wished him a good day and then left him in the arms of SOMEONE ELSE and walked out of the room. We took two steps away from the door and then stopped and looked at one another. That was surprisingly easy. No tears, no panicked looks, he was distracted with a toy and all of the other kids wandering around that I don't think he really noticed. So it was strangely anxious and calm at the same time.

Right about now we could've used Hannah's fantastic suggestion for coping with childcare where the centre gives you coffee and a pastry before sending you on your way. Instead we walked through the long corrider, pushed open the heavy front door and stepped out into the bright sunshine. I blinked back tears and walked to the car. "You are doing really well," Noisy Daddy said to me. I told him I was using the special patented Natalie Coping Method* which I will share with you now.

Here is what I will not be doing today:

*Imagining Stickybeak feeling abandoned and upset

*Picturing him crying in a strange cot

*Wondering if the other kids are being nice to him (I can easily summon up images of older kids pushing him over if I want).

*Fretting over whether he ate morning tea, drank his milk, slept, etc.

All of that stuff would be very easy to do but it isn't helpful. Here is what I will do instead:

*Make sure my phone is on and within earshot

*Not engage in any activity that would make it hard for me to get back to the child care centre in a hurry (so for eg I am not going for a massage or facial or getting my nails done or other such pampering things because it would be hard to make a quick getaway and I'm not in a place to enjoy them yet anyway).

*I will call at 11am to check that everything is ok, find out whether he slept and decide if I need to come get him earlier or later - but I won't stress about it in the meantime.

*I will make sure I have had a good lunch before I pick him up because I don't know what state he will be in.

*I will try and relax so I can enjoy the three hours of alone time.

So there you have it. In short, I won't dwell and I will carry on.

I did falter for a moment there. When I dropped Noisy Daddy off at work I said to him "Oh my god, I don't have my boy with me". There were almost tears but I took a deep breath and pushed it out of my mind. (See, it works!)

Fingers crossed Stickybeak has a good morning but if he doesn't I will be there in a couple of hours ready to shower him with love and attention and we will try again next week.

Stickybeak at childcare probably thinking "gee the toys are way better here!".

Did you employ any particular coping methods to get through your first childcare drop off?

*I actually haven't patented that but it sounds good!