Daycare: It's Not All That Bad

   The thought of sending your baby to daycare can be daunting. Going back to work after childbirth can be so controversial these days. It really is a tough decision. I got a lot of judgment from other people about going back to work. I wanted to be financially stable, but it wasn’t an easy decision for me either. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t love your baby as much as someone else loves theirs, just because you decide to go back to work. If you’re able to stay at home, congrats! Every mom is still a mom whether they work or not.

Then come the questions you contemplate when you’re trying to sleep or in that quiet yoga class. There is no way someone else will love her as much as I do, so how do I leave my baby with them 8+ hours a day? Will they take care of my baby? Will she be happy there? Will she like them more than me? What milestones will I miss? Or the ultimate nightmare - what if the daycare I pick is the one that ends up on the news for abusing or not watching the kids? These questions are tough, but we’ve all thought them and you’re not crazy or alone. It won’t be easy but it will be okay!

Finding the right daycare for you is key. Do your research and visit several. You need to be able to compare them, so you can feel good about the one you choose. When you Google daycares, literally none of them will have a 5-star rating. The only people posting their opinions are typically the negative ones. Writing this prompted me to go give mine a 5-star review because I love it! Figure out what questions you may have ahead of time. When you go on tours, bring a notepad to write down any comments or concerns from each daycare. Make sure you meet the workers who will be watching your baby. As soon as I met the caretakers at ours, I just knew. I immediately felt like I could trust them to watch my baby. They won’t be perfectly clean and your baby may not be the center of their attention, but it will work out. You will still be able to squish your love bug as soon as you get home!

Now I know this isn’t every mom that goes back to work, but dang I love me a good cup of hot coffee. Making a routine for myself helped me so much. Will my routine work for everyone? No way! But hopefully, someone can read this and feel more at ease and more positive about their choice!

I take my baby to daycare and spend about 10 minutes cuddling her before I leave. I take pictures every day so I have a few new ones to look at. I make sure I get my coffee right when I get to work so I start off happy. *Does coffee do this for anyone else? I might be overly obsessed with coffee* ANYWAYS - My husband gets off work before me every day, so he gets to pick her up. When I get home I immediately give her a great big hug and kiss. The rest of our night consists of smiles in the mirror, a nice long bath (She LOVES bath time) and either some books or maybe some youtube videos. Going to work actually makes me really enjoy and appreciate the time I do have with her.

Every week I try to think of something that can make our lives easier so that I’m able to spend more time with her. In the past, I felt like I was always making an extra trip out for dog food. Recently, I subscribed on Amazon to have it delivered. We also recently started a dinner plan called Factor 75. It is a premade meal service. All you need to do is heat it up and you’re done!. It may be a bit more expensive than a normal grocery haul, but four nights a week I don’t have to cook or clean! It gives me so much extra time to cuddle my baby. It also helps me get other things done around the house too. That makes it totally worth it for me.

Now you may have everything in order and think you’re totally ready for daycare, but that isn’t always the case. You may cry the first day/week/random days. You will likely have to adjust your milk supply and the outfits you leave there. It won’t be perfect every day, but I’m here to encourage you and let you know that you’ll make it! Every day is a new day and you’re doing what is right for you and your baby.

- Keeley S.