First Day of “School.” (Sigh.)
I just dropped Sophia off for her first day of school. And by school, I mean toddler daycare. Yes, we have joined the ranks of the working parents who send their kids to daycare. And you know what? For thinking I would never be someone to go down that road, I feel surprisingly good about this decision.
Chris just got a great new job, which means he now spends most days outside the house, instead of hanging out at home with Sophia trying to work, but mostly giving horsey rides and cleaning up messes and generally just being an all-around fabulous dad and husband. The necessity for Chris to take this job was very clear to us, and not just financially. It was mostly so Chris could follow his passion and calling and feel like he was contributing to the betterment of society. Not that taking care of our daughter most days of the week by raising her in a loving way is not making our society a better place. It just was time.
So we found a great little daycare (Ten kids max. Woo hoo!) on my way to work where Sophia can go two days a week to learn and play and hang out with other kids her age, three of whom she already knows through play dates. We visited a couple weeks ago before we made our final decision, and Sophia was sold. “Scoo! Scoooooo!” she has said to us ever since that day. “Sophia, do you want to go to school and play with friends and color and learn?” “Ah K!” she cheerfully responds.
I think the fact that Sophia is so thrilled to be in a new environment is making this a little easier on me. A little. So why do I still feel this twinge of guilt?
This is really hard - sort of a right of passage when it comes to parenting. We made a similar decision, and - hard as it was - it was ultimately the right decision. Hang in there.