Daycare

Right now I’m a stay-at-home mom and as I’ve said many times on this blog, we don’t get out much. As a result Bennett doesn’t get many opportunities to be around other kids. I think he’s missing out, especially considering that he’s a social butterfly who loves people – especially little people. So, I’ve talked about putting him into daycare for a couple mornings a week with most of his caregivers and we all agree it would be a great idea for many reasons:

#1. Socialization - an opportunity to be with his peers and learn how to play with others and make friends.

#2. Motivation - watching other kids run around and communicate will probably be the best motivator to get him moving.

#3. Time - for me to do my own therapy, to relax, etc.

So, I’ve selected a daycare that I think I’ll like but I guess I won’t know until he starts. I went yesterday to talk to them and get a tour. They seemed excited to have him there and didn’t seem concerned about the “special needs” aspect - unlike the other two places that never called me back. I had my tour of the toddler room during lunch time. They were all sitting in their little chairs eating. The chair thing seems to be one of their biggest concerns as they don’t use high chairs. I was prepared for this thanks to Kiera’s blog. I think it will be ok – his balance is pretty good. He just might need a bit of practice and some extra help. However, I have to be honest and tell you that the kids freaked me out a little. They were all sitting quietly, munching away on their pasta and just stared at me – like a bunch of little robots. It’s quite different during meal time around here. Bennett spends a lot of time laughing, saying “mmmmmmmm”, poking his food, dropping it for the dog, etc. Will this will be a problem or maybe he’ll turn into a quiet little eater too?

I went back today with Bennett so the caregivers could get a better idea of what his needs are. Well, he just loved it – he was all over the room exploring and checking out the toys. He liked it even better outside where he got to play in the sand box and ride on a little car. I don’t even think he noticed when I left to fill out paperwork. The kids didn’t seem as “robot-like” when they were playing. However, Bennett seemed to have more fun than anyone else. During story-time, he was excited and attentive and was all smiles when one of the caregivers was singing. The other kids didn’t seem nearly as excited – maybe because it’s all old hat to them? It’s hard to get the “big picture” when you’re only there for an hour.

Anyway, he probably won’t start until mid October. It will take a while to get all the paperwork done. I expect that there will be tears – mostly mine. Today was just a brief glimpse of what it will be like to let him go into the big world all by himself. The picture looks a bit scary to me, but apparently Bennett is much braver than I am.