Adjusting to daycare?

Question

My son is 27 months (2 years) old and he’s been watched by my parents for the last year while I’ve been back to work, and my parents can no longer take care of him (I’ve been paying them the rate I’d pay a daycare). I have to find a daycare to send him.
My anxiety is out of control. I’m so afraid of sending him somewhere he might get hurt, abused, or murdered. I am so unreasonably afraid of trusting others to care for him. The stress is getting to me and I am beyond scared.
What if he thinks I’ve abandoned him?
Will he nap there? What if he won’t eat what they give to him? What if he’s still hungry after lunch and they won’t provide more for him? What if he gets hit, or bitten? He doesn’t talk much - he’s just starting to - and I’m so scared something is going to happen to him and that I can’t protect him. 
Someone please help ease my mind.
Tell me I’m not alone and that it’s going to be okay. 😓

Answer

Every state has licensing information online that you can search by daycare and see what their violations have been. That’s a pretty easy way to start narrowing down places! We specifically excluded anywhere that had left/forgotten a child unattended from our consideration. Parents always have a harder time leaving their kids at daycare than kids have being left at daycare. The ones who do the best at drop off are the ones who’s parents don’t make a big deal about it (carrying on with hugs and kisses, saying they’ll be back soon, basically exaggerating he situation). Kids are very resilient. He will take some time to adjust and do great!

Answer

You're not alone and your concerns are all valid concerns. You want nothing but the absolute best for your baby, but the best sometimes means giving them their independence. Does he feel you abandoned him now while he stays with your parents no...so he won't feel any differently at daycare. Will it be a transition that takes time to adjust to yes but he'll be fine and being able to socialize and play with others his age will do nothing but wonders for him and his confidence. As for him not eating or sleeping or being mistreated, trust your instincts. And you might be surprised, my son actually eats better at daycare then he does with me, and napping dont stress too much over it. Some kids around his age start to fade out of napping, if they have a set schedule of when nap time is he'll get used to it. Final thought again just trust your instincts and know in your heart just because it's hard on you doesn't necessarily mean it's as hard on him.

Answer

You are not alone. I felt the same way but daycare has been amazing for my almost 2 year old. Before daycare she was cared for by her grandma.

Answer

I understand your anxiety but the horror stories you hear about daycare are like plan crashes. You don’t hear all the good stories just the horrible ones. Do your research and find a place you are comfortable with. Your baby will adjust fine. He’ll join in and end up loving it. I bet you’ll even see some improvement in his speech once he is surrounded by peers all day. Good luck!

Answer

It’s normal to feel they way you feel. I had these same anxieties when I had to put my daughter in daycare at 16 months. I’m glad at least she was verbal at that point so she can tell me if anything was wrong. 
We found a very reputable nonprofit daycare (Bright Horizon) and they were AMAZING. Granted we paid a lot more than other daycares in my area, but we received the quality care we paid for. They provided 2 snacks and a organic lunch cooked on site by two chefs. They honestly treated us like family and all her teachers loved her so much. It was sad for us to leave after 2 years. 
We paid $1,150/month for 2 days a week of daycare. 
Tour as many daycares as you can and you’ll get a feel for each one. When we walked into Bright Horizon, we knew it was the place for us.

Adjusting to daycare?

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