Any parent can attest that sending your child to day care can be a stressful situation. You're letting go of the control you had while being home with the baby, hoping the baby will stay on a good schedule. Then they go to day care where you see a bunch of little faces looking up at you with gobs of snots dripping from their noses. And you think to yourself, "well, it's only a matter of time until my baby gets sick."
For us, that time came pretty quickly! Cam got his first cold which lasted three weeks; he even needed to be on Albuterol nebulizer treatments. Then he kicked that cold, stayed home with his Grammy for a couple of weeks and BAM! within a couple weeks of being back, the sniffles started again. Now we're back into a full blown cold with fever.
So... we send our children to day care so that we can go to work & make a living to support our family. But then we can't work when they get sick even though they contracted the sickness from day care! You just can't win! Mike had to leave work early today because Cam was running a fever & he'll be taking tomorrow off as well since a child can't come back unless the fever has been gone for 24 hours. I know that kids will get sick at some point & it will be either now or when they start kindergarten, but it can be very stressful!
But to all you parents or parents-to-be who will eventually need day care, try not to fret! There are definite positives about it: 1) Baby learns to socialize at a young age 2) Less likely to develop seperation anxiety 3) Baby gets to watch kids in other developmental stages & may be more encouraged to roll, crawl, walk, etc. 4) It allows Mom or Dad to have a life outside the house which may help you appreciate your baby more than if you were together 24/7.
And to all you stay-at-home moms or dads, hats of to you because that is probably the hardest job you can have! I would probably end up in a mental institute if I had to stay home all day with my baby. Don't get me wrong, I love Cam more than anything in the world but I'm a person that needs to have time for myself in the working world.
It basically boils down to the fact that when you become a parent, so many things change regardless if you work or stay at home. You always question yourself; am I spending enough quality time with the baby? Should I skip cooking dinner & play with the baby or let the baby watch a Baby Einstein video? And I know that no matter what age/stage your child is in, there will always be concerns or challenges; they may be different, but they're still there. Being a parent is a challenge, but at the same time, it is the best gift you can be given. Looking at your baby, knowing that you created him (or her), is the most amazing feeling in the world. It's something I will never take for granted.
So, let's all hope that Cam can kick the crap out of this sickness he's currently fighting with!
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