Dreadful Adjustment Period

Kudos to you on being so strong throughout everything...My only advice to you is one my mother gave me. Take a small stuffed animal and try to have it with you all them time(while your home) to get that mommy smell on it - maybe tuck it in your shirt at night - then leave that with him so he can smell you...I did something similar with my babies, but I would take off my night shirt and roll it up and leave it near them when they were small so I could leave them with daddy - to even go to the store...this did help them not melt down...my kids were younger though then 6mon.and so I'm not sure if it will work.. and on another note I did have to leave one of my sons at daycare once when he was 3months old for about a year...he did adjust and I just made sure I kept a good relationship with the employee watching him..they did provide a time sheet of how his day was and that did help...Sometimes the transition is worse for mommy than it is for baby - hang in there.
God Bless
A.

It can be soo hard to see your baby cry. My 2 year old boy started pre-school in August, and for the first 2 weeks, most of the kids in his age group cried and clung to their parents when dropped off in the morning. But it got better every day. The advantage a daycare center has over a babysitter is that there are other kids around, so your little one will be distracted quickly. Don't worry about him being upset in the beginning, he will adjust and eventually should even look forward to going, because he will have made friends. And when he sees all the other kids eating, he'll start eating too, even if he skips a day or so in the beginning.

One tip: on the first day, go there early if you can and, if it's okay with the teachers, spend a little time with him showing him all the cool things they have to play with. Then reassure him that "Mommy will be back soon!" (Once that message finally sunk in with my son he was fine and now loves going to pre-school, even telling the other kids "Mommy always comes right back!"). Then make your good-bye short and sweet and leave - save your tears for when you get in the car. He needs to now that you think it's okay for him to be there because it's a safe and fun place, and soon he'll accept that himself.

Good luck with that and your new job!
S.

Hi S.! You certainly sound mature for a 24 year old! Good for you. You didn't mention how old your son is. My son, (who is now 3 1/2, has been in daycare since he was 4 months old. Belive me, your son will get used to it. Kids thrive on repetitiveness. He will love it. I promise. And, he will eat when he gets hungry enough!! Please feel free to e-mail me back!

J.

You don't say how old your baby is, but what your daycare facility told you is true. They do have experience in dealing with the separation. If your son is an infant, then they should be holding him alot. Visit them during your lunch hour, if it will make you feel better, but I think it will be easier on your son if he doesn't see you...
It's important that when you leave him with the caregiver, you don't drag out your goodbyes. Hug him, kiss him, tell him you love him and that you'll see him soon. Then leave, and don't go back to him once you've said goodbye. Don't show him that you are upset about leaving him. If he senses that you are upset, this will make it worse for him, and wil reinforce his crying. It's really hard, especially since it sounds like this is the first time you've left him for any length of time with anyone.
After you've left him, call the daycare center and ask them how he's doing; he may surprise you and stop crying after 5 minutes!
Good luck; sometimes it harder on the parents than it is on the baby!