I posted here a year or so ago. My daughter was just going back to work, and I was just starting to watch my grandson during the day. My daughter and husband put a camera in their family room, with some nonsense about putting it there because they gave their house code to workers. There was only one camera, pointed right at the family room couch where I would probably spend most of my time with a 3 month old. I gave them the benefit of the doubt when they removed the camera, after several days of my letting them know how uncomfortable it made me.
Fast forward 9 months. That first baby, after 9 months of caring by me and husband, was put in daycare because “it’s time for him to develop socialization skills.” He cried every day for weeks, but my daughter said the daycare said that’s normal. It usually takes new children 2 or 3 weeks to adjust. I thought to myself, “Well of course. It shouldn’t take more than 2 weeks to crush the spirit of a 1 year old.” It really was gut wrenching for me to think of him crying in daycare, at the beginning, I am used to it now, even though there are times when I pick him up from daycare and I see him crying. Most of the time, he is just playing, but always runs to me and is happy to be leaving.
Now, there is a second baby. My daughter wants us to take care of him for 9 months, then he will go to daycare.
I don’t want to go through that “break-up” again. To me, if you are willing to put your child in daycare at 12 months, when you have the option of loving grandparents, you might as well put him in at 3 months.
Personally, I don’t think children should go to daycare, if there is another option, until 3. Maybe 2, depending on the child. But 12 months is young. But, they are her children and her choice.
And I wrong on wanting to pass on watching the second child? I feel so guilty, but it is a huge strain on our lives.
What say y’all?
