Andrea's Adventures in Binkyland

Daycare

My mother-in-law called me at around 4pm today. She wanted to drop by and give me some clothes she had bought for Sasha. "All right," I said, "But Sasha's not here right now, she's still at daycare."

"Oh, how sad for her!" my mother-in-law said.

I was a little taken aback by this. True, I typically pick the little girl up between two and three. I didn't today, I explained, because Sasha fell asleep at daycare and I didn't want to wake her in the middle of her nap just to cart her home. But that comment has been bugging me ever since.

I think society as a whole has an idea that daycare is some sort of necessary evil, like visiting the dentist or paying taxes. Daycare breeds kids who are aggressive! Sick! Not securely attached to their parents! Babies belong with their mommies, right?

I say: Hell, no. Babies belong with people who love them, sure. Sasha's daycare provider really loves her, I mean really loves her, and not in the way I love a good movie, either. There are different daycare providers, and not all of them are very good, but Sasha's is probably one of the best -- for her, anyway.

Even aside from the matter of love and affection, there are other considerations. At daycare, Sasha has other children to play with, and toys that aren't hers. She's learning to share and play nice and being exposed to a variety of experiences she just wouldn't get if she were home with me, even if I were a stay-at-home mom, and even if I signed up for a dozen Gymboree and Mommy and Me classes and scheduled playdates like Casanova. Daycare is great for her, germs and all. Being in daycare a few extra hours a day, even if she weren't napping, is in no way "sad for her."

Picture her being cooped up at home with mommy, who is irritably trying to act as helpdesk for a customer in California. Picture mommy giving her an Oreo to keep her quiet long enough to get through the call. That's a lot more sad, if you ask me, and what's worse, sometimes that's exactly what happens.

Just had to get that off my chest.

In other news:

• I'm training for a 5K race the day after Thanksgiving, and last night did 2 miles at my personal best to date, 29:08.
• Sasha is getting over a case of bronchiolitis. It is similar to bronchitis, but involves the smaller airways. She has been on a steroid, an albuterol nebulizer, and then an antibiotic to head off another double ear infections before it took hold. Poor baby has been sick off and on since she was a year old. She seems OK now, so I'm getting her a flu shot tomorrow to see how much we can avoid this winter.
• I am making forays into the domestic art of freezer cooking! This involves making a triple batch of whatever's on the menu for dinner, and then freezing the rest. The question du jour is, how much do I need to have frozen before I feel right using some of the frozen meals?
• Sasha has a new game. She takes the pillow off our bed (it is bigger than she is) and stumbles around, hurling herself down upon it. This is apparently great fun. Sadly, her balance and aim are suboptimal, and she does not always fall forward onto the pillow. This is surely a precursor to jumping on the bed.

My kitchen is: Sticky and sparsely anted. I gave in to the urge to buy chemical ant bait, but you're supposed to give it a few days to take effect.

Posted by andrea at October 14, 2003 08:42 PM