See You Later, Alligator

Today was a lovely day to attempt to shorten the daycare drop-off dance. There were only two other little kids there today, and we were so late that they were more than halfway through breakfast. And it wasn't our normal teacher (who is a wonderful person), but another wonderful teacher who used to be a regular in this room, and who loves Moodle to pieces.

I like to have Moodle walk in the door of her room under her own power, so it doesn't feel like I'm dumping her, and that still took a few minutes. She actually stands just outside the doorway for a minute or two, finger in mouth, looking at me like I'm an idiot while I explain why she should come in the room.

While she was having her internal debate, I told the teacher about my problems; timing and guilt. No worries, she says, I'm ready. Once Moodle was safely in the room, I bent down, picked her up, gave her a big hug and several kisses, and whispered our goodbye in her ear, "I love you. See you later, alligator." Then I handed her to our wonderful teacher, turned tail, and booked it. I caught a waver of the lip, but didn't hear her distinctive wail as I headed down the hall.

It took about 5 minutes, but I bet it isn't that short most days, even with my steely resolve to end the dance. We can do it!

Leaving Day Care Has Become a 20 Minute Ordeal

Why has it gotten so hard for me to do daycare drop off? I find myself coaxing Moodle into the room, and then sitting with her until she agrees to get off my lap and go to the breakfast table at school. It takes about 20 minutes for me to get out of there. I know I can go in, bring her into the room, give her a kiss and a hug, and go. I know she will cry, and that our lovely teachers can handle that.

I know kids have some separation anxiety at this age (we turn 22 months this weekend!). It's not that I can't bear to see her cry. It sucks, but at least I know why she's crying, and that it's developmentally appropriate, so it doesn't haunt me. And I know she's probably done with it before I even make it out of the building.

What bugs me is that I know she will need the attention of her caregiver as soon as I leave. And so if I show up when the kids are having breakfast, I feel guilty leaving her to deal with Moodle's tears while also juggling three or four kids who are eating or just starting to eat, or cleaning up, or making sure the resident spitfire doesn't draw on the walls with his breakfast burrito.

I need to get over it. Or I need to get to school 10 minutes earlier so I'm not in the middle of breakfast prep. I think I also need to talk about this with our teachers, so they can work their teacher-y magic, and we can work together to get me over it.

Any suggestions for streamlining our morning?

ps...Moodle eats like a Hobbit, so we call her school breakfast "second breakfast". Lunch is "elevensies".