Daycare and then my long saga....

We started looking for a daycare in the late fall/winter time during my pregnancy. It is hard to find a daycare down here that is reasonably priced (you get what you pay for). The first place we visited was okay but I left the tour feeling very sad, I didn't want to drop my precious little baby off there and be away from her all day. Okay, so that means that was not the daycare for us. We saw a couple others and really liked the Goddard School. However, they are not cheap and their hours where not feasible with our schedules. So, I went on my own to a couple of daycares in Chapel Hill and submitted an application to one. I was nervous and started to consider quitting work and staying home with Clara. Then a woman from our birthclass said she was going to open an in-home daycare. She wanted to stay home with her child and thought what a great way to still make money too. Needless to say, we were the first to sign up for her daycare. And Clara loved hanging out with the boys.

She learned their names and now if you say "the boys" she squeals and starts naming them. They are her bff's.

It was really sad when my boss would not let me work a flexible (or reduced hours) schedule. Mike and I thought long and hard about what to do. We didn't want to remove Clara from Miss Lisa's, however, we really could not afford for me to quit my job. Luckily many opportunities opened up and I applied and interviewed for several jobs. But did not get any offers. Okay, so had to find a new daycare. Again, the search was, well rather, depressing. There was an opening at a daycare in Apex and it seemed nice and was reasonably priced. We submitted an application to save a space for Clara. But I literally would get sick thinking about having to take Clara to a new daycare. I felt awful, I couldn't sleep the days leading up to having to drop her off at the new place.

But a lot happened at work and we decided it was best if I quit my job. We let go of Clara's space at the new daycare and Miss Lisa watched her till my last day of employment at UNC. My stress level decreased, thank goodness for great people like Miss Lisa.

Studies show that parents, specifically moms, perform better at work if their child is being taken care of by someone/some place they trust and are confident in. Why couldn't my boss see that? It wasn't like I was asking for a permanent flexible schedule. I told my former officemate, I feel like I just went through a bad break up. 10 years of my life, I think, though, I am getting used to it, finally. And something will come along that will be a good fit for me. I feel daycare is a good thing for Clara and want to be able to provide that opportunity to her.