While the rest of the world, it seems, is starting a new semester, and my colleagues are starting a new quarter, my head has been in a completely different place. Over here in Absurdist Paradise, we've been checking out daycare centers (or as I like to call it, inspired by Sesame Street, playschool). It is frigging amazing how exhausting it is. While we ask questions and seem to be adults having a practical discussion, we're also watching Absurdist Tot, looking around, trying to get a feel for the place and the people and all-in-all trying to see what meshes with our parenting style and goals. But no matter how intellectual and practical and reasonable all that sounds, we're really dealing with an incredibly emotional issue -- who is going to take care of our precious baby for three days out of the week. He's such a happy rambunctious inquisitive person. What is best for him? It really is quite harrowing.
All that said, I would feel reasonably okay with any of the places I saw if we were in a bind. But which is best? That's harder. What kind of people are we? What kind of experiences would be best for our child? We've figured out which place we like best already, but. . .it was one of those experiences where we saw two places a day and then praised our accomplishments the rest of the day. Just to get through it. It is just really hard. No matter how much I know that he will probably thrive with a bit more structure, a bit more directed learning, other kids, new stimulation. . . my baby!
Plus we weren't able to figure out which places are where the granola-y go. (Maybe truly granola moms in this area stay home.) Tomorrow we're going to the natural foods store that we haven't visited here yet. I'm hoping that we'll be able to tap into the granola element here. So far, I haven't been able to find the granolaheads here apart from an alternative health store. Not that I've had time, until now.
Focusing on all this means that my goal of writing up a storm this week has not yet been fulfilled -- or can't even be said to have started. I did revise my Works Cited and my article, which made me feel all scholarly and inspired. Last week.
Well this is an inspired post. I think what I'm saying is that I'm going to be having a recuperating day. . .whether I want to or not. I'm so tired. I even slept in and am still so tired. Maybe reading blogposts will inspire me.
2 comments:
When we moved to a new town and were looking at toddler care, we found that the granola set went with the two Montessori schools with early childhood programs. But then, where we are, all of the other options are connected to churches or are true daycare centers.
I know it seems like an impossible decision at first! We're now on to the next phase: choosing a kindergarten! Public schools aren't the greatest here, so we have to look at charter and even private options. Crazy!
We're starting day care in Feb, when B is a year. The sitter thing got too expensive and left us in the lurch a bit too much. But there aren't great options for day care here, either. The so-called good ones (until she's old enough for Montessori) are the impossible to get into university one and the church ones. And by church ones, I mean daily bible study for one year olds. I'm assuming it won't harm her too much, and we hope to be elsewhere by summer. Still, it's an emotional struggle for us. I refuse to think about the first day ...
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