Kindy Dramas Part 2? 3? 4? September 26, 2009

So yesterday morning Nicklas and I picked Mike up from work so he could do the daddy drop off thing, since it worked so well on Tuesday. Well, either Nicklas was just fed up with being stuck with the babies or seeing me in the car in the parking lot while daddy took him in jinxed it and daddy drop off didn’t go so well. Not well at all, in fact. I got a call a couple of hours later saying he was REALLY upset and that they recommended me taking him out until a spot in the toddler room came available. They said he is so happy and settled in there, but going back into the baby room just reduces him to a melt down.

The short way of saying what I want to say is that he’s out until a spot comes available in the toddler room. They said there’s a possibility of that happening in about 2 weeks, as there’s a little boy in there not adjusting either, and they’re going to recommend to his parents that he be pulled out and try again in a few months. Not that hearing about another child being unsettled makes me happy, but I really hope that his parents pull him out!

So in the meantime, I have to figure out how the hell I’m going to get my paper written, and where I’m going to find a babysitter to watch him for Melbourne Cup if he’s not back in kindy by then! I know his wellbeing should be (and really, it is) my number 1 priority, but when you think you have 2 days a week child-free, you make plans! Now all those plans have to be re-shuffled.

Lets just hope in 2 weeks time this spot opens up and he gets in. He’d LOVE playing with the other toddlers 2 days a week!

Decisions September 15, 2009

Twice today I have been faced with making a decision. In the first instance, I was trying to decide between keeping my son in the babies room at daycare and taking him out until a spot in the toddler room came open. For now he’s staying in the baby room, as I don’t want to get him confused about being there, then not being there, then having to adjust to the new environment without mummy around again. Lets just all keep our fingers crossed that a space in the toddler room comes available SOON. I had both his carers, another carer and the centre’s DIRECTOR all tell me today that is much happier with the bigger kids, and that he NEEDS to be in the toddler room, there’s just not space there at the moment. I have been told that as soon as something comes available, he’s got first dibs on it, so as long as that actually happens, I’m not going to get too upset about all this. Although, I think it would have been MUCH easier for him to adjust in the room with kids his own size/age/skill sets level. As it is, his attitude and behaviour is up and down in the babies room. Well, duh, who wants to hang out with a bunch of babies all day!?

My second decision was made about 10 minutes ago. I was trying to decide between taking Sudafed (decongestant) that was 3 months past its expiration date, or a double dose of my son’s blackcurrent claratyne (Australia’s Claritin). A few factors were taken into consideration in making this decision, the most important being that I didn’t want to die. I know Sudafed can be used to make illegal substances, so imagine what it can do to you after its expired. A quick google search revealed a yahoo answers column that had mixed opinions. One answer said the expiration date is the date the drug company guarantees effectiveness til, so you can still take it but it might not be effective. Another answer said that drugs can become toxic after their expiration date and poison you. It was a little disturbing to me that the former answer was selected as the best! I think the latter is probably more sound advice.

I also thought about the Claratyne’s benefits, after all, it is blackcurrent flavour, how bad could it taste? Yeah, well!! Granted I haven’t had anything blackcurrent flavoured in a long time, but this is NOT how I remember it tasting! It is disgusting. Had I known that I would be taking the stuff 24 hours later, I would have made the decision to get PEACH instead of the blackcurrent.

What’s the moral of the story? You never know how today’s decision will affect you tomorrow, so think long and hard about it. Also, I will never buy my son anything “blackcurrent” flavoured again!

The Good and Bad of Kindy September 14, 2009

After I posted my Note To Nicklas about his first day at kindy, I went downstairs to see a missed call on my phone and a message from kindy asking me to call them. When I called, they said he was really upset again, and it was probably best if I went to get him. When I got there he was sitting in a high chair with his lunch. Note I didn’t say “eating” lunch, just “with” his lunch. He was having a fine time playing with his chicken and mushroom risotto, and it was all over the tray, the floor, and him. As soon as he saw me he started bawling, but as soon as I picked him up, he burried his head in my shoulder and grinned at the girls, as if to say, “See, I told you I’d get her back here.” They showed me a finger painting he did and, biased as I am, I thought it was brilliant. When I pointed out it was much better than any of the others’, my husband pointed out, “Yeah, but they were all 6 months old.” Touche.

That was Tuesday. Wednesday we picked Mike up from work and headed back to kindy to let him have a play while we were with him. And he was fine, he didn’t want to leave! Thursday we had a little playgroup with 4 other bubs (all girls – I’m sure he’ll love that in a few years) and then Friday he went back to kindy. Again, he took ages to settle down – almost 40 minutes to be exact. I ended up picking him up after about 2 hours, and when I got there, I peered through the window in the door and he was just fine! I considered leaving, and letting mum pick him up while I was at school, but thought it better if I went in and got him, so that he realised I will always come back for him. The staff think he’ll be fine, it will just take him a while to get used to them and the centre, or he will always just take a while to settle down.

Friday night, he got sick, and has been sick ever since. He hasn’t had a fever in over 24 hours though, so I think now it is just a cold. I’m hoping he’ll kick it before tomorrow morning so he can go to kindy, but I’m not getting my hopes up too high as I think it is probably unlikely. I know this is just the start of probably many-a-cold to come, now that he is going to daycare. But my hope is that his immune system gets nice and strong and soon enough he won’t pick up any of it! That’s how it is supposed to work, right?

He has had 3 really unsettled nights and has ended up in bed with us. I hope that we can get him back to sleeping through the night in his own cot! I also hope we can teach him to blow his nose soon, as it is so full of snot!

I am starving, and need to have lunch, but I know as soon as I post this and head downstairs, he’s going to wake up. I might have to go have a play around on facebook or DPS for a little while, just so I can continue to enjoy the silence. He’s a typical male…a huge sook when he’s sick! Ok, so that might be more due to the fact that he’s only 14 months old than the fact he’s a boy, but still…

A Note to Nicklas September 8, 2009

Dear Nicklas,

Today, you started kindy (aka daycare in the US or childcare in Australia), and I am sitting here at home and cannot stop thinking about you. I am wondering what you are doing, what you have eaten, who you have played with, whether or not you will go to sleep for Jaz and Claire…

This is supposed to be a win-win situation – socialisation for you, and a mini-break for me. But how can I relax when all I’m doing is worrying about you? I have even tidied and vaccuumed the whole house, just trying to take my  mind off whether or not you are ok.

This morning when I was with you at kindy, you were happy, but I saw your face when I left, through the window in the door. About 45 minutes later I got a phone call from Jaz saying you had been really upset and had taken about 15 minutes to settle. She assured me you were happy again, had eaten morning tea and you were playing with some toys, but still I worry.

You are in the babies room, but really belong in the toddler room. I am hoping that as soon as a spot comes available they’ll move you up. It broke my heart to see you sitting in the babies outdoor area, watching the kids your size and bigger playing on the playground and in the sandpit. There was a little girl in there who took a liking to you, and I watched as the two of you tried to figure out how to open the gate so you could go play with her. I’m convinced if you had started in that room, you’d have been fine when I left. I’d have already lost you to another woman! Perhaps it is a good thing you are in the babies room!

When Jaz called she said she’d call me if you got really upset again. They don’t want bubs getting too upset and associating negative feelings with the centre, or you won’t want to go back. So here I sit, writing you a letter, just waiting for my phone to ring with a message to come pick you up.

It’s only been 2 1/2 hours since I left you and I’ve missed you ever minute of it. Its never this bad when you’re with nanna or granddad. Your mum is just a giant sook. A giant sook who loves you very much, and hopes you’re having a great time and can’t wait to see you.

All my love,
Mum