A lot of people in the post below had a harder time leaving their infant because they're so little and need so much. But honestly, I have a harder time leaving my 2 yo DD than my 7 mo DS. DS doesn't really get it and as long as he is fed and changed, he's pretty happy. While my DD knows what is going on and can make me feel much more guilty if I let it. "NO SCHOOL! NO SCHOOL! MOMMY! MOMMY! I NEED YOU MOMMY!" She doesn't do this often, but she knows what Friday means and looks forward to weekends.
Anyway, glad to see the post below about positives for older kids, but was just curious about the responses.
Re: s/o "easier" to leave a baby or older kid?
I think it's harder for the mom to leave an infant until she has 100% comfort in the caregiver. I think it's harder for a older child to leave a mom. I guess it's your perspective of what is easier.
My mom SAH for the first 4 years of my life which she says were her happiest times. But I have no memories of that and just remember being a latch key kid with no moms on the sidelines for sporting events or band concerts. Once school starts (1st grade), I hope to cut back so I can be home with her after school 1-2 afternoons a week. I want DD to remember me being there for her, which she won't as an infant/toddler.
I also should add that I think I am lucky to have a balance of DD being with different grandparents 2 days a week and learning/playing at school the other 3. I think it would be harder to leave her at school 5 days at this age or younger.
met DH 1995 ~ married DH 2006 ~ completed our family 2008
Life is good!
Yeah, I think you posted something about this last week. Definitely got me thinking...
It was very easy for me to leave my newborn with my DCP, but it's getting harder now that she's almost 2. She's actually fun to be around now, ya know?
Luckily for me, DH does 3 dropoffs a week, and I only do one dropoff, so, I don't have to deal with it very much.
My twins are 5! My baby is 3!
DS#2 - Allergic to Cashew, Pistachio, Kiwi
DS#3 - Allergic to Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nuts and Sesame
Yup, I had a surprisingly easy time going back to work after ML, and then it started getting hard once DD hit a year or so.
To be brutally honest, the newborn thing is a little tedious for me so I was pretty okay having a break from it. I think toddler time is a lot more fun.
ITA.
Some things are easier when they're younger, some things are harder and vice versa. My 5 y/o is definitely more aware of the fact that I work now and asks me not to go to work, whereas he never did before. He also understands that some moms don't work now.
I always said that I was putting my time in when they were little b/c they didn't notice as much so that I could take more time off when they were older and I'm glad I did. I think they're more fun to be around now anyway and there is more to do with them. I think they need me more now too, but in totally different ways than they did before. They can do a lot for themselves, but I have to be there to do things I didn't need to before.