Back to work adjustment

LizzyG11 · April 2014

So I recently was asked to come back part-time at the school I used to teach at in the kindergarten class. I am really looking forward to getting back into things, and seeing the kiddos, but I am unsure about how to handle things with DD, so I'd love some advice!

I will be working M-F from 2-6, and DD will be in a toddler room in the building next door (same school). She will be almost 16 months when I start in August (she is 11.5 months now). Most days she'll just go to daycare while I'm at work, for 4 hours, but a couple days a week she will go for a full day (9 or 10 til 6).

I am still nursing her a lot, probably 6 or 7 times a day. She nurses to sleep for naps (which is something I worry about as far as daycare naps go - she stays latched for most of the nap as she is not a great sleeper) and at bedtime, and gets really cranky and fussy if I don't nurse her right when she wants it. She will drink hemp milk (we are a non-dairy family) from her sippy on the few occasions we've given it to her but not as willingly as water.

What are some things I can do to ease her transition? I don't really worry about the short days, 4 hours isn't much longer than she's been left with a sitter before, but I am concerned about her adjusting to the full day. I have a few months to work on it, but I just have this vision of her wandering around the class upset because she realized she wants to nurse and I'm not there, or crying during nap time because I'm not there to snuggle and nurse her to sleep.

She's outgoing and friendly, so I'm sure I'm worrying about this more than I should, but it'd help to have a direction to work towards as far as making things easier for me and for her. I'd also rather not have to pump if I can help it!!

housewifebecomesher · April 2014

I don't necessarily have advice, but wanted to say my DD started daycare last week and we have been lucky to have an easy transition. We left a sleep sack at daycare which is helping her adjust to sleeping in the crib (instead of on mommy) and she is sticking to a really good eating schedule (BM from a bottle). Kids are so resilient, I think they adjust quickly. My LO is very social too, and I think she likes the teachers and other babies. I honestly think the whole process has been much harder on me than her, and working has made me appreciate my time with her even more than I already did. You can do it! Good luck.

blue_elle · April 2014

Is there someone you could do a trial run with while you're not working? That way if she really isn't handling it well you'd be available to get her. But I bet that when she's with someone else, and around other kids, she'll probably be so distracted that it won't be that bad. Everyone I've known who has kept kids say that the kids that get upset when they're dropped off usually cry for about a minute when mom or dad leave and then they're totally over it. Meanwhile mom spends all day sure her LO is heartbroken and sad.

LizzyG11 · April 2014

Thanks ladies, I know I'm probably worrying needlessly about her emotional adjustment, but I still worry about the nursing relationship and could use some advice on that front...like do I need to start training her to nap by herself? How do I do this (she is so dependent on nursing for sleep)? Should I start replacing feedings with a sippy once she is 1 or will she just adjust to not nursing at daycare on her own? Should I try and introduce a comfort item while nursing to let her bring for nap? Or would that make it worse if she associates the item with nursing and then can't? I want to nurse her for as long as she wants, and I hate to limit nursing sessions without real need because I feel like she needs it now, but I don't know how I'll feel in 4 months....but I don't want to wait to see how I feel and then have her be totally unprepared, nursing-wise, KWIM?

vvvvvfee · April 2014

i don't think you need to train your LO to nap by herself. she may be dependent on *you* nursing her to sleep, but that doesn't mean that she can't go to sleep with someone else via a different method. my DS wants to nurse to sleep if i'm around, but he can be sung/rocked to sleep by people other than me. plus at daycare everyone else will be sleeping-- peer pressure!

you could introduce a straw cup now, and then you can send her to daycare with your non-dairy milk. i don't think you need to limit nursing sessions now. you could definitely send a comfort item with her- sleep with a stuffed animal or something for a while so it smells like you. also agree with PP to send her to daycare for just an hour or two a couple of times before she starts for real so she can get used to it.

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