Quest for a New Daycare: The First Week

Well, Kaleb has just finished his first week at his new daycare!  I think it's safe to say we've picked a winner!

On Monday, his Aunt Tonya (who works there teaching VPK) had a quick moment to check on him, and this is the message she sent me:

That instantly helped me to feel better.  After all, Kaleb's the one who spends his days at daycare, not me.  It's important to me that he be someplace where he can feel happy and secure.

On Tuesday when I arrived to pick up Kaleb, he proudly proclaimed "Mommy! Nobody bite me today!"  It was only then that I realized how Kaleb had come to believe that being bitten or hit at school every day was a normal thing, rather than the result of a daycare with too little structure and ineffective disciplinary techniques.

And his happiness has only continued.  Every day Kaleb is happy to be going to daycare, just as he used to be.  Every afternoon when I go to pick him up, I am greeted by a smiling Kaleb and a smiling teacher.  Daycare has become a happy event again rather than continuing to be one of the most stressful parts of my day, and that is as it should be.

Today is Friday, and as I was dropping Kaleb off this morning, he was greeted by name and with a smile from every daycare employee we passed!  He's been there barely a week, and they already all know him by name and are happy to see him!  I feel good leaving him there, knowing that the people responsible for him already care so much about Kaleb and what's best for him.

We have definitely made the right choice!

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Update, February 16, 2012:  Here's my official review of Kaleb's new daycare, now that we've had time to really get to know the new place and new people.

Quest for a New Daycare Has Ended! — Review of Malena's Mini School