As a new mom, I found it stressful to contemplate leaving our son with anyone. Without family nearby to ask for help, who could I trust to watch him and care for him as meticulously as I did? Since I chose to stay home with him so I could complete my master’s degree, I never enrolled him in daycare. He was six months old before I agreed to hire an older teenage girl who had a string of younger brothers and sisters and came highly recommended by a friend. I hadn’t really talked to a teenager in years. How did I approach her? As another adult? She was being given an adult task and would she take it as seriously as I did? She clearly delighted in our little boy and I could tell she loved babies.
After leaving a long list of instructions, I smiled at her nervously, reminding her for the umpteenth time that I had my cell phone on me. I could tell that she was relieved I was taking my rattled self out of the house.
My husband and I left to go out to dinner. I strained my neck looking out the window to see if I could see anything through the living room window as our car took off down the hill of our street.
As much as I needed the short break, I worried, allowing myself one call to the sitter, and counting the minutes to return home. After all of my fretting, it seemed amazing that when I returned, our sweet boy was sound asleep and everything was just fine.
Over time the short separations got easier as I imagine the daycare or nanny routine gets easier for working parents. The truth is taking breaks from each other is healthy for parents, for marriages and for children, too.
Not convinced taking time away from your child is a good idea? Read more in my post “Why Time Apart from Your Child is OK” on ParentingSquad.com.
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