Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A Tip

Last night when I picked up my Little Bean at daycare, I was talking with one of her teachers and I asked about tummy time and how that was going. Would you even believe that Little Bean's teacher said "Great; she loves looking at the other kids."

What?

At home she screams like I laid her down on a bed of hypodermic needles. Needless to say, tummy time is far and between at my house, which possibly isn't so good for her little head (which I check obsessively to ensure no flatness... ) but I'm not talking about some whining when she's face down. I'm talking about bloody-murder "Holy Crap I hope the neighbors don't call Dyfus to come check on me" type screams.

But apparently hanging out on the floor with her little friends makes it more tolerable. So worth the large check I write out weekly.

So back to my Tip of the Week.

Just because daycare isn't the worst thing ever doesn't mean going back to work is awesome... or even a little bit fun. It's just necessary. But know what makes it a little bit better? A card from my mom in the mail that says lots of really nice stuff about me being a bad ass mom & includes a Starbucks gift card... you know, for the early morning drive to work when you're sort of still asleep. And then a call from my sister on Friday night asking how our first week was, and what did Little Bean do at school (we call daycare school... so what) and how was my week back at work and just some general, old fashioned support to let me know that she was thinking about us.

And then know what showed up at my office yesterday, on my first Monday back at work?

A box of happiness from my sister with a note that said she hoped this would help me get through the day a little easier. And you know what? It did.

I know that we made the decision that was right for us, but having that support system is amazing. And the card, phone call, and box of cookies? All came with the general message of "I know work sucks but maybe this will help it suck less". And I felt loved and supported, even though those 3 ladies live 3 hours away from me.

The take away? If you know someone going back to work after however many amazing weeks of maternity leave they had, send a card to their office letting them know you're thinking about them. Bonus points for gift cards for caffeine :-) And do NOT mention daycare sucking, because really? That is probably how you feel... not the parents. The parents probably found a daycare situation they love and feel 100% comfortable with... so keep your negativity to yourself. But bitching and moaning about work? Totally acceptable. I mean, it's called work for a reason.

2 comments:

Sue said...

I'm glad people helped to brighten a difficult day. As for tummy time...my son was a preamie and had to practice holding his head up. We finally found that putting him on the bed in front of the television with a colorful show (back in the day it was Sesame Street) kept his attention and he would forget to cry.

Kenya said...

That package looks sooo cute. You have an awesome sister.