Baby’s First Day of School

Wait, I have to wear pants?

My baby is starting school this fall. Okay, he’s starting mommy’s day out, which is really more like daycare than school, but it’s still a big change for us (me). I work out of the house full time, so he’s had caregivers since he was 3 months old, but we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have first a sweet nanny who came to our house and now I have an amazing friend who watches him like he’s her own. Mommy’s day out will be his first time in a big group of other kids, following someone else’s schedule, and all around not being king of the world.

The Fears

1. He’ll cry and cry and cry.

Little man knows the way to mommy’s heart and it’s tears and cries of “Mama!” I’m worried that I won’t be able to leave him or that the staff will find me huddled in the hallway in the fetal position because I’ve tried to leave but the cries have crippled me into immobility.

2. He’ll hit, bite or otherwise get himself banned from Mommy’s Day Out.

This is a double whammy of ONE worrying that my little angel will be not so angelic and embarrass mommy  hurt someone and TWO that we’ll be banned. Mama really, really, really needs some “me time.” I can’t remember the last time I got my hair done, much less sat in a coffee shop and sipped coffee without someone pulling on me, whining about something, or trying to steal my drink.

3. Nap, what nap? 

Mommy’s Day Out includes a two hour nap time, which is great, in theory. What it means is my baby who sleeps great in his crib, and only in his crib despite my best efforts, is going to just curl up on the floor with a bunch of other kids and nap. Riiiight. Can anyone say afternoon MELTDOWN?

4. Everything else…

In addition to the fears, there’s all the fun of planning healthy lunches that are clean enough that I don’t end up with a food smeared monster, being organized enough to be sure he always has clean clothes and diapers and otherwise doesn’t look like he’s been living with wolves. Oh, and he’ll have to wear pants, and probably socks and shoes. Poor guy. (Side note, he really does wear pants on a regular basis, and EVERY time we leave the house. Still, for some reason whenever I bring out the camera it’s a day when he’s not wearing pants.)

What fears do you have about the first day of school? What advice do you have to make things go smoothly? And finally, who’s going to be doing the happy dance in the parking lot with me about “mommy time” (once we are done sobbing about our babies growing up)?