Feeling guilty about early drop off
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Anonymous
| I just accepted a new position, where I have to be at work at 7:15. This means I will have to drop off my 3yr old at daycare at 6:30, put my son on the bus at 7:02 and then head to work 3 days out of the week. My husband can do drop offs two days out of the week. I will get off at 2:45 so it won’t be long days, but I am feeling so guilty about dropping my youngest off so early. Anyone have any tips on managing super early mornings? |
Anonymous
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Honestly, getting dropped off earlier is easier on most kids compared to getting picked up late, as long as you can manage the waking up and morning routine at your house.
Usually it's quiet at daycare and they can play quietly, nap if they want, or have something to eat and sort of ease into the day. If your daycare doesn't serve breakfast, I would consider packing him something to eat in the morning. |
Anonymous
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Yikes, that's really early -- but also seems like you have a really short commute? Good for you if you found a 10 minute commute!
First question, can you afford a morning sitter or nanny? Maybe a neighbor you could pay to come over? That would be best because your kids could sleep, eat a hot breakfast, etc. Otherwise, will your 3 year old sleep in the car or at daycare? We had an onsite daycare at my office, and one coworker with a crazy-early vanpool would park her sleeping child next to her desk until they woke up, then go down to daycare when the child changed out of PJs into day clothes. Are the kids eating breakfast at home or at their daycare/school? We used to leave the house at 7:00 and DD ate breakfast in the car. It wasn't ideal but it was okay for a while. |
Anonymous
| Sounds very unhealthy for everyone’s sleep TBH. Won’t be good for child’s development. |
Anonymous
| Morning nanny - 100% worth it. She can come over in AM, feed kids, get them to bus/daycare, and then be done. Hours are 7-9 or so. Being at daycare at 6:30 would mean getting kids up at 5:45 latest to be able to eat, get dressed, etc. That would suck. |
Anonymous
| Edit to add, I can’t do anything about 6yr olds drop off time as school starts at 7:45am. |
Anonymous
 Kids LIKE getting up early. It will be fine. Think of how much time you'll have in the afternoons to do stuff with kids!
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Anonymous
| Also as a teacher, I will have summers off. |
Anonymous
This. My kids would really like having me home in the afternoons (though they don't, I'm at work). They don't care about early wake ups. |
Anonymous
Not mine. My late riser wakes naturally at 7, my early riser wakes just after 6. I imagine OP will have to wake her kid up around 5:30 at the latest. |
Anonymous
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Sorry that sounds hard on kids.
Can your husband drop off everyday? I would do a nanny over 6:30am drop off. |
Anonymous
The kids go to bed earlier so they get enough sleep. OP: I think the idea of a morning nanny or helper is great, if you can afford it. If your youngest daycare provides breakfast, maybe you can give him a banana or some toast in the AM which will give him a bit more time to sleep. Your youngest will have to be on the bus at 7 AM in a few years for kindergarten anyways so it is not that big of a deal. |
Anonymous
| Yes the center does provide breakfast, on the 2 days my husband drops off, he can drop her off at 8. |
Anonymous
| Sorry OP, but I'm also in the camp that it's not good for kids' development to wake them up early. Kids get up when their bodies are ready. It's fine for there to be an exception here or there for emergencies and genuine schedule conflicts, but I'd never do this every morning. |
Anonymous
| Too early. even for a little kid. I would consider a morning nanny. |