It's a Big Day for Quinn!

Today my baby started his first day at his new school.  Well it is not really a school but rather an in home childcare center... but it sure is new to him!  We have been so fortunate to have my Grandma take care of Quinn since I came back to work when he was twelve weeks old, but now, the time has come.  Both Grandma and Quinn will benefit from this new chapter in his life. 

Quinn is 19 months old now and outside of his big sister he isn't really exposed to other kids, especially kids his own age.  He has so much to learn, like how to sit at a table with a group of kids and eat.  How to nap at a designated time each day and interact with other kids and learn from them, to express his feelings hopefully in a better way than his current outlet...biting, to engage in play and gain independence as his own little person apart from his sister.  It is going to be a really good thing.

It has been a bigger struggle than I thought to find a good home for Quinn to go to.  I am partial to centers over home care as you have to put so much trust into a caregiver in their home.  But for now, in home care is the right fit for us as Quinn will be attending just two days a week for now.  The childcare centers don't find their ideal customer to be a part time attendee therefore, you don't really get much of a break for part time.  You may as well go full time for what they will charge you.

I spent alot of time searching our city on a website called www.mnchildcare.org which has been a great resource in finding licensed childcare near our home.  If you are starting a search, this is a great place to begin.  I think at the beginning of our search I screened about 30 candidates, 8 making it to the final cut, the in home interview.  Each time I found one that warranted a visit I got so excited, this was going to be perfect!  The location is great, the kids will love it! (a few had the option of Paige catching the bus before and after school)  But time after time I would leave disappointed, heavy hearted.  A few I was hesitant to even ring the doorbell.  But I did, giving each the benefit of the doubt.  Will I ever find a place I will trust to leave my baby?

I had finally exhausted the entire list of names available to me.  I had spoken to many great providers by phone but quickly found that until Quinn turns 2 my options would be limited so I was down to the wire with not alot of places left.  I took the day off of work and scheduled 3 last interviews hoping that just one, would be it.  If not we were going to have to suck up full time rates for part time care!  Of the 3 homes I visited two turned out to be contenders!  Thank goodness this search was about over, it was getting a bit exhausting.

It had been a toss up all week, the pros and cons weighing on my mind between the two homes, the benefits and what I felt was lacking.  I was torn but finally decided on a home where I "clicked" with the provider, I felt really comfortable with her and I thought Quinn would too.  My biggest hesitation with her was that she charged significantly more than any of the other providers I spoke with did.  And her prices never reduced as a child gets older which is odd.  But I had made my decision, and it was hard...they were neck and neck.  Well the Friday before Quinn was supposed to start I received a call from the provider saying she had forgot she was on vacation the day Quinn was to start.  What?  And in another state none the less for a wedding.  How do you forget something like that?  Isn't it your job to know when your kids will be in your care?  Well that flipped my instincts right back to the other home.

I pulled out all of my paper work and sat down with the list of references that Susan had given me, and began calling them.  Each of the four mothers I spoke to had good things to say about their experience with Susan and her level of care.  That made me feel good, and on our 2 visits I hadn't seen a happier group of little boys.  Yes, all boys, 8 or 9 I believe!  Quinn will have fun.  Oh, and Susan has the best yard, in fact that may have been one of my favorite things about her home.  Quinn will have so much fun out there, he can't get enough of the outdoors.

Well Quinn started today, I brought Paige with to see him off.  This was now his third time there so he was getting a tiny bit more comfortable there, just an itty bitty bit.  For the first 5 minutes he clung to me like a little monkey with his face buried but little by little he started to peek out.  When Susan mentioned that we should go see the puppy Shelby, he hopped off of my lap and padded over to the kennel.  He and the other boys were reaching in and petting Shelby but all the while Quinn kept his eye on me.  After a few minutes I decided it was time to make my exit, Paige said goodbye and headed for the door while Susan took Quinn from me and distracted him by opening the patio door and showing him the great backyard he would get to play in once it warmed up a bit.  I snuck out and told Susan I would check in after lunch....which I did and Quinn was having a pretty good day.  No tears, but he wasn't sure what to think about the organized mealtime and naptime.  He has never had to follow a schedule with Mommy and Granny!  Well I guess once Susan crash courses him this week into a schedule we will have to do our best to follow it.  it will probably make life a bit easier for everyone.