Thankful

As all newish moms are, I am nervous and at times anxious about placing my children in the care of others. I am so thankful for the YMCA this summer, and the opportunity to leave my daughter with someone that is perfect for her. Maggie is currently attending half-day, outdoor, daycamp with other 3-5 year olds. She is LOVING it. I thought maybe we would do a couple weeks for fun, but so far she has been to almost every week. The counselors know exactly how to encourage and motivate her. When I pick her up, they tell me how good she is and how thoughtful and what a good listener. As her mom, I don't always get to see these qualities, and I am beginning to realize how vital it is for children to have adults in their lives to encourage them. I think its so important for some of those adults to not be family. These counselors understand the exact mentality of a 3 year old in a way I never will. They let them be suddenly distracted by a funny shaped cloud, appreciate what they have to say about it, then gently guide them back to the group and activity at hand. My heart and gift is mostly for school agers. I know what to expect of them, I can provide the structure and humor that they need, and rarely get impatient with them. My 3 year old tries me and provokes an impatience, and sometimes frustration that I thought I had long ago outgrown. When I see her at camp though, in an environment where she can get messy, do paint and take a nature walk through the mud, I am thankful for people who know that kids need to get dirty to have fun. I forget that, and I don't like messes. Crafts are often daunting for me, because I don't want to deal with the cleanup. I am reassured that there are people that enjoy and care for my children, often in ways that I forget about. I think the nurturing that Maggie is receiving this summer from those staff is exactly what she needs at this stage in her life. And the time away and the feedback from the staff at camp gives me a new perspective of my fiercely independent daughter, and I can reflect on her in ways I couldn't acknowledge before.

As I prepare to leave both children in daycare 2 days a week starting in August, I am beginning to realize that it may not be the bad thing that I had initially thought. Having dropped down to part time to ensure that my children are home with me, putting them in daycare was something I had never considered. Now I am realizing that those people, experienced and perhaps even designed to work with 18 month olds and 3 year olds, may have an understanding of them that I am lacking. So I am choosing to look forward to the ways that my children will grow from their experience. If this summer is any indication of the quality of people the Y will bring into my children's lives, we have a lot to look forward to.