Thursday, December 20, 2007

Transitioning

2 DTY/ 5 DTC

Tree Faerie is currently going through the transitioning process at daycare. Next week is the last week of transition, and she'll be staying through naptime before going back to the infant room for the remainder of the afternoon.

Because the daycare is only open 3 days next week, I went ahead and brought the nap mat I bought last night in case they wanted to try to put her down for a nap in the toddler room today and tomorrow.

Please note the "in case" phrase.

So, I told the infant room teachers this morning, and they sounded like they thought it was a great idea. On my way out to the car, I stopped to talk to the toddler room head teacher because she was in the lobby. She seemed against the idea, which is fine by me, but the assistant director was also sitting there and thought it was a good idea. I proceeded to go out to the car to get the mat.

When I brought it in, the head teacher was back in the room and immediately brought up WHY she thought it was a bad idea. Her reasons for not having Tree Faerie stay for nap-time today and tomorrow were pretty much based around the toddlers that were transitioning out of her room and whether they would have room to have Tree Faerie join them for a nap.

I think I finally convinced her that I really don't care one way or the other whether she naps in the infant room or the toddler room - I was really just giving them the option. This teacher seems to be a little afraid of how I'm going to react. I can see that the next couple of months are going to be interesting while we learn to work with one another. Hopefully I can find a way of ensuring her that I understand she has a job to do and all I want is to make that job easier so she can provide each child in her room with the absolute best care possible.

Wish me luck. Thankfully she's an extremely nice person.

11 comments:

Monnik said...

She's probably wary because of past experiences with moms who were less helpful and understanding than you. :)

I can only imagine the amount of advice and pressure to do things a certain way some moms might give daycare teachers.

Sounds like you're a nice mom to have a parent/teacher relationship with. :)

Annikke said...

I was going to say the same thing that monnik said. Having worked in a daycare for several years I can tell you that it is harder on moms to do the transition than it is the kids sometimes, so I bet the teacher deals with alot of less-than-understanding parents. I bet it wont be long before the two of you have a good relationship...frankly that is a transition too for you both!

Unknown said...

LOL! I've actually TOLD her that I know this transition is harder on me than on Tree Faerie. :) I'm really thankful that she is a really nice person, though. It makes it a lot easier.

TTQ said...

I really wish someone cared about my naps the way they do(and you). Esoecially in when I'm sick, which is half the time. One of my husbands clients actually called my hospital room once. Seriously.

Unknown said...

ttq - I think I might have had a few choice words with said client (unless they were a substantially high-paying one). Seriously.

Not Afraid to Use It said...

Isn't it amazing how you think you are being super reasonable, open-minded and flexible. But then the person looks at you like you are talking like the teacher from Peanuts? Waa-Waa Waa-Waa! Waa-Waa Waa-Waa? For crying out loud. I am glad that you feel as if you were finally able to convince them that you were flexible, I am just sorry that it took so much effort.

Unknown said...

OMG! That's exactly how I feel sometimes! I was just telling DTTF about it and told him, "I might have well been saying Waawaa WAA waa Waa!"

icanseeclearlynow said...

andrea, this is the kind of stuff that i wish i could have discussed with others when my daughters were younger. i learned quickly with family and friends that they just weren't interested in the world of daycare providers and/or teachers. blogs weren't around then. it would have been nice to have this outlet instead of the blank faces that were staring into mine.

you handled said situation very gracefully.

:)

maria

Unknown said...

icansee... - Thank you. I'm really thankful that blogs ARE around while I'm experiencing this. One of the main reasons I started this blog is to have a bit of feedback since I was having a hard time finding good mommy-friends in my area. Being a working mother excludes me from the playgroups in the area, and there's a particular person I'm trying to avoid that plagues the other mommy groups.

I'm glad I have an outlet. Plus, I tend to talk my problems out. Seeing them in black-and-white helps me have a more logical standpoint instead of an emotional one.

I'm rambling...

XYZinn said...

As long as she gets her nap in it doesn't really matter! If my kids don't nap, like today, we end up with a very difficult night!

KATE said...

I hope her transition goes well! Good Luck!