daycare
Daycare pickup
08/26/08 05:07 Filed in: Family &
Friends
One year ago today
05/04/08 00:04 Filed in: Family &
Friends
Drop-offs have been hard this week
04/23/08 01:38 Filed in: Family &
Friends
I don't know exactly why, but my little guy has been
having a hard time being dropped off at daycare this
week. He's usually pretty good about finding toys to
play with, or hanging out with one of his teachers.
But this week, he's been very attached in the
mornings, particularly to me (my husband and I have
been dropping the boys off together). I wonder if
it's because I've been spending a lot more time with
him (now that I am done with my rotations) and he's
just getting used to that. That would be tough, since
I'll be starting intern year in less than two months,
and most likely won't be dropping them off on most
days.
Whenever my kids are sad when I drop them off, I obviously feel pretty crummy. As a parent, it's heartbreaking to leave your child when they are crying. My husband is much more practical about it than I am, and I am always tempted to go back in and hang out some more, but I know in the long run it probably would do more harm than good. I usually end up waiting in the hallway, listening to see if he stopped crying (usually within a minute). Luckily, it's not that common, and nearly nonexistent with my preschooler - all he needs is a few minutes to get situated and then a hug and a kiss (just like at bedtime). This morning, another mom was walking by as I stepped out into the hallway of my son's class and took a deep breath (he was crying mommy, mommy in the background) and she gave me a sympathetic look and said That must be the hardest thing for you.
It pretty much is the worst.
If there could be anything positive that I could draw from the experience, it is that as I walk out of the daycare, I'm super-motivated to be as efficient and focused as possible during the day, so that I can pick up my children as soon as I can and devote 100% of my attention to them afterwards. I'm usually thinking If I'm going to have to make them cry, this better be the most productive day ever, dammit! I'm pretty sure they aren't permanently traumatized by the experience (in general, they both love being at "school" and often don't want to leave), but that still doesn't help the mommy guilt. Sigh.
Whenever my kids are sad when I drop them off, I obviously feel pretty crummy. As a parent, it's heartbreaking to leave your child when they are crying. My husband is much more practical about it than I am, and I am always tempted to go back in and hang out some more, but I know in the long run it probably would do more harm than good. I usually end up waiting in the hallway, listening to see if he stopped crying (usually within a minute). Luckily, it's not that common, and nearly nonexistent with my preschooler - all he needs is a few minutes to get situated and then a hug and a kiss (just like at bedtime). This morning, another mom was walking by as I stepped out into the hallway of my son's class and took a deep breath (he was crying mommy, mommy in the background) and she gave me a sympathetic look and said That must be the hardest thing for you.
It pretty much is the worst.
If there could be anything positive that I could draw from the experience, it is that as I walk out of the daycare, I'm super-motivated to be as efficient and focused as possible during the day, so that I can pick up my children as soon as I can and devote 100% of my attention to them afterwards. I'm usually thinking If I'm going to have to make them cry, this better be the most productive day ever, dammit! I'm pretty sure they aren't permanently traumatized by the experience (in general, they both love being at "school" and often don't want to leave), but that still doesn't help the mommy guilt. Sigh.
What am I doing these days?
04/18/08 13:56 Filed in: Family &
Friends | Medical
Now that I am finished with rotations, I have a
fairly flexible schedule. But even though I should
feel more relaxed, it almost seems as though I have
more to do! I think it has to do with the fact that
during rotations, I put off anything that isn't
urgent or immediate. That list grows pretty quickly
and of course, when I finally address it, it's
impossible to manage.
Here's a short list of what I did yesterday:
1. Researched kindergarten options (more to come on this soon). Sounds early right? Believe me, it isn't. It's a very complicated situation in our area.
2. Spoke with a mortgage lender. We're curious to see if we are eligible for any special first-time homebuyer physician loans. This is in part related to #1.
3. Called our local AAA life insurance agent to discuss options and quotes. At my school's financial aid exit interview, I was reminded about the importance of life insurance for those who have children or other dependents. When our first was born, I remember thinking it would probably be a good idea to buy some. Seeing as how I am more than 3 years behind schedule, I figured I should take care of this before I start intern year. Looks like we'll be picking up some term insurance.
4. Shopped for dress shirts and ties for my husband online. Now that he'll be a real attending, he should probably look the part.
5. Made 3 dozen chocolate-chip cookies for my kids' preschool teachers in appreciation for all their hard work this week. It's the NAEYC Week of the Young Child and they've packed the week full of fun activities for the kids. More to come on this soon.
6. Finally finished my intern biography and survey (due today) as well as formatted a photo to send for their files. I have yet to read and sign my contract but I can get to that tomorrow.
7. Updated the website.
8. Purchased some travel insurance (again, through AAA) for our upcoming vacation. I usually don't buy into these things, but with all the airline bankruptcies and the ridiculous policy of specifically not covering strollers and carseats in their usual luggage damage protection, I figured $60 was not a terrible price to pay to make sure we were covered. Schedule delays, lost luggage, and health coverage were included too.
9. Three loads of regular laundry, and then the bath rugs as well (minor potty accident).
10. Collected some outgrown baby and maternity work clothing to pass on to a good friend.
There were a bunch of things I didn't get to yesterday, but are on deck for today:
1. Research, research, research!
2. Read through my residency contract, sign it, and mail it in.
3. Make a huge macaroni casserole for the daycare potluck tomorrow.
4. Organize my school loans (including undergrad) so I know who all my lenders are and what the repayment will be.
5. On a related note, fill out the paperwork to defer my subsidized loans while I am an intern.
There are more, but I should probably stop writing these lists and work on #4 and then start #3 so I can be ready in time for dinner.
Here's a short list of what I did yesterday:
1. Researched kindergarten options (more to come on this soon). Sounds early right? Believe me, it isn't. It's a very complicated situation in our area.
2. Spoke with a mortgage lender. We're curious to see if we are eligible for any special first-time homebuyer physician loans. This is in part related to #1.
3. Called our local AAA life insurance agent to discuss options and quotes. At my school's financial aid exit interview, I was reminded about the importance of life insurance for those who have children or other dependents. When our first was born, I remember thinking it would probably be a good idea to buy some. Seeing as how I am more than 3 years behind schedule, I figured I should take care of this before I start intern year. Looks like we'll be picking up some term insurance.
4. Shopped for dress shirts and ties for my husband online. Now that he'll be a real attending, he should probably look the part.
5. Made 3 dozen chocolate-chip cookies for my kids' preschool teachers in appreciation for all their hard work this week. It's the NAEYC Week of the Young Child and they've packed the week full of fun activities for the kids. More to come on this soon.
6. Finally finished my intern biography and survey (due today) as well as formatted a photo to send for their files. I have yet to read and sign my contract but I can get to that tomorrow.
7. Updated the website.
8. Purchased some travel insurance (again, through AAA) for our upcoming vacation. I usually don't buy into these things, but with all the airline bankruptcies and the ridiculous policy of specifically not covering strollers and carseats in their usual luggage damage protection, I figured $60 was not a terrible price to pay to make sure we were covered. Schedule delays, lost luggage, and health coverage were included too.
9. Three loads of regular laundry, and then the bath rugs as well (minor potty accident).
10. Collected some outgrown baby and maternity work clothing to pass on to a good friend.
There were a bunch of things I didn't get to yesterday, but are on deck for today:
1. Research, research, research!
2. Read through my residency contract, sign it, and mail it in.
3. Make a huge macaroni casserole for the daycare potluck tomorrow.
4. Organize my school loans (including undergrad) so I know who all my lenders are and what the repayment will be.
5. On a related note, fill out the paperwork to defer my subsidized loans while I am an intern.
There are more, but I should probably stop writing these lists and work on #4 and then start #3 so I can be ready in time for dinner.
Why daycare dropoffs and pickups can sometimes take a long time
03/31/08 01:24 Filed in: Family &
Friends
In the photo on the right, the boys are each trying to squeeze between the trees. The other two photos show them driving the ride-ons in the courtyard, and then pushing the corn poppers every which way, while I'm standing there with two lunchboxes, two backpacks and a large bag of wet/dirty clothing and a stack of artwork, saying Okay boys, time to park the poppers please. Time to go home for bath and dinner!
It's amazing that parents of toddlers can get anywhere on time. Depending on what time everyone gets up in the morning, it can be pretty tough to keep on schedule. Someone always needs a diaper change or a visit to the potty right as we're putting on our shoes to get out the door. It's really impossible to rush them, unless we're prepared for some sort of meltdown. I guess this is why our alarm is set for 5:45am on weekdays (depends on what rotation I am on). It's much easier to help the boys get ready for school if the lunches are made and everything is ready to go before they get up (which ranges from 5:45 to 7am, but usually happens around 6:30am).
4.5 wonderful hours of my day
02/12/08 02:29 Filed in: Medical
| Family &
Friends
J has a lot of call this month, plus he has to work
every Saturday, so the boys and I have lots of time
alone together. Of course this means I am pretty
exhausted at the end of the evening, which is why I
fall asleep after their bedtime at 8:30pm (big thanks
to J who has been doing dinner clean-up duty alone
when I crash) and then get up really early to read
and do work (like now).
As a general rule, when we are with the kids, all of our energy and attention is devoted to them. That makes it pretty hard to get anything else done (so we don't do any chores until after they go to bed). The exceptions are when I am preparing snacks or meals for them, when I put A in the playpen (which he will tolerate for maybe 10 minutes, depending on what toys I put in there with him) and have M play or read independently. Occasionally, he'll play with A through the playpen mesh (peekaboo and other hiding games) which is really cute (and great for me).
People often ask me if I think we spend enough time with the kids, and that is a big worry of mine with residency coming up. If I end up seeing the kids as much as I do now, I'd be thrilled. It'll probably turn out to be less, but I'm currently trying to devise ways to maximize the amount of time I will get to see them. In medical school, it varies based on which rotation I am on (I'm currently on radiology right now, which is pretty light). Hopefully I'll still be able to spend lots of quality time with the boys even when I am a resident.
Currently, I spend about 1.5 hours with them in the morning before dropping them off at daycare, and then about three hours with them afterwards before they go to sleep. And all their waking hours on the weekends. I know there are lots of opinions out there about that being too few or even too many hours (being a parent means opening yourself up to a whole new host of unwanted judgement by other people, something I am not thrilled about). But it works for us, for now, and we'll adjust accordingly as our schedules and their needs change.
They clearly know we are their parents, and prefer being with us over being anywhere else, so i am feeling encouraged that we can develop a healthy, nurturing relationship with our kids. It certainly helps that they love going to "school." In fact, after spending two days at home with me when he was sick last week, A seemed bored at times. And while I was feeling conservative about bringing him back to daycare because I worried he might not feel up to it, I asked him if he wanted to go to school. Ee-yah he said. He's still a little hesitant at drop-off time but when I peek in the room after a few minutes, he's off playing with his little friends, usually digging holes in the sand.
Of course, ask me again in a few weeks when I do a critical care rotation with longer hours, and I'll probably half-jokingly tell you I want to quit med school.
As a general rule, when we are with the kids, all of our energy and attention is devoted to them. That makes it pretty hard to get anything else done (so we don't do any chores until after they go to bed). The exceptions are when I am preparing snacks or meals for them, when I put A in the playpen (which he will tolerate for maybe 10 minutes, depending on what toys I put in there with him) and have M play or read independently. Occasionally, he'll play with A through the playpen mesh (peekaboo and other hiding games) which is really cute (and great for me).
People often ask me if I think we spend enough time with the kids, and that is a big worry of mine with residency coming up. If I end up seeing the kids as much as I do now, I'd be thrilled. It'll probably turn out to be less, but I'm currently trying to devise ways to maximize the amount of time I will get to see them. In medical school, it varies based on which rotation I am on (I'm currently on radiology right now, which is pretty light). Hopefully I'll still be able to spend lots of quality time with the boys even when I am a resident.
Currently, I spend about 1.5 hours with them in the morning before dropping them off at daycare, and then about three hours with them afterwards before they go to sleep. And all their waking hours on the weekends. I know there are lots of opinions out there about that being too few or even too many hours (being a parent means opening yourself up to a whole new host of unwanted judgement by other people, something I am not thrilled about). But it works for us, for now, and we'll adjust accordingly as our schedules and their needs change.
They clearly know we are their parents, and prefer being with us over being anywhere else, so i am feeling encouraged that we can develop a healthy, nurturing relationship with our kids. It certainly helps that they love going to "school." In fact, after spending two days at home with me when he was sick last week, A seemed bored at times. And while I was feeling conservative about bringing him back to daycare because I worried he might not feel up to it, I asked him if he wanted to go to school. Ee-yah he said. He's still a little hesitant at drop-off time but when I peek in the room after a few minutes, he's off playing with his little friends, usually digging holes in the sand.
Of course, ask me again in a few weeks when I do a critical care rotation with longer hours, and I'll probably half-jokingly tell you I want to quit med school.
Chasing M
05/17/07 05:49 Filed in: Family &
Friends
Those of you who have toddlers will appreciate how
difficult it is to get them to hustle them out the
door in the mornings. Something that should really
take 10 minutes ends up taking 45, which means that
it takes at least an hour for M to get up, have
breakfast, and get dressed for school. Putting on
socks and shoes and getting buckled into the car also
takes a while. Lately, what has been working for us
to get him moving is to have A "chase" him. We
started doing it to get M upstairs for evening bath,
and occasionally do it (so as not to lose its magic)
to get him to hurry in general. M thinks it is funny
(so does A), and it helps shave those few extra
minutes so we can get to work/school on time.
This particular day needed to be a quick drop-off at daycare:
This particular day needed to be a quick drop-off at daycare:
TGIF
04/20/07 21:25 Filed in: Family &
Friends
M has a lot of fun at daycare,
and some days it can be hard to get him to
leave. Not today though...wheee!
Daycare for A... sniff sniff
12/05/06 07:36 Filed in: Family &
Friends
We finally got the email that A can start daycare
(huge waitlists in this neighborhood), and today is
his first day. I'm feeling a bit sad about not
getting to spend all day with him anymore (boy was
that a treat!). It just reminds me that he's growing
up, even though he's only about 3 months old. And it
reminds me of all the work and reading I need to
catch up on so I am not totally incompetent when I
get back to my rotations in January. But I am looking
forward to having a little bit of a break so that I
can focus my energy on something else for more than
an hour or two a day. I think M will like knowing
that he's not the only one who has to go to "school"
(even though he
loves it) and now he can show A the ropes.
Time really flies by when you have kids growing
up right before your very eyes.
Morning Drop-Off at Daycare
11/09/06 21:08 Filed in: Family &
Friends
Here's a photo of M I took this morning when we
dropped him off at daycare. He's been going there
since he was about 10 weeks old, and he really likes
it. Some days he doesn't really want to leave (at
least not right away), since they have so many fun
toys and activities there. He also has lots of
friends too. It's really cute. I can't believe how
fast he's growing up. Time really flies by, and it's
extra-noticeable when you have kids. It doesn't seem
like it was that long ago that he was a tiny little
newborn too. Sigh.
Oh, and I almost forgot - the pop quiz. A is on the left, M on the right. Even I thought that was tough.
Oh, and I almost forgot - the pop quiz. A is on the left, M on the right. Even I thought that was tough.