Parenting Advice?

[ste_noni]

Because they are both military daycares, both Ellie's new and old daycare have the same schedule. She always liked being there just before breakfast at the old school so that's how we started here. Well, the last week, she's been wanting to have breakfast at home. I told her that was fine, particularly because Frisco hasn't been eating breakfast well at school because he's always crying at drop off.

Ellie's main teacher, Mrs. S, who I know she loves and talks about a lot, comes in at 8. I've been dropping the kids at 7:30-7:45. The teacher there in the morning is Mrs. D. Well, yesterday and today, Ellie asked me if I could stay with her until Mrs. S. came in. I said no, not really because yesterday I had a doctor appointment and today, I could have but I didn't think it was a good precedent to set.

I ran into Mrs. S, who was coming in as I was leaving. She told me that she and Mrs. D both like Ellie and that Ellie seems to like them. She wasn't sure what the problem was but said that maybe she had helped create it. Because Ellie was new, and cute, she'd been letting her talk out of turn a bit more than normal to sort of help her adjust.

Talking to Mrs. S reassured me a bit. I think part of the problem is that Ellie doesn't like Mrs. D all that much. (Mrs. D is the one who, five minutes after we walked into the room on the first day, told Ellie that if she didn't sit on the carpet like she was supposed to, Mommy would have to leave. Which I know is the rules, but Ellie had been in the room all of 10 minutes.)

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out, at age 4, how much Ellie is supposed to solve on her own and how much I'm supposed to help her. I could easily just start taking her at 8. Mrs. S would be there and breakfast is over, which is I think the part Ellie doesn't like. Or I can keep taking her at 7:30 and let her deal with it. I know she misses her old teacher, Maria, who always gave her a big hug hen she walked in and let Ellie help set the table for breakfast.

Comments

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

If it makes no difference to you, I'd do the 8am dropoff. With so much change it would be nice to go a little easy on Ellie, and if it's manageable in your schedule, I see no reason to make her tough it out at this point.

Four is a really hard age to judge what they can handle and what they can't, I find. Three they are still babies, and 5 is pretty mature, but 4's all in between.

[maidengurl.livejournal.com]

I agree with Casperflea. If it doesn't impact your schedule, at least for a while, I'd go with 8am.

Bottom line though, you are the mom and if you need to do 7:30, then she will adjust, it just might take a little longer. Kids are so adaptable, way more than we usually give them credit.

[fiorituranotte.livejournal.com]

I'm not a parent, so I shouldn't give advice, but is it possible to ask the teachers if there is something Ellie can do to help at breakfast time like she did at her old school? Maybe she is missing that part.