Transitions

We knew the day would eventually come when our nanny would leave our family and move on to bigger and better things.  She's been in school since we met her and has a goal of finishing her business degree.  When you're in a really good routine and so comfortable with someone, it's easy to forget it won't last forever, so it still took us by surprise when she announced her last day would be December 9. 

As much as we loved having a nanny, we decided to enroll our kids in a daycare center.  I surprised myself by how quickly I warmed to the idea.  Considering how we're in the middle of the adoption process, a daycare center is a better childcare option for the time-being over finding a new nanny.  We don't have to worry about the nanny leaving us close to the adoption, which will be a time of huge transition that we don't want to also have the transition of a new daycare provider too.  It had also become overwhelming to think about not only what kind of nanny would be the best fit for our family now, but also who would be the best fit for three kids, one of whom we don't know anything about, such as age or health needs.  The daycare center meets our kids' needs now and we can reevaluate hiring another nanny after we adopt. Meanwhile, we have the flexibility to pull the kids when we go to China and during my maternity leave without worrying about impacting a nanny's livelihood.   

At ages two and four, I feel so much more comfortable with the kids going to a daycare center than when they were younger, just as I felt more at peace with the decision to go back to work after Soren was born than after Oliver was born and I was adjusting to being a first-time mom.  They're at an age where I think they'll adjust to the transition to attending daycare and they'll really enjoy it.  I took the kids with me when I went to check the place out and they loved all the new toys and activities they had available in each classroom.  I know there'll be tons of tears at drop-off in the beginning, but I also trust there'll be a lot they like about their new daycare.