Mom Cries While Dropping Her 3-Year-Old Off At Daycare For The First Time — 'I Don't Know How To Be A Person Without A Child Attached To Me'
Everyone warns you that your child might shed some tears, but you will most likely shed a lot more.
@strongstarfitness / TikTok Going to daycare or preschool for the first time is a big adjustment for any child — but especially for their parents. It can be overwhelming watching the little person that has been by your side since they were born march independently and confidently into their classroom for the first time.
One mother was experiencing all the feelings after dropping off her daughter at daycare for the first time, and it’s a sensation that many parents could relate to.
The mother cried and admitted that she ‘doesn’t know how to be a person’ without a child attached to her.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 1 million times, Courtney, who is a mother of three daughters, never expected the difficulty it would take to drop her youngest three-year-old daughter off at daycare for the first time.
“This little nugget has been with me, because of Covid and everything like that, every day of her life since she’s been born,” the emotional mother said. “I have been a stay-at-home mom to her, and I did not think it would be this hard for her to go to daycare.”
While Courtney acknowledged that going to daycare is beneficial for both her and her daughter, it does not make the transition any easier. “Separation anxiety is very very hard,” she said.
Despite Courtney being heartbroken over her youngest being away from her for the first time, she shared that the little girl thankfully walked into daycare strong and confident. “She went like a champ,” she said.
Courtney tried her best to “hold back the tears” while dropping her daughter off but failed. Luckily, the toddler assured her mother that everything was going to be alright.
“She was like, ‘It’s okay, Mommy. I’ll see you later. I’m gonna have fun!’” Courtney said. “And then that made me cry even harder because that’s what I’ve been telling her for the past few days.”
Now that her daughter is in daycare and her older two children are also starting school soon, Courtney confessed that she doesn’t know what to do with her days anymore. “I don’t know how to be a person without a child attached to me,” she admits.
Courtney’s struggle is one that many parents can resonate with.
“You wake up with a lump in your throat and a pit in your stomach. You try to keep it together, not wanting your little one to sense any negative emotions. But there’s nothing anyone can say or do to comfort you,” one mother wrote about dropping off her child for her first day at daycare in a personal essay submitted to ParentCo.
“You’re sad. Sad to be away from this little baby you’re used to spending all day with. You’re scared. Scared that your child won’t be taken care of in the way that you would care for her.”
There are a million tips parents can research to reduce the risk of tantrums from their children as they drop them off in a strange new environment; however, it is difficult to find advice that will ease their own fears.
Like their children, they are also entering a scary new chapter of their lives and deserve all the love and comfort.
It is important to recognize that these emotions are valid, whether it is with your first child or fifth. As exciting and beneficial as it is for children to be in daycare and socialize with others their own age, it will always be challenging for parents to watch their children venture into new parts of their life without them.
Luckily, many parents claim that over time, it gets easier.
“Transitions are hard, but each day will become more routine and less gut-wrenching,” the mother added to her essay. “Eventually, you’ll be in my shoes, dropping off excited kids who are anxious to play with their friends. You’ll miss them during the day, but explode with happiness at the smiling faces that greet you upon your return. It gets easier, trust me.”
Thankfully for Cortney, the next day already proved to be much easier for her. “Mommy feels a lot better now that we got the band-aid ripped off,” she shared in a follow-up video with her adorable daughter, who is excited about her new future.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.