July 1, 2002 - Monday
Today isn't Jeremy's first day at Harry's family daycare. He's been there on a couple of isolated occasions over the last couple of weeks, but today it becomes Jeremy's regular daycare, too. He and Harry will be together during the day, although Harry will start visiting his "new school" on occasion before he formally starts preschool in September.

"Did you have fun with Jeremy at [daycare]?" I asked Harry when I picked him up.
"Jeremy cried," he answered, a report confirmed by the daycare provider, although only for a little while in the morning after I dropped him off.

Jeremy never cried going to his old baby-sitter, but I suspect that's because she was always so doting and familiar. Now, at eight months, Jeremy is probably getting into a stage of separation anxiety and the new place has many more kids fighting (6) jockeying for the attention of the daycare supervisor. Jeremy was on unfamiliar ground and probably a little overwhelmed.

Interestingly, Harry started at a new daycare full at about nine months and bolted for all the new toys without hesitation, although when the novelty wore off he started with the sad face. Maybe at eight months Jeremy's in a little different place. And, this daycare, for better or worse, doesn't have the toys strewn about the room in the morning, favoring putty everything away and having a clean house.


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