What I'm Learning Putting My Son In Daycare

I’ve been reminded of an important life truth this week:

growth hurts

We’re transitioning our son into daycare. It’s not easy (big understatement).

This is something I want so badly for him. I want him to have friends his own age. I want him to understand social structures and learn from other people (both adults and children).

This is something I want so badly for me. I’m ready to be a grown up again. I want to focus on grown up passions and have grown up discussions.

And even though it’s something I want so badly, it still hurts.

He loses his shit when I leave him at daycare. And then I try to go about my day, not realizing that most of my heart (and a lot of my mind) is still in that daycare with him.

Sitting With It

This is an example of how sitting with your emotions is so valuable. I could try to ignore those feelings and just tackle my ‘to do’ list. I’d get a decent amount of shit accomplished, but likely not enough to feel good about the day. Knowing myself, I’d also eat emotionally which would further drop my mood.

Instead, I recognized (by day three ;) - I’m not perfect) what was happening. And I sat with the emotions.

Yeah it hurt. But life hurts some times. And this hurt at least has something good on the other side.

It allowed me to be in the moment, appreciate what was going on, and be a bit easy on myself. I may not have accomplished as much in the day as if I chased my ‘to do’ list, but I felt more grounded, present and fulfilled than I otherwise would have.

Given that ‘to do’ lists never end and that who we are each day is essentially our life, I’m glad I stopped.

Full Range of Emotions

I strongly value a life well lived (through both the highs and lows).

Life has many emotions. Highs, lows, and every in between. This was an opportunity to live into my value of a life well lived during a time that I would have preferred to avoid.

Although I wanted to avoid it, I’m so glad I didn’t.

What Does This Mean For You?

I’d invite you to stop. Stop what you’re doing right now and just sit there.

Ask yourself what’s going on. And just appreciate it and accept it.

Life is all of this. All the highs. All the lows.