The other day I was at my daughter’s friend’s birthday party and all of us mummies were sitting at one corner and watching the kids play. The party was organised at an indoor play area for kids and naturally all kids were going berserk exploring the amazing play park.
Since my daughter goes to the day care most of her friends happen to be the ones who spend the maximum time with her in the day care. Naturally all we "day care mothers” are friends too and have become quite fond of each other. May be because we all are in the same boat.
Back at the party, as the kids were playing together, suddenly there was a minor accident and four kids, including my daughter and one of her daycare friend, banged into each other while they were playing at the bouncy castle and hurt themselves. The other two kids started crying and ran towards their mothers immediately with tears in their eyes.
To my surprise, my daughter and her friend didn't come to us. They got up and my daughter told her friend, "That was a very bad fall, no?" The other girl in return asked her if she was fine. They both then helped each other get up and started looking for scratches and other bruise marks on their bodies. Luckily, they hadn't got any. Two minutes later, they both were back at the bouncy castle, jumping with excitement. The other two girl were still clinging to their mummies.
Her mother and me looked at each other and smiled. Our girls had learned to handle themselves, we thought as we saw them playing in the soft ball park. I realised that staying at the daycare was indeed teaching my five-year-old and her friends to be independent and how to deal with life.
When I had enrolled my daughter in the day care against everyone’s wishes, everybody including my in-laws, was against it. But I still went ahead with my decision and today I can say that staying at the day care, my daughter has picked up quite a few life lessons that will be with her for the rest of her life.
1. She has learned to respect time
As they see their mummies, fighting every day to leave for work and drop them at the day care on time, kids who stay at the day care learn to respect time at a very early age. They know how important it is to respect their own and other people's time. This is something that would only help them later on when they take life head on.
Continue reading on the next page to know about other life lessons my daughter has learned at the daycare!
2. She has learned to adjust
Spending her day with other kids of their age, has taught her to adjust and adapt at a young age. The best part is that she is spending time with kids of her age and not watching TV or just lazing around the house doing nothing. She has also become more social and friendly and knows how to bond with her friends.
3. She knows that cribbing/complaining won't help
Like the fall at the soft ball park, my daughter has learned that cribbing or complaining take you no where. You have to learn how to deal with a problem. Not that kids of her age don't cry, even she does quite a few times, but she has understood that her mumma cannot be there, so she deals with it her own way.
She has also realised that falls are a part and parcel of playing together with friends and unless someone really hits you, it is no one's mistake. You have to get up and start playing again with your friends. Isn't that what we are supposed to do in life as well? We have to take our problems head on and fight them ourselves. This is indeed a great learning for her!
4. She knows that she has to sort matters herself when mumma is not around
Of course, she wants her mumma to pamper her and spoil her silly, but she knows that when she's not around she has to deal with her problems herself. So, if someone has hit/scratched her, she knows that she has to tell the day care teacher so that she has a look at the scratch/bruise and attend to it immediately.
The other day she had hurt her back while playing and when I called her at the day care centre to know if she was fine she said,"Yes, Mumma. I am fine. Teacher says its not a bad bruise." When I was back home I told her that I was amazed to see her not cry and how she was really calm. She said,"Mumma, I realised you were busy and won't be able to come immediately and it was not paining." My eyes welled up and I hugged her. My girl was learning how to deal with life on her own.
5. You become responsible and independent
Lastly, I am happy that attending the daycare has made her a little more responsible and independent than her other school friends. In a country like India, where mothers are constantly worried about the safety and future of their girls, that's the most important life lesson that my daughter is learning at the day care. Am sure it would only help her later on in life. Don't you agree?
Also Read: Why I don't send my four-year-old for extra curricular activities after school
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[Images courtesy: Pixabay]
