The Big Meeting at the Daycare

Oh guys. I was dreading this meeting. I was in a sick to my stomach but yet can down a large portion of baked macaroni and cheese kind of state the last few days. It wasn't pretty. I lost my vegan badge and probably got kicked off the PETA Christmas e-mail list. NOT GOOD. This meeting has been postponed a couple of times and I have just wanted to rip the band-aid off. I have good reason to fear meetings at daycares. I don't think we have ever had a good meeting at a daycare. IN FACT, even recitals have always ended badly. So, yeah, I was little freaked out to attend this meeting... especially considering this daycare is our last chance in terms of child care arrangements. I know this, I looked it up. I might have prayed a little this past week.

We ran around the apartment this morning, getting ready and trying to get the Kid up. Murphy's Law: toddlers will always sleep in on the mornings that you need to get a move on. ALWAYS. Half asleep I got him dressed and carried him on my hip because this morning he had decided to bring up that old separation anxiety. Going to the bathroom was like having a Chucky doll become my probation officer.

We were out of the apartment by 8 and took the 45 second walk to get to the place. I was breaking out in hives and going through my act. I had planned to play "Intimidating mommy who has had enough of this shit and you say one negative thing and I will cut you."

We walked in and the two main daycare providers brought us into the classroom and we took our seats. Our hobbit seats. The Kid was in another room but I could hear him kvetching. I just hoped he wouldn't walk by the classroom and like, see us through the glass door.
Mommy!!

I got comfortable... well as comfortable as it can be to balance one ass cheek on a wooden plank and got ready to throw shade. The one woman started and thanked us for coming. We nodded and I could see the Husband match me for tension. This was not our first rodeo in terms of daycare meetings and we braced ourselves.

"Well, he is an absolute joy!" she told us.
"Que?" I asked.
"He has really been developing these past few weeks!"
"Scusi?" I asked.
"He just shows so much potential!". Oh, there it is... "potential". That brings me back. For years during my schooling, my parental units consistently heard 3 sentences during parent teacher nights a) She sure likes to talk! b) If she would just apply herself.... and c) She has so much potential (and that was usually followed by sentence (b). And so I temporarily twitched this morning when the provider said "potential". And then I realized that what she just said was a huge effing wonderful big deal. And so I started to cry. Happy cry.

She went on to tell us that yes, he shows signs of autism but they are so impressed with how fast he learns new things and for the next couple of months she wants to really focus on "rules". One of the rules would be making sure that he puts on his shoes and jacket every morning. At this point I snorted and silently thought "Yeah, good luck with that!" and then she said "He already does that here."

"Que?" Oh that little sh... I mean, attaboy! Are you kidding me? Well, that is fantastic and I feel like he totally played me. The party ends today, Kid. We spent the next hour discussing his habits and what we could do at home and what they could do at the daycare. They also said that they could call us during the day to tell us how he was doing and both the Husband and I responded "NO!" because after almost a year of calls from the old daycare, we don't want to hear nothing unless he has taken hostages.
Just give him a cookie and it will pass.

We also discussed the possibility of him staying for lunch because we are starting to burn out with these half days. They said that eating is "intimate" (GET OUT OF MY CLOSET AND GIVE ME BACK MY DAMN OREOS YOU WHORES.. cough, cough.) meaning that it would probably take him a long time to feel comfortable to eat in a group. I was like "He's not a Bravo reality star. He has no issues eating in public"... but I let that slide because I need them to like me. I came up with a suggestion to get him to eat and they will try it next week. I'm crossing my fingers this works!!

I also told them that we were looking into A.B.A. therapy and they were very very pleased. So, long long long story short, it was a great meeting, I feel like we are all on the same page for now. I finally left a daycare meeting with a spring in my step and not murderous rage.

So tonight I am going to celebrate.. well a little. I have to work a few hours tomorrow but then I am going out for dinner so I plan to get a little blotto because I have this huge huge burden off my shoulders! Having a special needs child is exhausting and has thrown me for a loop. It also didn't help to have a completely incompetent daycare before who shamed us daily. Finally I feel like we have support and competent people and I just hope I keep this happy feeling going. I need it. God, I need it. So, HAPPY FRIDAY, AMIGOS! WOOT!





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