Frances loves her dayhome. (Loves.) She likes the dayhome lady, she adores the other kids, and she things the dogs are the best. I feel like she's safe, she's well-loved, and she's given the room she needs to play and sleep. And it's the most convenient location ever. So it's generally really, really fantastic.
But.
Hm.
I struggle with the fact that her diet is, um, different at the dayhome. I guess she eats ok there, but I'm just used to her eating very, very well at home. (We're sort of food snobs. We make things from scratch about 80% of the time from high-quality food-stuffs, and I make sure that most of the "prepared" food that we eat is, well, as basic and healthy as possible; I'm all about reading labels and I'm a huge fan of minimal and real ingredients. And generally no glucose/fructose/dextrose/cornwhatever, etc. Because it kind of freaks me out. *shrug*)
But I know that most families don't eat the same way that we do. I don't expect them to; it's a lot of work, it's expensive, and, well, it just doesn't occur to most people to eat differently than they do. But, well... ack. (I'm struggling.)
And... the tv.
Eugh.
Frances doesn't watch tv at home. At all. It's not really a conscious decision we made, it's just... she's too busy playing, eating, going out-and-about, whatever for us to bother letting her watch tv. I just can't see her gaining anything from it at this point. (We have music on all the time, though; She's a dancing queen when good tunes are playing. =)
At the dayhome, however, they have the tv on first thing in the morning while all the kids are arriving, and again last thing in the afternoon while the kids are being picked up. (Although it's never on when we first get there - maybe it gets turned on when the older kids start arriving?) Last week, the dayhome lady commented that Frances squeals and dances when the songs in one particular show is on. (I almost threw up in my mouth a little when she said that. Kinda freaked me out. Gah.)
Again, I know our lifestyle and tv habits are a-typical. I don't actually know any other parents (in real life) who don't put their babies/toddlers in front of the tv for a little while every day. And that works for them. Which is fine. It's just not something that I'm used to in my own home-life.
So. I'm toying with the idea of looking. (For something that is as warm/fun/safe as her current dayhome, with a no-tv policy, and which only serves real food. But I'm dreaming, aren't I?) But it's stressing me out. Because, well, I dunno.
Is it worth it to leave a place that she so obviously loves, and where she's really so obviously well taken-care of? Am I insane for even considering making a change?? Will I ever overcome my neuroses???
*sigh*
Ok, I'm done now. *deeper sigh*
(Oh, and these pictures are all dinosaur-themed because this was the summer of the dinosaur. September is African-Safari-themed. I love cute dayhome themes. *deepest sigh*)
