Daycare Dilemma

We are at the stage where we are putting our baby in daycare with other kids so she can socialize, learn a few things, and interact with others but day care can be scary for parents who are starting out with it - strange new careproviders, a 5 to 1 ratio (5 kids for every 1 care taker), new rules to abide by (i.e. your baby has to sleep when everyone sleeps), and germs. Obviously, it takes time to adjust- not just for the child but for the parents too. I highly recommend the father take the baby to the daycare if feasible and drop off especially for the first few weeks. Moms can do the pick-up :-) It is very hard on mom to drop off. I would recommend checking out the facility not once but twice, and go at different times. Ensure it is a safe, clean environment, and the care providers look like they know what they are doing. We visited several locations and based on what was open, the place we put our daughter was the best option but I still wonder whether it is too soon. Will she be able to drink milk from a sippy cup as they require (within 30 days) or will she go hungry because no one will bother to try to feed her? Why was she so dehyrdrated yesterday? Did they not give her water? More and more questions enter my mind as I sit at work, 2 miles away from where my daughter is being "cared for". I wonder, as there is a HUGE lull in the workload, whether I should just quit and care for my daughter or whether she is actually doing well. Then, I go to pick her up, thinking she will run into my arms - she is fine- playing, eating crackers and cheese, and listening to music - not a care in the world. When she finally sees me peering into the window, she runs and rushes to hug me, climbs on me, and does not let go. Ahhh, the daycare dilemma; just about every parent goes through it - I just thought I had a few more years before I had to let her go.