Last night, after the daycare closed, we all loaded up into the van and headed over to the house that my daughter has chosen to attempt to buy. It was bitter sweet. She is 22 years old and really doing well. Of course, she doesn't see it as doing well, but from a parent's perspective, she is taking a lot of steps very early in her life. She has successfully overcome substance abuse for the past 2.5 years. She graduated UC Irvine this past June. She is doing quite well in her credential program. She's getting the hang of writing lesson plans and presenting them to the kids. She is in a 4th grade class right now and seems to be enjoying it. She is doing a great job raising my grandson who is now 17 months old and a handful! lol! Now, she is attempting to purchase her first house! They are still doing the paperwork and seeing if she qualifies for some first time buyer programs. So, it is still not determined.
I want to say I am proud of her, which I am, but a mother will always worry about her children. The neighborhood is quiet and seems safe. Neighbors are friendly. My second son will be moving in with her which makes me feel a whole lot better! lol! In my heart I feel really good about it and I am excited for her. She won't be too far away from home, maybe 15 mins.
Another bitter sweet possibility is that of putting my grandson in a day care closer to her house. On one hand, I feel this would be good for my grandson because he is in a stage where he really acts out with the other kids. He is hitting and pulling on them a great deal. I think this is because he sees the kids as being in "his" territory. I'm thinking being in a day care outside of the house might be better for him. Of course, this means my daughter will have to pay, but that's how life goes when you have children. On the other hand, I would quite naturally worry about him. My kids did not transition until preschool when they were able to talk and tell me if anything went wrong. Again, it's just me. I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind if I met the provider and got a feel for her environment.
I recall when I took the kids to a fellow provider's house. This is a provider whom I talk to quite daily. When my grandson walked in the door, he was very, very comfortable. He participated with the lesson and played very well with the other kids. He displayed no aggression whatsoever. He didn't even display any anxiety! He mixed right in with the other kids. So, a day care outside of our home, might be a good idea. It could be, he was just comfortable at her house too.
We will see. Overall, I will be ok. It's not about me. It's about what's best for my grandson and for my daughter....in that order :-D.
