Reflecting on my own parenting after seeing a little girl crying on her way to daycare

Have you ever felt frustrated when your child resisted going to school or daycare?

My children never resisted going to school or daycare, but they often struggled to wake up in the morning and would be fussy.

That would take time, and I would sometimes get frustrated when things didn't go according to plan.

Looking at my children now that they are a working adult and a college student, I feel nostalgic, but the other day, I saw a father and his little daughter and had an experience that made me think, 'I was so desperate back then.'

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I have made morning walking a habit for the past two years to build up my physical strength.

One morning a little while ago.
I left the house just after 7:30 as usual, and while I was walking around the neighborhood for about 30 minutes...

I saw a dad holding hands with a toddler girl around two years old, who was toddling along carrying a Hello Kitty bag.

While many parents drop their kids off by bicycle, you don't often see people walking to daycare.

She was so cute toddling along that my eyes were glued to her before I knew it.

When they arrived at the daycare, the girl suddenly started crying loudly, saying, 'No, I don't want to!'

The dad was troubled and was desperately trying to soothe her, saying, 'Your friends are waiting for you.'

Even so, the girl wouldn't stop crying and walked away from the daycare entrance.

The dad, looking flustered, followed her and said,
'Daddy has to go to work, so I'll come pick you up in the evening!'
As he tried to turn her around to head back to the daycare, the girl unexpectedly...

'I want Mommy!!!'

she shouted.

'Huh...'
the dad was speechless.

Watching that, I couldn't help but almost trip over myself, thinking, 'You want Mommy?!' (laughs)

While I thought it was heartwarming, it reminded me of my own parenting, remembering that my children had similar moments when they were small.

Does she want Mommy to drop her off...?
Does she want Mommy to pick her up...?
Or maybe she's saying something else entirely; I don't know.

She might just be throwing a tantrum because she doesn't even know why she's crying anymore.

As a parent, you're in a rush to drop them off at daycare and get to work.
You end up hurrying them along.

When a child resists going to daycare on a busy morning, I used to get frustrated, thinking I won't make it to work on time or things aren't going according to plan.

Just like adults have days when they don't want to go to work, kids have days when they don't want to go to daycare, too.
Sometimes they can't put it into words and just end up crying.

If I could meet my past self now, I think I would say, cherish how your child is feeling in that moment.

Of course, I can only say that now because my child-rearing days are over and I have some experience under my belt.

When I was in the thick of raising my child, I was just frantically getting them fed and ready to leave, doing whatever it took to get them to daycare.

It's easy to say that now, isn't it? Haha.

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I try my best to live comfortably, even with a fragile heart!♪

▼I've published a parenting book for moms with a fragile mentality!▼