Undeniably cute
Both my children spent time in daycare. As a working mom, it was one of life’s necessities. I was fortunate my mother watched Sam for nearly 2 years before placing him in daycare.This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s weekly writing prompt. 3.) It happened at daycare.
It’s been a few years (cough, cough) since either of my children were in daycare. I still have stories to tell.
Recently I mentioned Sam’s baby pics were safe for now. Guess I changed my mind. Needed to give you a view of this baby faced angel and the hell he put me through as a toddler.
skipping down memory lane
How many daycare’s did Sam attend? Geez! He was cute and charming and a king manipulator from the time he could talk, which by the way was before he was 2. Numerous memories of Sam in preschool come back to me but this is one of the better ones I can recall.
Sam was always a strong-willed individual who would do almost anything to avoid napping and/or come home instead. If it meant leaving the classroom and escaping down a hall, he was up for it. Throwing a hissy fit and thrashing about? No big whoop.
no-nap Sam
When Sam was almost 3, he attended a local preschool located near my bridal shop. Avery went to the same one when she was little and they had an excellent reputation. There was a nice playground and overall, it looked like a fun place for him to be while I worked.
Perhaps he was there a week before things began to sour. He was typically on good behavior the first few days as he sensed what he could get away with. Whatever the time-frame, it would not take long for him to take over the joint.
I don’t recall the situation that led to the first phone call, but the catalyst is unimportant. The conversation went something like this:
Daycare Provider (DP) – Hello Mrs Gomberg. I ‘m calling about Sam
Me – Is everything OK?
DP – Actually…you need to come get him.
Me- (thinking did he try to burn the place down?) What exactly happened?
DP – Sam exposed himself.
what, what what??????
How on earth does a 2.5 year old expose himself? He was wearing a diaper for crying out loud. Was he remotely aware of the consequences? If he wasn’t, he was about to be. Oy!
Apparently on the playground, Sam got upset about something so he pulled down his pants. Is it me, or does it seem a bit extreme to call that exposing himself?
king manipulator 1; daycare 0
I don’t think the daycare had any clue as to what would happen next. Sam realized all he had to do when he wanted to leave was pull down his pants. The end. No questions asked. My son was a flasher.
If he didn’t want to take a nap, pull down the pants. If he didn’t like what was for lunch, pull down the pants. if he was done playing in the playground, pull down the pants. If you looked at him sideways…
Unfortunately, they created a monster. Sam outsmarted the system in no time at all. it became a stressful kind of waiting game. At first, I wondered how many days until he would get sent home again. Eventually, it became a guessing game as to how long each day would last.
lesson learned; don’t let the kid win
This whole shenanigans could have been avoided if they simply pulled up Sam’s diaper and put him in time-out. By calling me to get him, he won the game. He understood what it took to get what he wanted. In this case, the price was small. A pant-less moment was all it took.
What daycare memories do you still hold? If your child attended preschool with Sam, was he/she traumatized for life by his exhibitionism? Share your best daycare stories.
still king manipulator
Related articles
- just another boring day at daycare (iheartarnold.wordpress.com)
