A Little Reassurance Goes A Long Way...

When I dropped Reid off at Sunday School yesterday, he clung onto my neck and started kicking and screaming when I tried to hand him to one of the nursery workers. When I walked into the room with him, he started crying as soon as I sat him down on the floor. He's just now starting to get upset when we drop him off (thankfully he still likes being dropped off at daycare every day though) and I always make sure to reassure him that I'll be back and try to direct his attention to a toy. I never leave him while he's upset because I want him to know that his momma cares how he feels and I never want him to see me just walk away from him while he's letting me know he is scared. If I give him the impression that it doesn't matter how he feels about a situation, I'm afraid he'll either learn not to trust me or he'll believe that how he feels really doesn't matter after all.

The ladies in the room tried to rush me out- they actually looked me in the face and told me to leave several times! They didn't really even want me walking into the room, but rather handing him to them through the door! They said that it would be "better" that way and that he'd only cry for a few minutes. I politely told them I couldn't do that, but it upsets me very much when someone wants me to do the best thing for them and not for my child! Surely it would make it easier on the helpers in the room if Reid cried for only a few minutes, but how would that make Reid feel to watch his momma leave while he is scared?

Since I'm supposed to be the person he can trust most in his little world, I think I should stay a few minutes and help him calm down. Reid needs a few moments to feel comfortable in a strange environment, and I want to be a mom who stays there to help him feel okay instead of just dropping him off in a rush. And you know what? Reid didn't cry for two minutes at all. It took less than a minute for me to calm him down. My view is that God made me Reid's momma for a reason and his best interest is my only concern. I am not the kind of mom who thinks it's okay to do what is easiest, most convenient, or accomodating to someone else. I'm Reid's advocate and I always will try to think about how what I do affects my child and choose my actions based on that. Next week I may need to explain a little more to the ladies in his room about how I feel. I don't want them to think I'm rude, but I don't like being told how to parent my child!