Welcome to the Melbourne Community Daily Discussion Thread.

  • NathA
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    My favorite thing about the first day of kinder was the contrast between the kids who had been in daycare and knew how to play with kids the same age, and the kids who had clearly never been apart from a parent.

    The daycare kids were all “bye daddy/mummy” and off to play with kids in one corner, while the others were a wailing mess. Until their parents actually left and they wandered off to the fun corner with the other kids.

    I wish I took a photo of the row of mums outside the classroom, standing on the bench peering in the high window at their kids. They were also crying, having never been apart from their babies. It was sweet.

    You’ve done well. Daycare is crazy expensive, but it is worth it for so many reasons. It is good for both of you.

    • TinyBreak
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      Oh 100% worth it. He is already babbling so much more than he was before he started. He’s probably one of the younger ones in the room so I think its probably doing him some good to see the other kids up and moving around.

      • NathA
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        He’s going to pick up every plague and pestilence ever from that hive of disease. He’ll bring them home and probably make you sick, also. It’s not going to seem like it at the time, but this is also likely a good thing.

        • TinyBreak
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Oh he’s 10 steps ahead of you there. We’re all crook thanks to him. Do you reckon our immune systems get better as a result too?

          • NathA
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            1 year ago

            With the caveat that I am not a qualified medical professional by any stretch of the imagination: I believe that the earlier that we are introduced to the assorted regular viruses and colds etc, the better our immune systems will be taught to fight them off, yes.

            I assume this is a given if your kid is in daycare, but the above is a compliment to a proper vaccination programme, not an alternative to it.

            • TinyBreak
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              Of course. I sort of hated when the MCH nurse asked us about vaccines as if we were gonna argue with her or say no, but I guess they get that a lot.

              • Kudra :maybe_verified:@aus.social
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                1 year ago

                @TinyBreak @Nath I had my daughter in daycare at 3 months (1 day a week) and she caught EVERYTHING in the first year. I got about half the things, a milder version, but with the 3 gastros I was SO grateful for my standing Zofran script as it would have been awful without.

                This year so far (she’s now almost 2), 3 relatively mild colds (touch wood), I know there will be more things but I vaguely hope the experience of covid has made a tiny dent in behaviour so there is a bit less spread.

                The policies at childcare have definitely not swung back to precovid norms, so they are stricter now than before regarding temperature, diarrhoea etc and exclusions generally. So I think maybe that is helping a little? The immune system still gets a workout, but I’ve been expecting to be much sicker this year than so far has turned out.