Am I ready for Childcare???

Lucy my gorgeous girl, has lately been a little nightmare. I like to excuse everything with the idea of teething but I think there must be a few more reasons why she has been acting up, including being slightly bored. Being a mum is completely different to being a nanny, apart from the other 10 thousand reasons I have noticed an important one, I DON'T play with her as much. As a nanny I was at the park DAILY, I went to playgroups WEEKLY, music classes, Gymbaroo, walks and play dates and of course endless hours on the carpet playing. But that was my job and I did love it.

I still do some of those things with Lucy, but not all the time because responsibility and housework need to be done. So I think Lucy is bored and at times driving me UP THE WALL!

So last week I had decided that maybe it is time she went to Childcare, just one or two days where she can be social and have fun with kids her age and also get worn out. A good idea I thought, I could also get some work done and maybe even look for some part time work on those days to complement the After School Care I already do. I put her on the waiting list at a few centres and thought I would have to wait months (inner west childcare shortage sucks!), but a week later I got a phone call and they have a place!!

This is when the panic sat in, Am I ready to let go and actually let her be looked after by others and by others I mean strangers not my mum or sister or friends, just strangers? Am I ready to spend a couple of days without her? She will just be 1 year old and is that old enough??

I do understand that some women have to go back to work and sent their babies to care much earlier, but I have the option not to, Am I being a mean mummy??? Being a nanny myself I didn't think I was going to have this panic attack, mostly because from experience I know that Lucy will be absolutely fine and being the social butterfly that she is, she probably will love it. But being a mum I'm not sure I have it in me to let go this quickly? So the question really is, Am I ready for Childcare?

Anyway I have a week to think about it before the places are offered to others, what do I do?

Not Happy MUM!