20 Oct 08 - First day @ School

20 October 2008 - What a day to remember! Being the first day of Karis attending a childcare programme, it also signifies new adjustments and the beginning of an exciting phase in life - for Karis, myself and my hubby. Through this experience, I truly learnt that changes can be something worth pursuing in life. What we perceive as changing for the worse can really turn out to be changing for the better. Afterall, most of us are just complacent beings who like to live in our own tiny comfort zone. Except for the separation anxiety that I felt on the first day, being teary-eyed when I left the centre (parent's separation anxiety, not the child's, mind you:)), Karis has been adapting extremely well in the transition to childcare! Put simply, she does seem happier after attending the half-day childcare programme, compared to staying at home with po-po on weekdays. Most of my initial worries and concerns are banished, observing how well she has been adapting to the childcare.

Two weeks after attending childcare, Karis started to take her day nap in the childcare centre, from 12:30pm to 2:30pm. I had allowed her to take her nap there so that I could be on time to pick her up after work everyday. I have converted my employment status to part-time, so that I could spend more time with her during these early crucial years, and more so because I don't hope that she will spend 10 hours daily in a childcare setting at such a young age. Having explored few options of care-giving for Karis, part-time employment is the most ideal arrangement. I am indeed very grateful and blessed to have such an arrangement. Nevertheless, having the same extent of a full-time job scope to be completed within half the working time is another separate matter altogther - I just have to totally depend on God's wisdom in balancing the time well.

Reading the weekly update sent by the childcare centre supervisor about what Karis' class has been doing for the week has never failed to warm my heart. I am now looking forward to the monthly update by end this month, as this update will come along with cute, lovely, and heartwarming pictures of Karis and her little friends in her toddler class!