Prepping all the things the kids needed to pack for daycare was a lot more expensive and time consuming than I had expected. Annie and Ace are at different enough ages that even at the same school they have different lists of needs. Add to that a second daycare for Annie, which is a different style and again needed a different list of supplies. So, here’s an outline of everything each kid took to the first day of daycare.
Time to Pack for Daycare
Ace – Infant Room
1. Full Sleeve of Size 2 Diapers // 2. 2 Packs Baby Wipes // 3. Diaper Cream // 4. Sunscreen // 5. Fitted Mini Crib Sheet // 6. Changes of Clothes // 7. Bibs // 8. Burp Cloths // 9. Sleep sack // 10. Bottles of Prepared Breastmilk
Annie – Toddler Room
1. Pillow and Pillow Case // 2. Fitted Crib Sheet // 3. Blanket // 4. Sleeve Size 5 Pull Up Diapers // 5. Packs of wipes // 6. Diaper Cream // 7. Sunscreen // 8. Changes of Clothes // 9. Bottle Ripple Milk
Annie – Home Daycare
1. Wildkin Original Nap Mat // 2. Bentgo Kids Lunch Box // 3. Bentgo Kids Lunch Bag // 4. Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup // 5. Sleeve Size 5 Pull Up Diapers // 6. Packs of wipes // 7. Diaper Cream // 8. Change of Clothes
Drop Off
Especially since I was dreading the return to work, preparation was key to making it a smooth transition. I say “smooth” with a grain of salt; it certainly doesn’t mean tear free.
In reality, my first day started off pretty rough. Ned went with me to drop off the kids since it literally took two boxes (one each) to get everything they needed to pack for daycare into the building. With COVID still rampant, the daycare is still enforcing strict rules about no parents beyond the front door, even on the first day. We got there and getting the kids checked in took a long time, nearly a half hour after we got through the line of parents individually checking their kids into the computer, which in and of itself took a long time.
We reviewed paperwork with the teacher outside. Of course, going through the paperwork, I realized that I picked up Annie’s papers from the pediatrician’s office, but not Ace’s. It’s done, just not in my hands. The school gave us an hour and a half to get it, or we had to pick Ace up and the pediatrician doesn’t open for another 30 minutes at that point. Ned agreed to take that on to pick up the forms and bring them back to the school. Thank goodness, because the amount of time it’s taking to check the kids in, I’m now already late for work.
Packing for First Day of Work
Once I got to work, I realized that I didn’t bring my key fob to get into the front door of my office. I was driving the new car since it has the car seats, so I left my keys with Ned since that keychain has the key to the other car and I wanted him to be able to go out if he needed to (you know like to pick up the paperwork I forgot). Other than the key fob, and that pesky missing paperwork, I had everything I needed.
I forgot to take a picture, but it’s much less colorful and interesting than the kids’ stuff anyway. Once I was finally in the door to the office and sitting at my desk everything started to finally feel okay. I had to just push through the first several days and fake it until I made it. Having everything else organized helped though. Here’s what I brought:
1. Computer // 2. Charger (eventually I just bought a second one so I didn’t have to remember this again – forgot this one a couple times) // 3. Elvie Pump and parts // 4. Lunch and snacks // 5. Coffee // 6. Water and another drink // 7. Ice Bag (to store breast milk throughout the day) // 8. Purse
Let me know in the comments what else you would pack for daycare on the first day.
