My LO is gg to enter childcare soon...as a first time parent and a single parent, I am filled with anxiety at the thought of it. I am so worrisome about his safety, well being, how is he going to cope with it etc etc...i wish to accompany him during the first 3 days but unfortunately I am very busy during that period to take leave, unless I delay his entrance.. however the sch suggested me to go ahead as they don't encourage parents to stick around anyway. As long as there is someone to stand by will be ok (My mum) in this case..even So, I can't help but to feel guilty if I don't experience the first time with him...i m in such dilemma..?

Hey there, am a first-time and single parent too - so I understand how you feel! I was reluctant to put my son in childcare, but ended up bringing him there at 24mo because I felt he really needed the social skills. I do freelance work from home, so I was able to spare time for the first 3 days - BUT I didn't stay for all 3 days. I was with him for the first day, and he was real clingy to me - he ate well like he always did but he wouldn't interact with his friends or teachers. On the second day, the principal talked to me and asked me to go for breakfast and let the teachers try to handle him and build a rapport with him - I left after his teachers settled him down (she brought him to the toilet to wash his hands), and I was so filled with emotions I cried on my way to breakfast :/ I expected the teachers to call in the afternoon to bring him home for nap time, but then received a message from the principal that he was asleep! Picked him up after he woke up and from that day, I just left him there and walked away - and yes, he was still crying for most of the time that I left. We first enrolled on 1st Oct and we took about 2 weeks off from school because my son was sick, but he's already grown and learned so much in this short time - he actually LOVES school so much that he'll wake up and fuss at 10pm/3am to go to school 😅 Long story short, I'd say to try your best to take at least the first day off from work to send him there and accompany him - not only does it help to introduce yourself to the teachers and other children there, you also affirm your son that Mummy's right there to support him :) After which, I think the key things are to build a good relationship with the school teachers and principal, let go and allow your child to learn, trust in the teachers and your child to be able to cope without you, create a routine while sending him to school (eg. songs, hugs, kisses, telling him about his schedule in school, what time you'd come to fetch him) and always reaffirm your son that you'd come and pick him up at a certain timing so he has the expectation that you'd come at that timing.