Today I did something that I had been worrying about ever since I returned home from the hospital with our new baby about a month ago. I left the boys in the care of others for the first time. Dylan stayed at our house with his aunt, and Blake went to be with his grandmother. You would think that I was more concerned about leaving a newborn baby than a toddler, but that was not the case.
When Dylan’s baby brother arrived and I was away from home for a few days, Dylan was very upset. Since I returned, he has been reluctant to let me out of his sight for very long. He had been comfortable with spending time with babysitters before – both of his grandfathers and his aunt had watched him for me at least a few times. Because Dylan has been so clingy since his brother was born, I knew that when I did leave him with someone again it might not be pleasant.
Today, Dylan got to stay at home with his Auntie while I went somewhere for a few hours. He got very upset as I was getting ready to leave but both she and I suspected that he would calm down after I was gone. Fortunately, we were right. It only took about ten to fifteen minutes, and then they went outside and had a great time. When I returned, he was happy but not overly eager to see her leave. That made me very happy. After she had gone I asked him if he had enjoyed playing with Auntie while I went to work. He said that he had. I also told him that I was proud of him for staying with her, and asked if it was okay if we did that again some time. He said “yes”. Both his Auntie and I are delighted, and I realize that what happened today went a whole lot deeper than someone watching Dylan so that I could go somewhere that I needed to go. He grew and matured a little from the experience, and I am so grateful for that.