Our Daughter's Change in Attitude
August 29, 2012
Our Daughter's Change in Attitude

I am at stay-at-home mom to a 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy and we live in what is considered to be a resort community. I mention that because there are few peers for my children other than children on vacation which obviously isn't consistent. There is a day care within a few miles of us and after interacting with the owner for a several months I was talked into taking my daughter there for a couple of hours once a week so that she could get "peer interaction". (Of course the establishment is deemed a "little school" but it is nothing more than a day care.) My daughter was thrilled about going there and always said she had a great time whenever I picked her up.

All of a sudden there was a change in my daughter's attitude. It was fast and it was blatant. She had a general disregard for me, whereas before we were on the same team. I won't tell you we didn't butt heads before, but after it was just a palatable change in level of respect toward me. My husband and I sat down to discuss it and determined these day care visits were the only thing that had changed and decided to nix them to see if there was an improvement in the relationship between my daughter and me. It was almost immediate and I am happy to say we are back to where we were before and I am ever so thankful.

I felt compelled to write after hearing the podcast where you spoke about statistics from Day Cares Don't Care and the reference to putting your children in with others that don't play piano expecting them to come out being great piano players. You were spot on, Dr. Laura, as usual, and although I am ashamed for not sticking to my guns on what I knew was right, I am glad we caught it quickly without much harm being done and it is a huge incentive to keep on doing the right thing. It sickens me to hear parents refer to dropping their less than 6-year-olds off at "school" as if they are doing some huge favor to their children by way of education. Who exactly are these parents trying to convince?

Thank you for everything you do and for giving us the strength to do what's right when it seems the whole world is aggressively trying to convince you you're wrong.

Summer



Posted by Staff at 12:55 PM