Baby Blues

Today, I had the rare treat of visiting my son at his daycare facility for lunch. The staff was having a Halloween inspired pot luck lunch and since it's been slow at the office, I decided to participate. I'm always a little despondent when I leave him there because part of me feels like I'm failing by not being with him all the time to take care of him.

Meanwhile, a little crisis is brewing at the daycare facility. A new director started working there two weeks ago and morale among the teachers has plummeted because of her micro-managing, demanding ways. She also is condescending toward staff and berates them in front of others. There are whispers that she is prejudice against African-Americans.

The new director hasn't made a good first impression with me and my wife either. A case of pink-eye hit the infant room this week and she expressed concern to us that our son might have it. He has exhibited no symptoms what-so-ever, although his eyes watered a bit after he was taken outside for a walk. Hello, that happens to babies, particularly if it's a little windy. She kept pestering his primary teacher to keep an eye on his eye, and came to see us immediately after we got there this morning to check his eye without a 'good morning' or 'hello.' Then, she asked, "Doesn't his eye look swollen?" It was clear that it was not. I understand her trying to be vigilant about keeping illnesses in check, but have a little common sense and certainly don't over-react. If we had any sense that something was wrong with him, we would stay home with him or take him to the doctor immediately.