YMCA Fail

Since last September A and I had a membership at our local Gymboree in Wilmington, DE that lasted 6 months. It was great! Everyone was very friendly and made us always feel at home. We decided to get A a 6 month membership for her birthday which ran us around $300 but since the membership ended we would either have to get another 6 month membership or go on month to month billing which would be around $70 a month and that’s just crazy! For one class a week that’s a lot of money, not to mention it’s a 45 minute drive one way.

 We canceled the Gymboree membership and thought it would be a good idea to join our local YMCA in Newark, DE. YMCA has what's called “Child Watch” where you can leave your babe with the caretakers for up to 1.5 hours while the parent is on the premises. We thought this was a genius idea since A would be able to socialize not only with other kids but to also be able to learn to be with other adults. While she is there I can actually get some reading done and a little bit of working out, even though S and I laughed that you may find me in the lobby reading while A is in child watch.

 Well, we thought wrong. A wants nothing to do with it. I tried to be consistent in going often so she gets used to it with no luck. Unlike daycare she just isn’t there long enough to get attached to the teachers and almost every time we go there, there is a new teacher. At the ripe age of 16 months I don’t think she understands the concept of 'mommy is coming back soon' and she cries the second we turn the corner to sign her in.

 Yesterday was the final straw for me. When I went to pick her up after 45 minutes she was beet red, hot, sobbing like crazy and ran to me like someone was chasing her. When you are a parent nothing breaks your heart more than having to hold your babe and listen to them do those after cry hiccup sobs, it just broke my heart. We will look into revisiting the idea of YMCA in the summer time because they have a great pool and playing area for the kids. By then she will be older and maybe she can get more out of it.