With me heading back to school for another year on the more difficult side of the desk, E has had to return to daycare. He’s not happy about it. These first two days have been tough on K as she takes him, for he cries when arrives, and today he began the tears even before we left. He’ll get over it, for sure: he’s sociable, and all the teachers say he’s been interacting with the kids well, playing, sharing.

There’s always a bit of guilt we as parents feel as we drop off our child to be cared for by strangers. Yes, E knows them; yes, E loves at least one of them silly. But they’re still strangers. We would not know these people were we not paying them to take care of E while we’re at work. The irony of the modern world: we have all these time saving devices, but we end up just working more. Were it not for our desire — no, our need — to head back to Poland on a regular basis, our desire to make sure our children stay connected to their roots, would K continue working? I know where her heart is.

And yet, doesn’t some good come from this? After all, the Boy is going to have to head to school at some point. This is good preparation for that. L went through the same program and entered kindergarten solidly prepared.

There must be a balance somewhere.