My son used to love going to daycare—until one morning, he woke up screaming and refused to go. At first, I thought it was just a phase, but what I discovered changed everything.
I’m 29, a single mom to my three-year-old son, Johnny.
Up until a few weeks ago, daycare was his favorite place in the world. He would wake up full of energy, humming silly songs, stuffing his backpack with little action figures he wasn’t even allowed to bring, and rushing downstairs shouting, “Let’s go, Mommy!” like it was the best part of his day.
Every morning felt like an adventure to him.
If I’m being honest, there were moments when I felt a little jealous—like he couldn’t wait to leave me and go spend time somewhere else. But I never held it against him. I was just glad he felt safe and happy there.
Then, out of nowhere, everything changed.
One random Monday morning, I was in the kitchen pouring my coffee when I heard a scream. Not the kind of cry you can ignore—the kind that makes your heart stop.
I dropped my mug, glass shattering across the floor, and ran upstairs as fast as I could.
Johnny was in the corner of his room, curled up tightly, clutching his blanket with both hands. His face was red, tears streaming down his cheeks.
I dropped to my knees beside him, my heart racing as I checked him over.
“What happened, baby? Are you hurt?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “We need to get ready for daycare, sweetheart.”