A Working Mom's First Week Putting Her Toddler in Daycare in Gurugram

By Chitra Puri, founder of Just Goofing · June 12, 2026

I cried in the parking lot on day one. I want to start there, because nobody tells you that bit.

My maternity leave ended in the second week of January. We had interviewed four daycares in Gurugram, narrowed it down, paid the deposit, packed the labelled bottles, and still — when the door closed behind me and I walked back to the car, my eyes filled up and I sat in the driver's seat for ten full minutes before I could drive to office.

This is the story of that first week. Not a guide. Just what it actually felt like, in case you are about to do the same thing.

Day 1 — Monday

We arrived at 9:15 AM. Aarav was clinging to me like a koala. The didi at the door knew his name before I said it, which I noticed and appreciated. She had clearly read the intake form.

I had been told to keep the goodbye short and clear. So I kissed him, said "Mumma will be back after lunch and snack", handed him over, and walked out. He cried. I heard him cry until I was out of the gate. I cried in the car.

The first photo update came at 10:42 AM. He was sitting on the floor, eating a piece of banana, watching another toddler stack blocks. He was not smiling, but he was not crying either. I stared at that photo for a solid minute.

Day 2 — Tuesday

He cried again at drop off. Shorter this time. About 90 seconds, the caregiver told me later. By 11 AM the daily update said he had eaten his snack, joined the music circle, and napped for 45 minutes.

I asked too many questions on the WhatsApp group. I know I did. They answered every single one without making me feel stupid. That mattered more than I expected.

Day 3 — Wednesday

The middle of the first week is the strangest part. The novelty has worn off for the child but routine has not set in yet. Aarav refused breakfast that morning. He knew where we were going.

I almost cancelled. I almost said, you know what, let me work from home today and keep him with me. My husband, gently, said: he is going to be okay. The didis are good. Drop him.

I dropped him. He cried for four minutes that day. He also bit another child during free play, which the centre called me about within ten minutes — not to scold me, but to tell me what they had done, how the other parent was informed, and that they were watching the dynamic. I respected that they called immediately.

Day 4 — Thursday

Something shifted. He walked in, looked at the cubby with his name on it, walked over, and started taking off his shoes himself. No tears. The caregiver looked at me and smiled. I think I floated to work that day.

The lunch photo came in. Dal, rice, a little bit of lauki, curd. He had eaten most of it. At home he refuses lauki. At home.

Day 5 — Friday

Drop off was a wave. Just a wave. He ran in to find his new favourite friend, a girl called Tara who shares his obsession with the wooden train set.

At pick up, he did not want to leave. This is when every working mother knows the corner has been turned. The first time your child does not want to leave the daycare, you exhale.

What actually made the first week easier

• A short, honest goodbye. No sneaking out. Kiss, sentence, leave.
• The same caregiver greeting him every morning. Consistency for the child was the single biggest factor.
• Photo updates that were honest. Not just the smiling ones. The "he is settling in, here he is watching the others" ones helped me trust the place.
• A WhatsApp group that answered fast. Within minutes, not hours.
• Bringing his familiar water bottle and one soft toy from home. A small anchor of his own.
• Not bargaining at drop off. Once you start negotiating with a crying toddler, you have lost.

A note from our team: what to expect in week two

Many parents are surprised that the second week can feel harder than the first. Once the novelty wears off, some children realise daycare is now a regular part of life and protest again at the door. This is normal, and it usually passes within a few days if the goodbye routine stays the same. Signs that your child is settling well: they mention a caregiver or friend by name, they eat and nap at the centre, and they walk in more calmly each day.

What to pack in the first weeks

• Two full changes of clothes
• A small, labelled comfort toy
• A named water bottle
• A family photo for your child's cubby

At an all-inclusive daycare, food, diapers and nap bedding are provided, which keeps mornings simpler. See our full guide to what daycare fees should include.

Managing guilt at work

Ask the daycare for a photo once your child has settled each morning; most working parents say this one picture helps more than anything else. If your centre offers live CCTV, use it to reassure yourself, but try not to watch constantly. Checking every few minutes tends to feed anxiety rather than ease it.

What I would tell the version of me from Sunday night

It is going to be hard for three days. It is going to be okay by Thursday. He is going to come home with new words by week two. He is going to be more independent by month one. The guilt does not fully go away, but it gets quieter, and one day you will pick him up and he will tell you about his friend Tara and you will realise — he has a whole life that is his, not just yours, and that is actually a good thing.

If you are in Gurugram and looking at full-day daycare for your child, walk in for a visit between 11 AM and 12 PM any weekday. Bring your child. See how they respond to the space, not just how the brochure reads. Call us on +91 78277 91701 if you want to book the visit.

Just Goofing Daycare, C-2, inside Excelsior American School, Sushant Lok Phase I, Sector 43, Gurugram, Haryana 122009.