Concern for the Clingy Child

This is not what I should be doing right now. I should be working. But...

I have a friend who sometimes complains that her child is too clingy, and isn't very excited about going to school. She said this, and I proclaimed that I have the opposite fear... that my child would be the one who walked into the room, shooed me away, and never looked back.  

Cora started preschool today. There were a few questions on our way to school. 

"Where is Quinny?" 

"There isn't a baby room? When I was a baby I stayed in the baby room all day long. Why isn't there a baby room?" 

"I have two blocks at my old school. How will I get them to my new school?" 

"We're going to Mommy's work?"

And then there was one glorious statement: 

"You're going to work today? But I want you to be my teacher".

And that was it. We walked through the garage ("Mommy, it's dark in here"), down the block and across the street ("We wait for the white person to walk, right Mommy?") and straight into the building. 

I worried that she wouldn't want to put her lunchbox in her cubby - but she did. 

I wanted to help her unzip her lunchbox to pull out her water bottle ("Oh, I forgot to put your name on it, Cora!"), but she didn't want my help. And the teacher said they'd find a marker.

I worried that she'd protest when she was told to leave her water bottle in the basket with the other water bottles out by the table. She didn't protest. 

And just like that, she walked into her classroom. There is a one-way observation room (it's a research center associated with the college), and I was able to stand and watch her for a few minutes. Follow the instructions to wash her hands before she started playing. Sit right down next to the teacher and start playing with a peg/puzzle toy. Watch the other kids play with her inquisitive, taking-it-all-in, look. No anxiety whatsoever. 

When the teacher sent an afternoon update, she noted that there weren't many tears except for at naptime. Then I worried that I didn't send lovie... maybe I should have? A few minutes later the teacher sent me a personal note, "Your adorable daughter hasn't shed a tear.  She's been most helpful and caring to her few sad friends!  :)" I almost replied, "Not even ONE tear? Not ONE?!?!?!"

It's not like I wanted her to by clingy and needy, or sad to see me go (she sometimes does the fake crying thing at Miss Aimee's, but we all know it is just for show). And it's not like I think that it's better that she wasn't clingy, or that we've executed superior or inferior parenting, or anything like that... 

I'm just saying that I REALLY liked that one fleeting moment when she asked if I would be her teacher. That's all.

Leaving Cora at daycare. Surprisingly traumatic for Mommy, even though we've been doing this "going to work/going to daycare" thing for the past 2.5 years...