overprotective parenting

Well, it's officially back to work today.  With the high in the 40s and no snow in the forecast at all this week, I know there is no way we will have a snow day.  We had 7, yes SEVEN, snow days.  I think that is the most time off I have ever had for snow days as a teacher and as a student.  We now have to go back the Tuesday after Memorial Day, but thankfully if we do have more snow days, the latest we will be getting out is May 30.  I think I can handle that.Seven extra days off also meant 7 extra days with MacKenna.  It took me until Friday to realize that MacKenna had not spent any time away from Matt or me for 3 whole weeks.  Yikes.  And since she decided to wake up right as I was getting ready to head out the door to go to the gym, I decided to take her with me so she could get some social interaction with kids other than her mom and dad and the ones on TV.I've written about it before but I have this fear of the gym daycare.  Even after facing that fear almost a year ago, it was still really hard for me to leave her there again - twice this weekend.I took MacKenna Friday morning while I did a quick WOD and run on the treadmill.  Of course, I'm that parent who is constantly looking over at the Kids Club door to see if they are going to walk out holding my screaming child, but to my surprise, she didn't shed a single tear while she was there - not even when I dropped her off.  In fact, they told me that she was so sweet and cute, what every parent wants to hear about their child.  And no new bruises, which is a definite first for us with the gym daycare.After such a pleasant experience on Friday, I decided to push my luck and take her again on Saturday while I did my long run on the treadmill since the sidewalks were still snow covered.  When I got there the girl who was supposed to open the gym daycare called to say she couldn't make it in, but that another person was supposed to be there to open.  Fifteen minutes of waiting later and still no one.  So instead, the guy doing the front desk opened it up for the few of us standing there waiting.It's not that I don't trust people, but I really do have some trust issues.  As I left my 2 year old in the hands of someone who had no idea what to even do when he got into the daycare, I started to freak out a little bit.  I made my way to the treadmill and strategically placed myself on one where I could clearly see into the gym daycare.Several minutes went by and I still did not see a regular daycare worker walk in.  And that's really when the thoughts started.  What if she went in to the tunnels and fell and got seriously hurt?  What if she hit her head and got a concussion?  What if she's laying in the ball pit dead and no one even knows it?!  I could picture the ambulances and TV trucks pulling up to the gym as the had to drag my inconsolably sobbing self out to the car.I finally saw a worker walk in and a little while later, I saw MacKenna's unmistakable pigtails and Minnie Mouse dress in the arms of one of the workers.  I again worried that she was screaming and throwing her typical 2 year old tantrums, but again, when I went to pick her up, they said she had been great!  And no new bumps or bruises.Seriously, when does the overprotective parenting thing go away?  I swear, even when she is at her everyday babysitter or even with our parents, I am worrying about her constantly.  I am constantly worried about her getting hurt, falling, choking, getting lost, etc. etc. etc.  I don't let her do certain things out of fear something bad will happen to her.  Which is part of the reason I am still freaked out taking her to the gym daycare - I can only handle 6th nerve palsy and eye surgery once.  I'm not sure I can handle picking her up and seeing her eyes crossed again.  (FYI, the gym daycare had nothing to do with her 6th nerve palsy - it was caused by a virus.  Seriously.  I'm crazy.)I have a feeling being overprotective is only going to get worse with time.  Especially once she's a teenager and I'm not going to be able to control her every movement as much as I do now.  Maybe starting gymnastics tonight will loosen me up a little bit, but I surely doubt it.  I will always be overprotective of my baby.