Mom Drops Son at Daycare, Hours Later Gets Email That Has Her 'Scared'
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When a mom received an email from her son's daycare informing her about something that had happened that day, she initially feared the worst.
"When I got the email I got a little scared," Lizeth Alvarado from Escondido, California, told Newsweek. Childcare in the U.S. is almost prohibitively expensive.
Figures published by the Department of Labor show families spend between 8.9 percent and 16.0 percent of their median income on full-day care for just one child, with annual prices ranging from $6,552 to $15,600.
Given that kind of outlay, it's important for parents to feel happy that their child is being well looked after while they are at work. That's something Alvarado undoubtedly feels when it comes to the care her 2-year-old son Isaiah receives.
"Isaiah has Down syndrome and we are thankful for his daycare staff for being open, understanding and loving him very much," Alvarado said. "He truly enjoys going and as his parents we truly appreciate all the staff there for making it a fun and safe environment."
Isaiah, aged 2, looked decidedly different when he got back from daycare.
Isaiah, aged 2, looked decidedly different when he got back from daycare.
TikTok/losalvarados21
That didn't stop her heart from skipping a beat when she received an email alerting her to something that had happened that day. "I honestly thought it was an injury report and did scare me a bit, but I knew they would call me if it was something serious," Alvarado said. "But when I read it and saw the picture attached it made me crack up."
As the series of pictures Alvarado included in a video posted to her TikTok, @losalvarados21, show Isaiah had been enjoying himself that day. "My son was at day care and the children were provided easels and paint," Alvarado explained. "Well, my son decided to have a grand old time on the blue paint."
Seeing the picture of Isaiah covered in blue paint had his mom in stitches. "I thought it was the funniest thing and had to share it with everyone," Alvarado said. "I thought it was just too funny not to share. I also saw the reaction of my family and how it made them laugh."
The video went viral, amassing close to 10 million views already.
Though he was left decidedly blue in the clip, Alvarado is pleased to report that, after much cleaning, all of the paint came off.
"The girls at daycare wiped him down with baby wipes and when he got home he soaked in a bath and everything came off," she said. "Luckily water based paints were used."
Isaiah is due to turn 3 later this month. His mom might want to think twice before getting him any paints for his birthday.
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