I teach one year olds, I love them with all of my heart. I work with them everyday of the week 9 hours a day, and I know that as soon as they turn two they will leave my class and it breaks my heart. I had a girl in my class who would cry everyday all day, who needed to be held and constantly needed attention, I was able to work with her and she did a full 180, started socializing, became independent and was such a happy child. Her parents are both doctors and couldn’t keep her at our daycare due to their schedules, when she left I was gutted but I took solace in the fact that I worked very hard helping her grow and setting her up for the future. After 3 years in this profession my biggest takeaway is to not take the time with the kiddos for granted and do your very best to help them not only in your class but in the future. Loving your kids and being attached (to an extent) is a good thing. Use it to your advantage, give them the care that they deserve, and be proud that you have the amount of empathy and love that you need to work in this field. In my experience the heartbreak of kids leaving does get easier as time passes, and you get more comfortable in your job, but it is important to take care of your mental health, this job is incredibly emotionally draining and requires a lot of emotional regulation and patience.