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sprinkles
15-08-2013, 03:22 PM
That's the first one done! It was a hell of a lot harder than I imagined. Little one screamed for about 55 minutes straight before finally falling asleep for half an hour then it started again.

Mum said little one fights sleep a lot and can scream and scream when out on a walk before giving in and screamed all day for granny yesterday so I don't feel quite so bad. I feel unbelievably drained though.

I can't put him down or he screams even more - I just had to put him in the buggy and let him scream while I walked back and forward with him as mum had written in info sheet it's pretty much the only way to settle him.

Sounds awful after just 2 hours but I'm dreading tomorrow :( I'm going to try and get out for a walk with him I think so hopefully that will help but the constant screaming is really draining and I was almost in tears at one point thinking I was just kidding myself if I think I can do this! I know he will settle eventually (I hope) but I've only got him full days Monday and Tuesday next week then the Monday and Wednesday the next week and then they're on 2 weeks holiday so feel I'll be back to square one again after that.

It's a hell of a lot harder than I imagined! I just hope the 2 year old starting next week isn't the same lol!

sarah707
15-08-2013, 04:48 PM
Oh my word that's tough :( I had a screamer but I had lots of experience and a high threshold to noise :laughing:

Only you know what you can deal with. Take it slowly and extend the settling in period if needed.

Hugs xx

sprinkles
15-08-2013, 05:00 PM
Oh my word that's tough :( I had a screamer but I had lots of experience and a high threshold to noise :laughing:

Only you know what you can deal with. Take it slowly and extend the settling in period if needed.

Hugs xx

I've got him again tomorrow morning for 2 hours then he starts full days next week. I've only got him 2 days next week and 2 the week after though. I just hope he settles soon.

Not gonna lie...I had a wee cry to hubby when he got in but he just keeps reassuring me he will be fine with time and not to let it disillusion me. I do think he was possibly tired before he even arrived as dad said he was nearly sleeping in the car on the way here.

Thanks for hugs, much needed tonight lol xx

Ps..thanks! I was starting to think they would all be like that and I had made a big mistake cos I'd never cope!

AgentTink
15-08-2013, 05:09 PM
I have been there!!

How old is little one?

I had a little mindee join me at 8 months who would only be rocked to sleep by mum, and she would be out walking the streets at 10 o'clock at night to get him to sleep. He too was a very loud screamer, and used to being carried everywhere.

At first i was happy to rock him back and forward in pram, however he eventually (after about 6/7 weeks) started waking as soon as i stopped rocking, so i couldnt continue this as I had 2 other mindees to look after as well, (sometimes it took over 20 minutes of rocking to get him to drift off).

So i decided to try a different way of getting him to sleep. It took time and lots of little steps, from swaddling and lying next to me on couch with my hand on his chest, to just being swaddled and me being in same room, to no swaddling and me just being within eyesight, to eventually I can now get him down in a travel cot which just this week i have managed to move upstairs and he will sleep for roughly 1 1/2 hours without any need for me. This has taken me 6 months though!!

I was lucky that one little one was in pre-school in the afternoon and other little one slept for 2 hours so i had time to dedicate to this little mindee.

Mum doesnt know how i have done this, and i still see her now out at 8/9 o clock at night for over an hour walking him at 18 months to get him to go to sleep. I tried to get mum to do what i was doing but she just never got into a good enough rountine, and was always out on her days off, so little mindee was just so used to falling asleep in the pram for 20 minute short bursts throughout the day.

Once he started getting into a rountine of sleeping in the afternoon, which was after about 2 months, his mood definatly improved, he was more playful and smiley and he was less screamy, so it is important that eventually you get him feeling comfortable enough to go to sleep.

Just take everything slowley and try to get mum on board with whatever works best for you both.

sprinkles
15-08-2013, 05:14 PM
I have been there!!

How old is little one?

I had a little mindee join me at 8 months who would only be rocked to sleep by mum, and she would be out walking the streets at 10 o'clock at night to get him to sleep. He too was a very loud screamer, and used to being carried everywhere.

At first i was happy to rock him back and forward in pram, however he eventually (after about 6/7 weeks) started waking as soon as i stopped rocking, so i couldnt continue this as I had 2 other mindees to look after as well, (sometimes it took over 20 minutes of rocking to get him to drift off).

So i decided to try a different way of getting him to sleep. It took time and lots of little steps, from swaddling and lying next to me on couch with my hand on his chest, to just being swaddled and me being in same room, to no swaddling and me just being within eyesight, to eventually I can now get him down in a travel cot which just this week i have managed to move upstairs and he will sleep for roughly 1 1/2 hours without any need for me. This has taken me 6 months though!!

I was lucky that one little one was in pre-school in the afternoon and other little one slept for 2 hours so i had time to dedicate to this little mindee.

Mum doesnt know how i have done this, and i still see her now out at 8/9 o clock at night for over an hour walking him at 18 months to get him to go to sleep. I tried to get mum to do what i was doing but she just never got into a good enough rountine, and was always out on her days off, so little mindee was just so used to falling asleep in the pram for 20 minute short bursts throughout the day.

Once he started getting into a rountine of sleeping in the afternoon, which was after about 2 months, his mood definatly improved, he was more playful and smiley and he was less screamy, so it is important that eventually you get him feeling comfortable enough to go to sleep.

Just take everything slowley and try to get mum on board with whatever works best for you both.

Thank you for this!! It is so good to know I'm not alone! He is 7 months.

I'm so glad it's not unusual for them to scream and there be nothing I can do to settle them! He's here for 2 hours again tomorrow then full days Monday and Tuesday on his own. My other mindee starts next Monday when I have him too but the other day I have him the next again week he is on his own too so I can focus on just him.

charlottenash
15-08-2013, 05:54 PM
My first one was a beautiful little 10mo girl when mummy was around but got very upset and distressed when she left. We did a massive settling in and by the time we were upto half days/full days she was a happy bunny! You will be fine, i remember that feeling 'oh god, a childminder, who am I kidding, I'm going to quit' on the first few times but you WILL see the other side eventually!

Also take a walk where there isn't a lot of people, if baby is going to scream the whole way you don't want everyone staring and making you feel worse.

One thing that helped the little one above was going to the swings, I sat in the big swings and she sat facing me and rocking, she seemed very reassured by this.

Lots of luck, you'll be fine xx

sprinkles
15-08-2013, 06:03 PM
Unfortunately we left settling in a bit late as he starts full days on Monday but only twice a week for the next few weeks.

I totally get what you mean about the feeling like quitting. I think it's the initial 'omg, a screamer, and I can't do anything to stop it'. Now that I know it's normal and nothing is going to stop him screaming until he is ready and wants to I feel much better. It's also very hard to think like that when you're actually in the moment too. I feel better and more positive now but will probably feel awful tomorrow when he's here and screaming again!