Sleeping arrangments

[Jo1502]

Upstairs is going to be out of bounds when it comes to childminding, so it'll be downstairs only.

I'm sectioning off part of my living room for a sleeping/quiet area/reading area. What i'm thinking is basically a lot of cushions, duvets etc to make the area comfortable as it will be on the floor.

My question is, will it be ok for the children to sleep on the floor (padded out with duvets etc and not just on the hard flooring) or should I get some travel cots or something similar? if i get travel cots is it safe to put more than one child in there at a time?

This area will be sectioned off with a guard across the length so the children cannot get out when they are in there but there's like a stair gate door so I can get in and out.

Any thoughts would be appreciated :)

[Maza]

Hi there,

Definitely no more than one child in a travel cot at any time. Or did you mean more than one child in the sleeping area if they are all in their own travel cot? That would be fine.

I know most nurseries use mats on the floor for nap time. My main concern would always be whether or not someone watches the babies as they sleep - not just popping in the room to check every 15 minutes or so. My reason for this is that the babies/toddlers are not protected from other children if they are on the floor. What if one toddler wakes up, gets up and trips and lands on another sleeping child? There was a case in the news a few years back where (if I remember correctly) one toddler woke up and bit another sleeping toddler on the face really badly. They were not being supervised at the time. If the toddlers were in travel cots it would have been much safer. Obviously I'm not saying that your setting would be like this.

[moggy]

I would not say it was safe to have 2 children in 1 travel cot.
I use cots for all under 2s. Or buggies which is really easy and can be moved indoors or out.
Sometimes, if cot not available, I'd have an over-2 sleep on the floor on a padded mat (people use all kinds of yoga mats, dog beds, folding sleep mats etc- doesn't really matter what it is as long as you can have a clean sheet on top per child, or have 1 per child etc.
I'd want a defined area per child so they don't bother each other.
Some people have them sleep on sofas, if old enough to be safe.
I would avoid lots of cushions and duvets as they'd just be mucked around with, and hard to keep clean. Needs to be washable- they will get dribbled on etc!

[BallyH]

I think having separate travel cots is important for reasons others have already stated. But whatever you decide to do you will have to convince prospective parents that their child will be safe and have a good quality sleep as all my parents have asked to see where their child will sleep on their first visit to my home.

[FloraDora]

I use upstairs.

I provide a wooden cot with their own bedding.

I accommodate 3 Lo's at a time....when they grow out of cot they move on to a futon sofa or bed ...my parents like that they nap in a comfortable bed similar to home.

It is something I promote and all the parents I have ever had have highlighted on their end of childcare survey as a positive. I charge a lot and parents think it is acceptable.

It is an area that I promote and parents like.

Personally, I would not entertain two, non siblings sharing...absolutely non of my friends / parents would accept this!

Parents, in desperate circumstances, may accept strange arrangements...but in my local area, the basic right of a personal space to nap, certainly would take presidence.

I know, my napping arrangements is one of my unique selling points over nurseries....I get loads of enquiries....

[mumofone]

Personally speaking i have always wanted my own child in a proper cot and a travel cot at the very least. I offer a cot to parents and i think they really like that. I also have a travel cot i could use too. That said, we're all different and different parents want different things so it depends if you think your potential customer base would be ok with it or not.

[loocyloo]

Personally speaking i have always wanted my own child in a proper cot and a travel cot at the very least. I offer a cot to parents and i think they really like that. I also have a travel cot i could use too. That said, we're all different and different parents want different things so it depends if you think your potential customer base would be ok with it or not.

Mine sleep in buggies as I like them to sleep outside for as long as they fit the buggy, then I have travel cots, then sleep mats. Everyone sleeps in the dining room, generally at the same time.

My own children slept outside in buggies and then their own cot or bed. I used to have a cot upstairs, but since I moved I don't have a spare room upstairs and I prefer mindees downstairs where I can keep a better eye on them.

All my parents comment on how well and how long their children sleep for me. Several don't have daytime naps at home, but do here! ( catching up! )