Facinated by Scandinavian childcare ideas...

[nipper]

...particularly the letting babies sleep outside bit. My college tutor lets her seven month sleep outside in her pushchair (weather permitting). I have a ten month old screamer who doesn't like sleeping in the travel cot, but she was asleep when we got back from our walk this morning (lovely sunny weather here) so I decided to leave the pushchair outside the back door and she has been fast asleep for the past 45 minutes which is unheard of...wrapped up in coat, hood and buggy snuggle...she looks so comfortable.

Does anyone also let their little ones sleep outside?

[sharonmanc]

it was the done thing in this country until the 70's early 80's unti fear of having your child stolen (I think). My daughter sleeps better outside than indoors. As long as they are wrapped up and you can keep an eye on them and obviously weather permitting I dont see the problem.

Also if you look at the scandanavian system it is very much like childminding, in that in their nurseries the children are in little houses, of 5 or 6 children with one carer, who they stay with while there, and it is very much learn through play. I was watching some bits and pieces about it this month, they allow the children to sleep outside up to -10 all wrapped up.

[nipper]

she's still asleep...almost an hour and that's unheard of with this one!:clapping:

[loocyloo]

all of mine sleep outside in a lay flat buggy, snuggly wrapped as weather dictates, and about the only time they don't sleep outside if it is really windy, as i worry about buggy blowing over.

they only start having sleeps inside when they get too big to comfortably sleep in the buggy!

the back garden is secure with locked gates, and i can easily see the child/buggy from several windows.

[nipper]

all of mine sleep outside in a lay flat buggy, snuggly wrapped as weather dictates, and about the only time they don't sleep outside if it is really windy, as i worry about buggy blowing over.

they only start having sleeps inside when they get too big to comfortably sleep in the buggy!

the back garden is secure with locked gates, and i can easily see the child/buggy from several windows.

Brilliant idea, might start trying it.

[QualityCare]

Mine always sleep outside even in the travel cot.

[nipper]

1 hr 20 mins... it's a record.

How do the parents view it?

Quality care, just curious, do you have covered area in case it rains?

[jumping j]

My mum swears by putting lo's outide to sleep and I have to say it seems to work, lo fell asleep on the way back from the library at 10.45, left him in the buggy and pushed him through to the garden and he's still asleep, 2 hours and counting!!!:clapping:

[watgem]

just be careful of Ofsted, my friend did this at the parents request, Ofsted came for her inspection while LO was asleep outside, but in her view, and tore her off a strip-said a fox might attack the baby, my friend was gutted

[rickysmiths]

just be careful of Ofsted, my friend did this at the parents request, Ofsted came for her inspection while LO was asleep outside, but in her view, and tore her off a strip-said a fox might attack the baby, my friend was gutted

Oh Dear! She would have loved what happened to a good friend of mine years ago. She was at her mums with her twins who (this was in the 70s) were asleep in the pram in the front garden, they live out in the sticks in a small village. All of a sudden they heard a commotion and went to see and the local Hunt had come into the garden and there were a dozen horses and all the dogs running around their front garden, pram and all :eek:

The twins didn't even wake up, but mum and granny were not impressed.

I sleep mine in a lay flat buggy in the garden in the winter and summer.

[rosebud]

I put them outside in the pushchair if I'm going to be in the garden. I'd rather do this when I'm in the garden than put them upstairs even though I have a baby monitor and will hear them, it just feels right to have them close by. I have a pergola in the garden with a grape vine growing up it and cd's and mirrors hanging from it. I tucked the baby in the pushchair under there last week and she looked so peaceful. (Wished I could've joined her!)

[QualityCare]

1 hr 20 mins... it's a record.

How do the parents view it?

Quality care, just curious, do you have covered area in case it rains?

Yes large 7ft umbrella travel cot up against the house and umbrella up against it

[Mummits]

I had a mum who insisted she wanted her LO to sleep in the buggy outside (mind you that was one of her less outrageous demands and she is now an ex-customer!)

I had a funny conversation on this subject with my own mum:
Mum: You and your brother and sister always slept out in the back garden in your prams.
Me: But could you hear us from the house if we cried?
Mum: No, that was alright. We had a REALLY long garden.
Gee thanks Mum!

[loocyloo]

I had a mum who insisted she wanted her LO to sleep in the buggy outside (mind you that was one of her less outrageous demands and she is now an ex-customer!)

I had a funny conversation on this subject with my own mum:
Mum: You and your brother and sister always slept out in the back garden in your prams.
Me: But could you hear us from the house if we cried?
Mum: No, that was alright. We had a REALLY long garden.
Gee thanks Mum!

that made me laugh out loud !!! :laughing:

[WibbleWobble]

my mum would put me out on the front pavement in my pram asleep....this was in the 1960s.

My two i would put under the trees and they would gurgle and then nod off......

I have K (15months) and last summer she would sleep soundly in the garden even with 5 kids running riot round her!


mandy xxxx

[Joda]

My own children always had daytime naps in the pushchair outside (all the time except when it was foggy - when it rained they went in the garage lol).
I tend to walk my baby mindee's in the pushchair until they fall asleep and then leave the pushchair in the back garden - I then stay in the kitchen or conservatory so I can see them.

[AliceK]

I used to leave mindees asleep in the buggy if we got back from somewhere and they were asleep. I'd park them under the gazebo right by the patio doors in the kitchen. Gates were locked and I would have the doors open so I could see and hear them. Then a few weeks ago I saw a fox in my back garden :eek:. Broad daylight!!!!! Middle of the day. So now I wouldn't dare leave the children asleep out there.

xxxxxx

[Pipsqueak]

Gosh lookee those 'old fashioned' pre -paranoia radical ideas are slowly coming back in.

There is a whole generation of us (35yrs plus) who are pretty fit and healthy and i wonder if that started with our parents sticking us in a pram, snuggled up and outside for our sleeps.


Apparently we had a looooonnnngg garden too!:D

Yes I put my mindees outside to sleep. I tell parents that I do this and none have had a problem with it. As to ofsted - yada yada yada...

[breezy]

Put my lot outside to sleep, none of the parents complain, although I dont think they do it themselves, baby is out sound asleep in the sunshine now.
My mum used to put me outside to sleep in the front garden, apparently I gurgled at anyone who passed by so she didnt need rush to get me in.
She wasnt worried I'd be abducted infact I think I remember a " for sale" sign on the pram:laughing::laughing::laughing:

[uf353432]

Both my children slept in the garden all year round and as a CM with parents I give them the choice. The baby I currently have sleeps outside, because thats what her parents and grandmother does with her. I have a covered, enclosed deck so baby sleeps in there when the weather is cold or inclement which is pretty close to being outside without having the worry of animals. If she is in the garden on a nice day then so as we and so I don't consider there to be any risks as the garden is populated.

[Hayley102]

I had a mum who insisted she wanted her LO to sleep in the buggy outside (mind you that was one of her less outrageous demands and she is now an ex-customer!)

I had a funny conversation on this subject with my own mum:
Mum: You and your brother and sister always slept out in the back garden in your prams.
Me: But could you hear us from the house if we cried?
Mum: No, that was alright. We had a REALLY long garden.
Gee thanks Mum!

I remember my mum telling me to do this when I had my first child - if you have had enough strap her in and leave her at bottom of garden! I never quite got to that stage but it was close a number of times!

[jumpinjen]

I don't think my son would sleep with the noise that the rest of them make playing outside!!!

Jen x

[flowerpots]

Im going to try this with my little one who doesnt settle well. :thumbsup:

[lisa1968]

I've always put mindees outside-unless its absolutely frreeezzzing!!...although it did start to snow one day and the pushcair cover was a white out;little one slept on.....
I always tell the parents that i put them outside and none of them have ever had a problem with it.They sleep better-its quieter outside than in the house!-and they get lots of fresh air.They'll sleep for at least 2 hours!

[Trpta108]

Mine sleep outside as well.

[crazyhazy]

Last summer the baby I had slept outside most days cos we were out there so closer by, plus they only slept in the pushchair anyway so made no sense to bring it inside. Today my new baby mindee fell asleep on the way back from rhymetime and I parked them up at the back door (open) while I made myself some lunch :)

[francinejayne]

the only days mine don't sleep outside are when it is very windy!!! other than that it has never been too cold to go outside - I have amazing cosy toes for the pram and wrap the children up well in winter. all parents are told that this is where I put the babies to sleep, and everyone as loved it!

Ofsted saw me do this on my inspection and she commented that it was nice to know the babies were getting fresh air.

17 years ago my health visitor told me to put my DS (who was a screamer for me, a really hard work baby!) in the pram at the bottom of the garden, shut the patio doors and turn the TV volume up so I couldn't hear him!! I never did!

[gegele]

every morning mindees fall asleep on way back from school and i keep them in garden, by sliding so i can see them. they're warm in blankets and rain cover if wet or windy... and the younger one has his afternoon nap in buggy most time outside as he settles later and if awaken doesn't go back, so if he's in buggy he can have longer sleep as school run is not a problem for him.

summer is the only time i actually get them OUT of buggy and back inside as i'm worry they get too warm :blush:

[fluff1975]

My 21 month old mindee often sleeps in the garden when it's fine (we're quite exposed on the top of a hill!). She sleeps really well and mum can always tell when she's slept out there as she has a better night's sleep!

We get foxes occasionally, and reading these posts has reminded me that once we saw a fox when my own daughter was sleeping out in the pram. She sniffed and the fox nearly jumped over the hedge in fright! Never seen anything run so fast in the opposite direction!

[Chimps Childminding]

My sons were all put outside to sleep during the day, so were my brothers and I when we were babies!!! I do sometimes put mindees out in the garden, particularly if we are outside anyway and mindee needs a nap or if we have been for a walk and mindee has fallen asleep - I just bring the buggy through to the garden and let them sleep on!!

[clareelizabeth1]

I do this with my mindies fairly often as I spend most of the day in the garden and the all sleep better and wake up happier when aloud to sleep outside. My OFSTED inspecter also told me about a nursery in Cambridge who built an awning and all naps are taken under it.