What would you do?

[**Orchard CM**]

Hi all, Just wondering what other CMs would do in this situation. A child eating his toast in highchair in the kitchen and another child crying a screaming (very loud) in a pushchair wanting to be rocked to sleep in pushchair, in the quiet room. Where would everyone be? There's no option to move the pushchair as it won't fit into the gap to my kitchen. My instinct is to let him cry it out and supervise the child eating but then obviously I don't want him to be distressed, of course. Both are the same age 13 months Interested to see what other people think Thanks x

[Mouse]

I would stay with the child who was eating as that's where the most risk is. They could choke, whereas a crying child is unlikely to suffer any harm.

I would most probably have lifted the crying child out of the pushchair and tried to comfort/distract them until the other child had finished eating. Ideally I'd have had them both sat in highchairs eating toast!

[mumofone]

Same as mouse, assess the highest risk :-) x

[**Orchard CM**]

Thanks ladies,

No the child in the pushchair was not interested in toast or anything. I tried all that. He's one of those that when he's tired you can't do right for doing wrong. If you pick him up and cuddle him he wants to get down, if he gets down he wants to be cuddled... Then he leaps into his pushchair. I did stay with the eating child but felt awful for his crying but he's been asleep nearly two hours so hasn't harmed him in anyway xx

[Mouse]

Would the crying one listen to some music while he's waiting for you?

I have nice, calming tracks saved on youtube and I'll play them in my ipad while the children are settling or waiting for me. One of the tracks shows a video of clouds floating by and for one lo I'll position the ipad so he can see the video as well as listening to the music.

[moggy]

If space allowed I might move the child + high chair to within sight/reach of the buggy needing rocking. But no right or wrong. We make these decisions all the time every day, we can not keep everyone happy all of the time!

[hulahoops]

Thanks ladies,

No the child in the pushchair was not interested in toast or anything. I tried all that. He's one of those that when he's tired you can't do right for doing wrong. If you pick him up and cuddle him he wants to get down, if he gets down he wants to be cuddled... Then he leaps into his pushchair. I did stay with the eating child but felt awful for his crying but he's been asleep nearly two hours so hasn't harmed him in anyway xx

I think you did the right thing. You needed to be with the one eating.
I had a little boy like that once and it was hard work. Mum wouldn't back me up with anything. I asked her to try not to pick him up every time he cried but I just got the response 'awww but he's my baby'
I ended up suggesting she found someone else as I couldn't give him the attention he needed. Thankfully she did!