Minded children's sleeping habits

**lau** · 26-04-2011, 12:06 PM

Hi everyone, I am a new childminder and although I have one child due to start in May, I havent actually got any mindees attending at the moment.

I had a mum come look around with her little 1 year old boy. She sounded very keen but one thing she did say is that her little boy only falls asleep when he is being cuddled. Now I dont know what to do.

I have a little boy, 9 months old and an older boy who is 10. This little boy would be coming until 9.30 2 nights a week which means I would need to put him to bed here. The minded babies sleep in a travel cot in the same room as my baby.

I dont think it is reasonable for me to have to rock this 1 year old to sleep every nap and bed time. Especially at bedtime. My baby goes to sleep in his cot without a problem and I dont want him to be disrupted by another baby who wont sleep in a cot. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you manage it?

We do have a 3rd floor which I am not currently registered to use for childminding so I may well need to ask Ofsted to change my registration to include that floor. Just wondered how everyone else copes

Thanks

Laura x

**sarah707** · 26-04-2011, 05:29 PM

I explain to parents that while I try to keep to their home routines some things are going to happen differently here.

For example, sleep times might be in a cot or a buggy or outside on a rug in the shade or inside on a sofa bed...

I will try to keep to home sleep times but if we are out and about it might vary slightly.

Flexibility is the key - you have to meet the needs of different families. Simply reassure parents that their lo will be secure and comfortable with you.

Hth

**muffins** · 26-04-2011, 06:13 PM

I had a 10mth old start 6wks ago and his mum has always held him till he sleeps then put him down. I told her this wasn't practical here & she also felt things should change at home too! But was going to see what happened here 1st

So for settling periods we kept them to none nap times BUT he got very tired on one session so it was a case of gonna have to try it! He cried on & off for 10 mins then feel asleep, didn't even get to that really angry state

He now goes down for naps like a dream, very rearly here a thing from him. Think mum now does this at home too!

**lau** · 01-05-2011, 08:26 AM

Thanks for your replies. I think that I am going to say that cuddling to sleep is not practical here and I have already said I will try to keep to their normal routines as much as possible. No naps during settling in seems like a good idea too. Hopefully she will agree that maybe it is time for him to learn to go to sleep alone.

Thanks for your help, and fingers crossed!

**loocyloo** · 01-05-2011, 05:52 PM

good luck, i had a LO who had always been cuddled to sleep and i had to tell mum that it just wouldn't be possible with the other LO to look after as well.

i started by putting LO in the (lay flat) pushchair and rocking it till she was asleep and slowly lessened the rocking. once LO was able to be put in pushchair and to go to sleep by herself, i then started putting her in the cot awake and let her settle herself to sleep. it did take a couple of months! LO was with nanna one day a week too, and once she knew LO was settling with me, she started doing the same and LO was sleeping like a dream ... however, mum just couldn't do it and had to cuddle to sleep and LO is still a bad sleeper at home.

**birch24** · 01-05-2011, 06:11 PM

I had a parent tell me recently that she wanted me to lie in a darkened room with her child whilst he took his bottle then went straight in his cot!!!
Well that isn't what happens surprisingly!!
The first day he came I gave him his drink in the lounge so I could keep an eye on the others then took him up and laid him in his cot. He took 10 minutes of crying to go to sleep and now he doesn't cry he just goes to sleep. They soon learn a different routine and adapt. One routine for home and one for the childminders!!
Good luck. xx

**BlondeMoment** · 01-05-2011, 07:29 PM

It's amazing how adaptable babies are. I had a 9 month old start with me who was exactly the same. I began by cuddling him for the first few days, then rocked him in a buggy, then once he was used to that I stopped rocking the buggy, then once he was happy with that I started putting him in a travel cot. His Mum was still cuddling him at home the whole time too but he learned that here it was different

**miffy** · 01-05-2011, 09:50 PM

I think you are right to be honest with mum from the start and say you can't do it. Hopefully lo will settle better for you than at home.

Miffy xx

**Milli147** · 02-05-2011, 07:20 AM

Definately start as you mean to go on!

I have mindees who eat things here they won't touch at home, and that can be moved from buggy/car/cot whilst asleep that they won't do at home. There is every chance the rocking wouldn't work with someone other than mum anyway. Good luck