I have 2 little mindees - a girl who will be 4 next month and her little brother aged 2 years 5 months. They are only with me term time and the sister attends nursery every morning until 11.30 when granny leaves her with me. The little brother is with me from 8.30 am. They usually leave anything from 4.30 onwards.
When they came back in September, for convenience, I put the little boy down for a sleep at 11.15 - just to give the girl time to unwind when she came in and he would have peace to sleep. I noticed that when he went down to sleep he cried, chatted and finally went over about 1/2 hour afterwards. So I always counted 1 hour from the time the monitor went quiet which was good timing really for lunch.
A couple of weeks ago I realised he wasn't sleeping every time I put him down so thought nothing of it just let him lie there until 1.00 and got him up for lunch. I did mention to mum that he hadn't slept and her reply was - well I don't get him to sleep at the weekends either. I asked should I stop him sleeping to which I got no response. I decided there was no point in continually putting him down for him not to sleep but tried the method of getting him to sit up on the couch for a quiet time before his sister came in and this worked fine. Some days he was crouchy in the afternoon and I thought nothing more of it.
On Friday afternoon before I got the door opened to the mother I was asked quite directly "did D sleep today?" I said I had stopped putting him down for his sleep in the cot but just having a quiet time on the sofa. To which the response came "well he really would have needed his sleep, he got up so tired this morning and crying with it." I was going to say "well why didn't you tell me that this morning" but I bit my tongue instead. It annoyed me all that evening that I was somehow failing in my care to the little boy (I do take things very much to heart).
Anyway child came this morning, mum never mentioned whether he slept during the day at the weekend or anything but she did say that there was Calpol in the bag and to give him some if I thought he needed it. I asked "oh has he been sick this weekend or is he getting a cold or something." To which she said "no he just got up crouchy these past 2 mornings and I gave him the Calpol to keep him quiet, it seemed to work yesterday so I gave it today again." I was so shocked and couldn't say anything as she ran back to her car!
Now I don't know what exactly I am supposed to do - put him down to sleep or just hope the Calpol does the trick of not making him sleepy?
I had thought of starting a little daily journal to keep myself right as far as my actions but I think I would let myself in for more verbal attacks from mum about why I did that and not this etc. I hate this when parents don't exactly tell you what to do and then if you do do something it appears to be all wrong in the parents eyes?
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