Outside napping

[Trpta108]

What an interesting thread!

I have recently done a bit of research into scandinavian methods and there seems to be lots of good reasons to put babies outside to sleep. Greater resistance to colds, more settled naps, better connection with outdoor environment etc.

I just think that as a parent, unless you have researched it, our culture tells us its not right. I would love to adopt this method myself but would worry what parents thought.

Maybe you could put together an information pack about your outdoor methods for parents to become better informed.

I would be really interested in how you get on

Was planning to write something about the benefits of the outdoors ect in my general info leaflet, but might use your suggestion and do a whole seperate one. Thanks! Will update when I actually start minding (cant wait ).

[Trpta108]

I am afraid that your hubby would have to smoke outside, he is not allowed to smoke on the "premises" where children are present, whether he is in a separate room or not. I know it is his home too, but he really should smoke outside.

If you have disclosed to Ofsted about using the "smoking room" as a quiet room, then they would have factored this in when issuing you with your number ratios. This means that this room should be available for children to use.

Smoke travels and lingers so I really do not think that him using this room, or the bathroom to smoke in is in anyway ideal.

Your husband is the one who needs to compromise. He needs to realise that you will have other peoples children in your care, whom will be providing you with an income. Is it really THAT hard for him to smoke outside??




I know a number of smokers who go outside to smoke, it is a routine that they get in to.

As for sleeping outside, I would not do it, simply because there are a number of animals that I have seen in my garden, Cats, Foxes etc and would not trust leaving the children out there alone. x

I did mean my husband to compromise.
Regards to animals outside, it is possible to buy cat nets for the pram.

[beccas]

i have childminded for 9 years almost now and children have always slept outside if they are in buggy after a outing i cover them even with rain cover if needed and theyare warm itis weather permitting i have a gazebo as well to use in wet weather.

I believe if the parent is ok with it then its fine with me. some Children sleep better outside than in due to noise from other children i also have a travel cot and use my settees as well it all depends on parents and childs prefrence.

As for smoking my hubby smmokes in my house at night and i have the window open and always have it ventilated in a morningbefore mindees come ofsted know this and are fine he doesnt smoke after 10pm as we are both in bed lol both start work early and he doesnt smoke in a morning cos he gets up has a cup of tea some toast and leaves just as first mindee is comming. at 7am.

[Trpta108]

i have childminded for 9 years almost now and children have always slept outside if they are in buggy after a outing i cover them even with rain cover if needed and theyare warm itis weather permitting i have a gazebo as well to use in wet weather.

I believe if the parent is ok with it then its fine with me. some Children sleep better outside than in due to noise from other children i also have a travel cot and use my settees as well it all depends on parents and childs prefrence.

As for smoking my hubby smmokes in my house at night and i have the window open and always have it ventilated in a morningbefore mindees come ofsted know this and are fine he doesnt smoke after 10pm as we are both in bed lol both start work early and he doesnt smoke in a morning cos he gets up has a cup of tea some toast and leaves just as first mindee is comming. at 7am.

Thats excactly what my hubby does (apart from the mindee part as I havent started minding yet)

[rickysmiths]

What an interesting thread!

I have recently done a bit of research into scandinavian methods and there seems to be lots of good reasons to put babies outside to sleep. Greater resistance to colds, more settled naps, better connection with outdoor environment etc.

I just think that as a parent, unless you have researched it, our culture tells us its not right. I would love to adopt this method myself but would worry what parents thought.

Maybe you could put together an information pack about your outdoor methods for parents to become better informed.

I would be really interested in how you get on

Where in our Culture does it tell us its not right?

Until the Nineteen Ninties it was common practice to put the baby out in the back garden in the pram to sleep. It is only very recently that the practice seems to have stopped.

Are we too protective I wonder? Remember Central Heating is not that old. When I was a baby and growing up we had no heating in the bedrooms, lino floors and there was often ice on the inside of the bedrooom window in the morning and somehow I have lived to tell the tale.

I often put my mindees in the garden in a buggy or pram for their sleep. From April to August I had no choice, I was working in a 22' Porta Cabin in the front garden and although I had Ready beds for the older ones the babies slept outside, rain or shine. I don't think it does any harm. My generation survived and didn't need all the antibiotics that children seem to these days.

It certainly isn't healthy for them to spend all day and night in heated houses with no windows open, never steping outside for fear of getting cold. I sadly know a lot of families like this. I think we all have a tendancy to over heat our houses, I'm as guilty when it is cold outside

[caz3007]

RickySmiths, I agree with you. My older DS was born in 1992 and I had a large coachbuilt silver cross pram for him, complete with cat net and he slept outide lots. I think attitudes changed when it became fashionable to put tiny babies in a buggies and not proper prams or carrycots.

My DD was born a few years before him and we also had ice on the inside of our windows and no heating through most of her first winter, she is now 21 and it did her no harm.

Actually what did her more long term harm was the thought of the frilly dresses with matching knickers that she spent the first years of her life in

[hannahemilie]

If i were a baby Id love to sleep putside whatever the weather! as long as wrapped up i dont see the problem.

Cant believe your hubby is so stubborn, I wouldnt put up with smoking in the house from anyone, when you have your own or anyone elses children in your house I think its disgusting. Even if you cant smell it as youre used to it, any mindees will probably go home stinking of smoke. Im not anti smoking, Im an ex smoker but never smoked in the house.

[jane5]

I am afraid that your hubby would have to smoke outside, he is not allowed to smoke on the "premises" where children are present, whether he is in a separate room or not. I know it is his home too, but he really should smoke outside.

If you have disclosed to Ofsted about using the "smoking room" as a quiet room, then they would have factored this in when issuing you with your number ratios. This means that this room should be available for children to use.

Smoke travels and lingers so I really do not think that him using this room, or the bathroom to smoke in is in anyway ideal.

Your husband is the one who needs to compromise. He needs to realise that you will have other peoples children in your care, whom will be providing you with an income. Is it really THAT hard for him to smoke outside??

I know a number of smokers who go outside to smoke, it is a routine that they get in to.

As for sleeping outside, I would not do it, simply because there are a number of animals that I have seen in my garden, Cats, Foxes etc and would not trust leaving the children out there alone. x

I like to take my dd out in her pram in all weathers as I agree that babies sleep better out side but I agree with chelle, I dont trust the animals.

I had a male fox in my garden 3 days ago, he was massive and he stood and watched me and dd at the window and was not afraid of us at all. Its not long ago that those twins were attacked by a fox in their cot so there is no way I could put children in the garden even if I could see them from the window. A cat net would do nothing to stop a fox and we have squirrels and all sorts in our garden. We dont live in the country we live in Manchester.

[PixiePetal]

I nap children outside when the weather is warm, I think our winter weather is so damp and foggy that I don't like the idea and buggies are just not the same as the old fashioned prams we used to use.

If mindees fall asleep on a walk, I park in the front porch and leave the door ajar - in middle of countryside, but bring them in if it's too cold to want the door open

[Chimps Childminding]

My sons (18 and 19) slept outside when they were little unless it was foggy or really cold! If we are outside and a baby needs a sleep I will put them in the buggy and let them sleep in there! June and I live next door so we can put sleeping baby in the other garden (tho obviously still visible) away from the playing children, have to say on the whole most do sleep longer when outside than inside!

Wouldn't leave a baby outside now unless we were out there with them as we have loads of cats around us, and although you can get cat nets I am not sure I would trust them!!

As for smoking I was also under the impression that minding was supposed to be on a non-smoking premises, but not being smokers anyway I could be mistaken

[sarah707]

With regard to smoking, the Eyfs states -

Specific legal requirements
Providers must ensure that children are in a smoke-free environment.

Statutory guidance to which providers should have regard
Providers should have a no smoking policy which ensures that no one smokes in a room, or outside play area, when children are present or about to be present. If, exceptionally, children are expected to use any space that has been used for smoking, providers should ensure that there is adequate ventilation to clear the atmosphere.

I would suggest you contact Ofsted and make sure they are ok with someone smoking in your house.

Write a risk assessment of how you will protect children from second hand smoke on furnishings, coming through the door when it is opened etc.

Get their reply in writing if you can because if you are inspected and the inspector does not like smoking on the premises you may be graded inadequate.

hth

[~Grasshopper~]

As a mum i would never use a childminder who lived in a smoking household even if they smoked outside.

i would also never allow my child to be left to sleep outside without someone with him 100% of the time, i would not risk anything happening to him and i will not leave a child unattended whilst in my care either.

hmm good choice you will be giving the parents, inside with the smoker or outside in the frsh air with the foxes/ dogs/ cats/ baby snatchers.

[samb]

This is really interesting. At first when I read your OP I thought - no way would I want to leave children outside to sleep. I am glad I have read through everyone's responses. I feel that if we were playing outside on a warm day and a baby was due a nap then I would bring the baby out too - maybe in a travel cot or my single push chair which lies flat. But I would not feel comfortable leaving anyone outside if I was inside. I live in a flat anyway so not an option for me but interesting to provoke my own feelings on an issue. I would also not be happy to put my own children with a childminder that put children to sleep outside.

As for the smoking issue - I thought all childminding premises were non smoking, so if I walked into a house where someone smoked I would walk out again saying I was not happy about the smoke in the house. I have 2 out of 3 children that have smoking parents and they are pleased that they are sending their children to a non smoking home. I think even though they smoke they do realise it is not a nice environment for the children.

[PRINCESSDAISYFLOWER]

2 summers ago i was quite happy to leave the babies in their cot to sleep at nap time.

But one day after i did this, something terrible happened. 2 staffs managed to get into my VERY SECURE garden, they attacked me, my mum and killed my beloved cat.

Luckily the children were inside at the time eating their lunch but could you imagine what would have happened if i had the baby in the pram, at the time one of my mindees was the same size as my cat.

I personally couldnt settle unless i was sitting next to the child the whole time whcih defeats the purpose.

[Trpta108]

As a mum i would never use a childminder who lived in a smoking household even if they smoked outside.

i would also never allow my child to be left to sleep outside without someone with him 100% of the time, i would not risk anything happening to him and i will not leave a child unattended whilst in my care either.

hmm good choice you will be giving the parents, inside with the smoker or outside in the frsh air with the foxes/ dogs/ cats/ baby snatchers.

That hurt , am only trying to do my best. Are you suggesting I give up childminding then?

[rickysmiths]

As a mum i would never use a childminder who lived in a smoking household even if they smoked outside.

i would also never allow my child to be left to sleep outside without someone with him 100% of the time, i would not risk anything happening to him and i will not leave a child unattended whilst in my care either.

hmm good choice you will be giving the parents, inside with the smoker or outside in the frsh air with the foxes/ dogs/ cats/ baby snatchers.

That is your choice of course.

However my husband smoked for the first 10 years I was a minder, he has thank goodness given up now. He never smoked in the flat we lived in he always smoked outside and never in front of the minded children. All the parents that used me knew this, Ofsted required and before them, Social services that I tell the parents. I was always full with people queing to use my services. I have always been Graded Good and last time only just missed Outstanding.

I do entertain at the weekends and in my holidays, I had 100 friends and family here last Sat for a Christmas Party. I have friends and family who smoke, they all smoke outside only.

Of course now childminder would leave children in a place of danger, how stupid would that be? You would risk assess your garden. I live outside a small Hertfordshire town our garden does not have foxes, we do have cats that come in the garden but you make it sound as if we all have loads of wild animals running wild in our gardens all day and every day and that is far from the truth or reality of it. I don't think anyone has said a child will be left unsupervised either.

I think you have been very unfair to the poster.

[Twinkles]

As a mum i would never use a childminder who lived in a smoking household even if they smoked outside.

i would also never allow my child to be left to sleep outside without someone with him 100% of the time, i would not risk anything happening to him and i will not leave a child unattended whilst in my care either.

hmm good choice you will be giving the parents, inside with the smoker or outside in the frsh air with the foxes/ dogs/ cats/ baby snatchers.

I think that's a little harsh.

Baby snatchers in the shrubbery !

You have no idea how secure the op's garden is and as for leaving a child 'unattended' I personally do not stand over them as they sleep either upstairs or outside. I have baby alarms and do frequent checks.

[hannahemilie]

That hurt , am only trying to do my best. Are you suggesting I give up childminding then?

Aw I dont think you should give up, dont be put off by the replies in the thread, including mine! This thread has got a lot of replies, but its nothing against you, its an interesting thread thats all. Do think you should kick the hubby out to smoke tho, hes being very selfish!

[Trpta108]

Aw I dont think you should give up, dont be put off by the replies in the thread, including mine! This thread has got a lot of replies, but its nothing against you, its an interesting thread thats all. Do think you should kick the hubby out to smoke tho, hes being very selfish!

Would love to, but he refuses to even talk about it. Feel quite let down that he wont make that little sacrifice after all the time and effort I have put into this. As many has said it is very likely to cost me business. And after all I am not only doing it for myself, but for the whole family. Sorry, this has turned into a moan now, not what I intended.

[Helcatt]

As a mum i would never use a childminder who lived in a smoking household even if they smoked outside.

i would also never allow my child to be left to sleep outside without someone with him 100% of the time, i would not risk anything happening to him and i will not leave a child unattended whilst in my care either.

hmm good choice you will be giving the parents, inside with the smoker or outside in the frsh air with the foxes/ dogs/ cats/ baby snatchers.

A touch harsh, I feel! I do not hover over a sleeping baby 100% of the time, they are upstairs while we are downstairs playing and I physically check on them on a regular basis. I also have a monitor so that I can hear/see what is happening in the room. Are you saying that this is inappropriate? That I should not leave their side for the whole time that they are asleep?

Or for a child that falls asleep on the school run, should I have them in the dining room while we are playing, very loudly sometimes? Or can I leave them in the hall where they are safe and secure, I can hear them when they wake? Even though this is not 100% supervised?

Back to the OP!

Smoking hubby is the one that needs a kick up the bum. I keep having to remind my dh that he needs to smoke at the front of the house if I have mindees here - he usually smokes in the back garden (evenings and weekends), but never in the house

I am always upfront and inform people that he does smoke, but let them know what I do to ensure that mindees do not see him smoking or have any after effects from the smoke

HX