CM and DCS sleeping arrangements

Mine all sleep in cots or on beds in a downstairs bedroom (which I am lucky to have), but they do sometimes fall asleep in the car, in the buggy, on the settee, or just on the floor. I didn't have one of the bedrooms registered for a while, because it had all the child un-friendly things in it, like the ironing board, etc.

btw though, my sofa is very large and noone could really fall off this and I stress again that I always stay in the room while they are all asleep.

And I dont have any under ones now.

I am a cm and have been recently graded good in all areas and all of my mindees sleep on the sofa with nap blankets and cushions.
The inspector thought I had a good routine going and complemented me on it.

However I am lucky because I dont have any school runs to accommadate and have got the children into the routine of a long nap just after lunch.

All the parents are fine with this and it ensures the children have one long interrupted sleep in the day.

It is difficult to have children sleeping at seperate times as one can wake the other up.

However I stay in the room as long as they are asleep and get my paperwork done.

16 months is a normal age to cuddle up to sleep on the sofa imo..

as a CM i would never let a child sleep on a sofa for safety reasons it would always be in a travel cot or a snoozemat on floor level for a older child the CM should take into consideration your views and requests in order to have a positive working relationship with you.

Greatfun: I am a childminder and all my 2 year old mindees sleep on little cot mattresses with their own bedding, in a draught free area on the floor of the carpeted playroom. My 12 month olds sleep in travel cots in the playroom. Occasionally one of mindees may have preferred to sleep on sofa for one reason or another and in this case I have always remained in the room.

Generally speaking, your childminder should provide somewhere for your child to sleep, not necessarily a bedroom (of course, if you prefer a bedroom, then you would need to find a childminder who is able to provide this) but certainly a comfortable area (travel cot, mattress) to sleep in. My mindees only sleep in buggies if we are out and about and they happen to fall asleep.

I wonder why she is a bit reluctant to use the travel cot, I suppose it depends where she stores it and if she has to get it out each time. For those of us who don't use a bedroom, would have thought thats what we all have to do.

I would have a chat with your childminder.

Blondeshavemorefun
I think thats a bit of a generalisation, surely it depends on how you organise yourself and your activities as how much attention anyone gets! I used to care for 2 under 5's + b4 and after school triplets who were only just 5 + sibling aged 7. I can honestly say that the two under 5's did not get little or no 1-1 attention when the other children were with us. It depends on how you organise yourself / activities.

Registering bedrooms: what about those childminders, like myself, who have grown up adult children living at home, I think it would be highly inappropriate to register their bedrooms for mindees napping requirements! Just because we are childminders, it seems to be assumed by some that we would want to register our own 'adult space' bedrooms? I for one, certainly do not want to worry about whether I have left a headache pill (for example) make up or whatever lying around for a child to get hold of.

I am actually registered for the whole house but soon decided that we needed a space that didn't resemble the business so do not use upstairs at all!

Ofsted seem to vary their view on sleeping in buggies. This Google Search will enable you to read a selection of Ofsted reports - due to how Ofsted change their site from time to time, you may need to read the Google Cache version.

In a report about a nursery (note: not a CM) Ofsted raised the issue of sleeping in a buggy as the inspector felt it didn't promote good health. However I feel a nursery setting is different to a childminder... at a nursery you could reasonably expect there to be a cot room for example.

EYFS says that a Cot is only necessary when the child is staying overnight.

Children can sleep on the floor (on a mat), in a buggy.

I find that children often will change their sleeping pattern when in the care of someone else. At 16 months, your child may have a short nap whilst in the buggy/car whilst on a morning outing. They may have a longer nap in the afternoon, either at the CM's home or whilst out.

I am a childminder and none of my bedrooms are registered, I was advised when registering that I would need to be able to escape in the event of fire from the bedroom. I currently have 3 under 5's of which one is my dd of 4 years, however in September I will have 3 under 3's plus dd plus another 3 year old once a week due to a variation. I ask the parents about sleep routine, my dd never slept in a cot other than at night, she always slept whilst out and about, in her buggy. I have parents that would prefer buggy and of they want travel cot then I put it up in a downstairs room. I agree , you need to talk to her again.

I think the norm is 3 under 5 Nicky, and 1 under 1.

Would your 16 month old actually stay on a sofa and go to sleep? My children certainly wouldn't stay put. I'm dreading dd2's progression to a bed (and therefore the freedom to get up and play rather than sleep).

HAve you checked on her certificate that she is registered to have 4 under 5s at one time? Most are only allowed one.

I wouldn't be happy with a sofa arrangement. And I don't think Oftsed would be.

It sounds as though you're having second thoughts about this particular childminder. If I was you I'd have another look and see if you can find one you'd be happier about leaving your DS with. Or have another chat with her about the things that concern you to see if she can accomodate your wishes or reassure you.

I put travel cot in my 2 yr olds room as that room is registered for use with ofsted and is 100% safe. I wouldn't put a travel cot in my older boys rooms or my bedroom as they are not registered with ofsted and are rooms that are out of bounds to minded children as not 100% safe. If a toddler woke up and managed to climb out of the travel cot I wouldn't want them in those rooms as there might be small bit and pieces, toiletries etc.

oh, so you cant just put up a travel cot in your/your dd/ds bedroom then?

Ofsted actually asked me about a child sleeping in a buggy once, (the child had fallen asleep on way back from schoolrun),she told me that no child should sleep in buggy,they should all have travel cot to sleep in.

Like Ali I Have two proper cots in the children's room plus two travel cots if the are needed, babies start downstairs then go upto the proper cots.

The tinier ones often fall asleep for 15/30 mins in the morning either on the way to school oron the way to activities, then they all go to bed for anything up to 2 hours in their cots after lunch, which means that lunch is early (11.30) so that they get their full requirement of sleep before the school run in the afternoon.

I would speak to her again that you are not too happy about the sofa option, and would prefer either buggy or travel cot if this is possible ?
I always talk to new parents about sleep routines and preferences at the very beginning, as there may be some you just cannot accomodate depending on the routine you already have with other children. Most of mine that still have naps fall asleep in buggy when out and about, but I do have a travel cot to put up in a bedroom upstairs when it is needed or preferred. I personally would not be happy to put a 16 mo old to sleep on a sofa. If they fell asleep in buggy I would recline in buggy or take out and put to bed in cot.

I think you need to make your wishes known. Cm may not be lucky enough to have spare bedrooms to use. It also will vary from situation to situation on what will work. I have one mindee who sleeps fantasticly well upstairs on her own in a travel cot. Second mindee however despite numerous tries never settled up there and disturbed first mindee so she sleeps in a lie flat pushchair in kitchen/diner. She seems happier and settles right to sleep if she can hear me pottering about My own ds age 2 dosen't always sleep these days but he has the sofa. I always make time for sleep, it's not fun being with a cranky tired child so it's in everyone's best interests that sleep is given a fairly high priority.

why wouldnt a cm register her bedrooms

just seems a bit weird to me

surely if you are a cm, you would register all of your rooms,ormaybe not a study etc, but def bedrooms

a bedroom is a place to sleep - not a sofa (tho as my man is snoring on the sofa at the moment - mr blondes may disagree about that)

No way I'll make sleep my mindees on the sofa. I have 2 bedrooms in which there are 2 travel cots and I do my best to respect their routines.

I was worried when my CM expressed great reluctance in putting her travel cot up. DD similar age to your LO, and goes two days a week. My CM's flat is small and her bedrooms unregistered. DD sleeps in her buggy in the kitchen. At first I was quite unhappy about this, but DD seems fine, is well-rested when I pick her up, and there is the added advantage that she sleeps brilliantly in her buggy for me when I am out and about.It can be amazing what kids get used to. I also felt it was better than at nursery where they nap at the same time every day, whether it suits them or not; at the CM DD goes for a sleep whenever she is tired, which varies a lot. She seems to be thriving.

TBH I think the sofa idea is a bit odd- surely a 16 month old could fall off? Why not safely in a buggy?

Have you taken references from other parents, to see how they feel about the sleeping arrangements?

i understand having upstairs gated off - no one wants mess up stairs and down stairs assume she would have stair gates anyway being a registered cm

but still dont get why the mindee doesnt have a proper place to sleep - surely all ofsted registered cm's should have this?

and 4 under 5 as well as 2/3 older children means from 3.30ish she could have 7 to entertain/look after and prob means your 16mth wont have much time with cm and def not 1 to 1 interaction

No way would my baby be sleeping on a sofa.

Totally wrong imo at that age.

I have two travel cots up permanenetly in spare bedrooms, and a spare room with a proper full size cot and single bed if needed.

A new mindie will go in a travel cot in the sitting room or dining room, until I learn their sleep pattern, - dropping off and waking up etc. They will then progress to one of the cots upstairs.

I will always plan around a new minded child until they are well settled with sleep, meal routine etc, and then shift it about to suit the whole setting, but always making sure they have one good long sleep a day.