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Original poster

Is this safe childminding practice?

76 replies

amoobaa · 18/12/2021 19:00

Wanting to know if I’m being over anxious...

I’ve just secured a place with a childminder for our son. He will be 12 months old.

The childminder seems great in all other ways. I’m just a bit concerned about nap arrangements as she doesn’t have a baby monitor.

She will have the babies all napping together (on their own sleeping mats) on the living room floor.

I’m fine with this, so long as they are observed, but she leaves them in the room unattended and goes downstairs without a baby monitor to observe them.

Is this safe? Whilst he cannot get out of the room (she will close the door) he could easily wake up and crawl around the room. I’m imagining him climbing on things or hitting his head on the hard furniture (TV unit and low tables). Or crawling over and waking/ poking other babies.

He’s got a really strong grip!! What if he hurt another child or another child hurt him? Or if he managed to climb onto the sofa and fall of it?

I’m not sure if I’m missing something or whether this is usual practice.

He’s only ever slept in a cot or travel cot, anything else seems risky without a baby monitor.

I can’t find any official guidelines...

She seems to think she will hear any noises but the floor is carpeted and she will be on a completely different floor of the house.

What if he gets into a tricky situation but is silent? It just seems so odd not to observe them. Or am I being paranoid?

Any opinions would be really appreciated.

I’m not sure her reasoning but I’d happily supply a baby monitor if that helped.

I’m actually quite worried about the 6 month old who my 12 month old will be napping next to. What if my son crawled over and started to try and play and ended up hurting her?

All thoughts welcome.

OP posts:
tiredanddangerous · 18/12/2021 19:03

It doesn't sound very safe to me. My dc always napped in a travel cot at the childminders. Could you provide one for her to use?

MissyB1 · 18/12/2021 19:04

Wow no that doesn’t sound great to me. Sad
At 12 months sleeping on a mat is all very well but she needs to be either in the room, or in the next room with the door open so she can see. Or a video monitor would be next best thing.
I wouldn’t be happy for my child to be sleeping there with her arrangements.

buzzandwoodyallday · 18/12/2021 19:05

I'd be concerned about that too tbh.

I have cameras in my DCs rooms that I use whenever they're asleep, even for naps, and they're 2&3 and perfectly safe in our own home.

You can buy an Sri camera on Amazon for around £40 that would cover the whole room, includes sound and you can view on your phone or tablet. Seems a no brainier to have one. I'd be put off the CM in honesty.

takealettermsjones · 18/12/2021 19:05

I don't know whether it's normal or not but if you're not happy with it, find another childminder. I definitely wouldn't be happy with this.

1concernedmummy · 18/12/2021 19:07

No, that's not okay and it would concern me that she thinks it is. What's her reason for not having a monitor?

WorraLiberty · 18/12/2021 19:11

That sounds mad, especially with a 6 month old baby in the room!

Your child could sit on its face and bloody smother it.

Even if you bought her a monitor, with that lax attitude I wouldn't trust her to use it.

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 18/12/2021 19:13

Not ok. She needs cots/travel cots for sleeping.

ButterflyBitch · 18/12/2021 19:14

When my kids went to nursery the kids used to nap on mats on the floor but there was always someone in there with them while they slept. I think she should be staying in there in case a child wakes sooner than the others or at the very least have a baby monitor. I don’t know the legalities though.

cansu · 18/12/2021 19:15

That does not sound remotely sensible and I am very laid back. Children of differing ages all asleep on floor together - no. I would expect a childminder to be more vigilant than a parent on many ways. I think you need to trust your instinct. This reveals something troubling about her.

FrancescaContini · 18/12/2021 19:16

Eh? Sleeping on a mat on the floor? No, I wouldn’t be happy either.

Helbelle75 · 18/12/2021 19:16

I wouldn't be happy with that. My 2 either slept in the pushchair after a walk, or being cuddled by the childminder.

cansu · 18/12/2021 19:16

Why on earth isn't she using cots??

CreamFirstThenJamOnTop · 18/12/2021 19:19

Sleeping on a matt I’d be fine with - they did this at dd and DS nursery. But I’d absolutely want her either in there or watching on a video monitor.

LynetteScavo · 18/12/2021 19:22

Why isn't she using travel cots?

FawnFrenchieMum · 18/12/2021 19:25

No I wouldn’t be happy with this. My CM used to use mats for toddlers but travel cots for babies. She also used to be on the same floor and usually in the room with them or watching from the kitchen.
Is it a three story house? I’d also question how she was safely getting a 6 month & 12 month up & down the stairs without having travel cots to keep them safe whilst getting the other one.

bonetiredwithtwins · 18/12/2021 19:26

@cansu

Why on earth isn't she using cots??
Depends on the number of kids she has? Her house could end up looking like an orphanage if she had cats for all of them. Sleeping mats js pretty standard in childcare settings

I think at 12 months it's fine - the 6 month baby however shouldn't be left unattended and be in a separate travel cot

bonetiredwithtwins · 18/12/2021 19:26

*cots!

VaguelyInteresting · 18/12/2021 19:26

Sleeping on floor mats is normal practice in many nurseries for toddlers. Think babies have to be in cots until 1 at least.

I wouldn’t like them being left. At DS’ nursery they were constantly “generally” monitored by staff always present in the room and checked closely/ individually every 10 mins.

Mumoblue · 18/12/2021 19:27

No that’s not safe. You can get baby monitors pretty cheap too, so I’m confused why she wouldn’t just get one.

DirtyDancing · 18/12/2021 19:29

Mats on the floor, fine.

Unattended & no monitor or video not fine.

Go with your gut. Otherwise you'll worry all day, every day your child is there. What you want when someone else is looking after your child is peace of mind

girlmom21 · 18/12/2021 19:30

Leaving young babies and toddlers unsupervised? Absolutely not.

LosingTheWill2 · 18/12/2021 19:31

The eyfs states that the children should always be seen or heard. A baby monitor is the minimum age should have. The children should be in age appropriate cots/ beds, mats on the floor are fine for older children, definitely not for a 6 month old

forrestgreen · 18/12/2021 19:32

No I wouldnt be happy (ex Chm)

Tbh I refused to have mine sleep on a different floor to where I was, so they were all put down in the lounge. Cots then moving onto mats dependent on age and sense!

I stayed in the lounge whilst they were asleep.

If I had babies who slept at random times, they went to sleep in the lounge in a pram, then I moved them into the kitchen so I had sight of them whilst others played.

Lindy2 · 18/12/2021 19:34

Mats on the floor is fine but they should be regularly checked on.

I had the children I looked after all asleep in a room that I could see into and could easily hear any sound from.

Most children do make a noise when they wake but they should be close to the childminder just incase.

WonderfulYou · 18/12/2021 19:35

Sleeping on a matt I’d be fine with - they did this at dd and DS nursery. But I’d absolutely want her either in there or watching on a video monitor.

I agree.

I assume the reason she doesn’t have a baby monitor is because she can hear them. How else would she know when they’re awake?

I would be honest with her and say you’re not comfortable with her not being in the room and not having a monitor.

Do you think she means she leaves them when going to the toilet or the entire time they’re napping?

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