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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Children sleeping at pushchair on childminder's home..Accetible or not??

32 replies

sassyminder · 10/08/2011 12:00

If I put children on my care to have their after lunch naps on the buggy een if I am at home and won't go anywhere...is it accetible? What will ofsted/parents think and does any minder here do it?

I remenber I went to a sure start nursery one day and it was the norm and there was a room full of buggies with the children sleeping in it.

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pippin26 · 10/08/2011 12:42

I think if you have parental permission to do this then its acceptable. I have one child who will ONLY go to sleep if they are in the buggy - this is mums wishes.

iskra · 10/08/2011 12:44

I think you need to get written permission to do this. The nursery DD went to had been marked down in OFSTED because they put babies to sleep in buggies without written permission from parents. Once they had the permission then Ofsted didn't care.

milkysmum · 10/08/2011 12:48

At the nursery dd goes to they often have a child or two sleeping in buggies but when I asked about this (as I was unsure about this being done with my dd) they explained it was only when the parents requested this to be done as this was what the way the child liked to be put to rest. I would definatley check with ofsted and always discuss with parents first.

An0therName · 10/08/2011 12:49

one of my childminders always did it -and I didn't give written permission and she had a good OFSTED; and my DS1 would only sleep in a buggy anyway - some children will only sleep in a cot through so if you could offer that as well it would be ideal - current CM has a travel cot upstairs which works well for my DS2

Davida · 10/08/2011 12:51

I'm not sure where else you would put them tbh...I'm not a childminder though and don't use one.

If it were my child I would want them only in a comfy pushchair though, with reclined seat, not upright etc.

prams of course are fine,

I had a 'friend' once who got put on the register for possible child negligence, because she and her partner put their 2yo in his upright buggy, strapped him in and left him screaming all night. She told me this a while after, as I didn't know her at the time. She said she'd told them he refused to sleep anywhere else, even in his bed, and they hadn't heard the noise...but the neighbours had and rang the police.

They were on this register for 5 years. I never quite could look her in the eye after that. But it's not terribly relevant to your situation i imagine.

Just check with the relevant authorities.

pozzled · 10/08/2011 12:53

As a parent I wouldn't be too happy about that- because it's something that wouldn't be practical for me at home, so I wouldn't want it to become habit. Would be ok for occasional/one-off use though.

What are your reasons? Surely a buggy would take up almost as much space as a travel cot?

BranchingOut · 10/08/2011 13:05

I think I would want the option of a travel cot or proper cot available. But I think it is realistic that babies will often drop off in the pushchair and then sleep there once they get home.

gardenpixies32 · 10/08/2011 13:43

Hi, I think that it is one of those blurry areas again. I had an Ofsted inpection in May 2011 and was awarded a Good. The inspector asked me where the children sleep and I told her one of them sleep in a buggy in the kitchen as he refuses to sleep anywhere else. I didnt have signed parental permission but his mum does know and is happy about it. The inspector didnt say anything about it. I have 2 bedrooms, each bedroom has a travel cot and the other 2 children I care for sleep in there.

stomp · 10/08/2011 14:41

Children here can sleep in a travel cot, on sleep mats or in my very large lie-flat pushchair. I've just had a child move from sleeping in the pushchair to using a sleep mat, when she first started here we tried her in the cot but she just didnt like it so with parents permission she started sleeping in the pushchair. It may not be everyone's idea of a perfect place to sleep a child- people do tend to raise an eyebrow- but it is very roomy, is completly flat, the only issue is that children can not turn over as they have to be strapped in. I will also argue that it is what the child feels comfortable sleeping in that is more important than what a DO or Ofsted think. I'm OS and I've seen children being put down to nap in pushchairs in an OS nursery.Smile

pollywollyhadadollycalledmolly · 11/08/2011 13:49

I wouldnt have any where to put a travel cot and i use my quinny buzz pram and put it in the hall. Parents have been fine with it. Quinny is a nice big comfy pram and lies horizontal and probably more comfy than a travel cot lol

JustFiveMinutesHAHAHA · 11/08/2011 13:55

For those of childminders saying that you wouldn't have room - how small a house/flat are you allowed to childmind in? Not being at all judgey - just really curious and been meaning to ask for ages... also, do you have to have a garden or would living next door to a park be OK for outside space? (clearly you'd 'take' them to the park, not just let them 'out' Grin).

MUM2BLESS · 11/08/2011 22:34

I found that if the child sleeps in the buggy whilst out I would rather leave them, when we get indoors (my wake them up) . However if they are in doors and awake I would put them in the apprpriate euipment to sleep (cot or bed). If they will sleep in it.

In the past I was faced with one girl who would make up so much noise if I attempted to put her to sleep, often fighting sleep!!!!. However she would sleep if I went for a stroll with her in the buggy.

You have to do whatever if best at the time. Some kids want to sleep at their house NOT the c.ms.

nannyboo1 · 12/08/2011 00:38

It is classed as good practise by Ofsted to not let a child sleep in a buggy/pushchair. But if you do you should have parental permission that they are happy with this. I use a travel cot or the settee or if a parent requests it a travel cot upstairs but i prefer not to use this option. the grey area of the pushchair came about a few years ago when there was research published to do with child development and something to do with the development of the spine(I think) if not laid flat in a pushchair/pram

hayleysd · 12/08/2011 04:27

I am a childminder and use a travel cot, it goes in my sons bedroom which is registered with ofsted

I wouldn't want my son be put to sleep in a buggy and I wouldn't have the travel cot in the living room as they'd never sleep especially in the school hols when the big ones are here

Cosmosis · 12/08/2011 10:50

mine sleeps in a reclined pushchair at the cm, as he does at home as well. I would have thought it fine if parents agree to it.

Jelly15 · 12/08/2011 11:48

I am a childminder and have two little ones asleep right now in buggies. I tend to use buggies more than the travel cots as it is only a nap not a long night time sleep. I ask the parents if they have a preference when they start. As they get older they nap on the sofas in my lounge or playroom.

Jasbro · 12/08/2011 13:18

I get parental permission to let children sleep in pushchair if necessary. However, I discuss parents own ideas about this before they sign a contract with me. Most parents are fairly easy going about it.

pollywollyhadadollycalledmolly · 12/08/2011 15:21

Justfive i dont have a small house, i stay in a large 2 bed semi, but in my living room right now there is one corner FULL of toys, plus a large dolls house, a toy kitchen and a tent! lol add into that several children and where would a travel cot go?

If it was in my hall it would do my nut in! lol travel cots are quite big, so it would need to be put up and taken down every day which is annoying, i cant actually do it as i am so small and cant reach down inside the travel cot to push the bits down.

And im not registered to use upstairs as i didnt want to. Thats my room or my dd's room and she shouldnt need to give that up and have that used too. Downstairs i have a full bathroom so dont event need to use the bathroom upstairs lol

mousesma · 12/08/2011 18:59

The childminder I interviewed yesterday lets under 2s sleep in buggies and over 2s sleep on sleep mats. This does not seem to be a problem with Ofsted as she was rated as Outstanding at her last assessment but as others said maybe this is a grey area that depends on the inspector?

I don't have a problem with this as DD (13 months) has never napped in her cot but will happily nap in her buggy.

JustFiveMinutesHAHAHA · 12/08/2011 19:03

You have to register specific rooms? Just when I think the Ofsted rules are as barking as you can get I hear another one Grin

hayleysd · 13/08/2011 03:32

Yes you have to register individual rooms, my garden and whole downstairs are registered and also my eldest sons room and upstairs bathroom.
I registered his bedroom so that I can
Put the travel cot in there (he's at school so it doesn't take his space and in the hols he's usually playing outside anyway) and also so if he wants to play with the afterschoolers (always upto him they know they have to ask his permission and can't just go up as it's his personal space) they can play on the wii or watch tv, if a rooms not registered your insurance would be invalid if they used that area and something happened

thebody · 14/08/2011 21:28

i use travel cots, pushchairs and my huge playroom sofa... no child sleeps for more than an hour here anyway, far too much fun going on(except really new borns) if a child is uncomfertable then they will wake up or not sleep in the first place...

i havnt got permission from parents as i though this was just bloody commen sense... wrong again i see....

pollywollyhadadollycalledmolly · 14/08/2011 21:30

Yep you have to register all the rooms you'd like to use.

ChippingIn · 14/08/2011 21:51

Bizarre - I always just assumed the 'house' was registered with some possible 'exceptions' listed (ie the garage).

There's just far too much paperwork.

WeLoveHaribo · 18/08/2011 15:26

My DS can sleep 2hrs in his pram (Comfy P&T) but only manage about half hour in cot and presumably less in travel cot.
But have friends whose little ones sleep much better in cot then pram so guess every child different.
I'm not a C/M but perhaps check with parents and supply both.