CM help

[Theomom]

Dear moms. I am in desparate need of advice. I have a six months old baby who started childminding end of July and attends only three days per week. He started well and was happy at childminding. However, recently cm has told me that he is unsettled, cries for her all the time, wont be left alone for even a second and wants to be held all the time. The problem is cm has an 18 months old boy of her own and needs to attend to his needs too. Off course my boy is not this clingy at home. I am on my own with him on the two days he is not at cm. He is happy, plays and I leave him alone in the lounge all the time to make food etc. This is my cm's first job as a cm and I dont want to lose her because she is a really good person but I think she is starting to feel a little overwhelmed and told me she think my boy doesnt like it at hers. Any advice is welcome on helping baby settle. Thanks

Babies want and need attention. If your childminder needs to be hands-free, then maybe she could wear him using a sling.

As he gets older and more mobile things will change, so look on it being a short term issue.

Your baby is smart. At first, so long as all his needs were met he wouldn't have registered that he was being left by you and that this would be a regular thing but as he's getting older he has become savvy to the fact that cm = no mummy. This kind of separation anxiety tends to kick in around 8 months but can develop earlier. It is a normal stage of development and shows your baby is beginning to understand that you and he are separate people and that you aren't always there. You may find that soon he kicks up when you leave the room at home too.
If your CM can give him the attention he's craving (Nick's idea of a sling is a good one) then he will become more settled. Can she play with her 18m old on the floor with the baby in her lap or alongside? The old idea of leaving a baby to cry (for long periods) has been shown to be potentially damaging as distress produces high levels of the chemical cortisol and can cause long term anxiety issues so the more the CM can calm your baby and give him positive attention the better. It's also important that you are positive and cheerful at drop off/collection as your baby will pick up on any tension or stress.
I'm sure as your baby gets older this phase will pass so stick with it

I have an 8 month old who recently started with me and I wear her in a sling a lot to help her settle. She will become more independent but for now it's what she needs and it means I can look after my own DCs (20 months and 3 yo) as well as cooking etc without fuss.

Your CM may have had her confidence dented by the fact that your DS seems not to like her and she may be doubting her ability to help him settle at all. A sling is worth the investment.

Thank you mommas for your kind responses. The sling it is then.