Advice for clingy crying baby

[Mauvemonday]

Looking for some advice - I've been childminding for four months and one of my mindees who I've had for 5 weeks now is an 8 month old baby.

I've probably made a rod for my own back as when she first came it was clear that she liked to be held and cried whenever she was put down so, wanting to comfort her and help her settle in, I carried her everywhere. Mum said that she held her a lot and that it was the only way to stop her crying. She has to be rocked in order to nap - I've tried controlled crying (5 days in a row) and she got in such a state that it just couldn't go on.

But now she's settled in here I want to sort it out as clearly I can't carry on with this as I have other children here who need my attention. I've tried leaving her to cry but it just goes on and on and gets louder and louder until all the other children are sat with their fingers in their ears or (as with the littlest one) crying too!

I don't want to talk to her mum about it too much as I don't want her to think she's suffering. She's clearly happy with me as is quickly comforted when I hold her.

What can I do? My DS is 9 now and it seems so long ago that I was dealing with these things... I have her all week so enough time to establish a routine but don't know where to start!!

Sorry, she was 8 months when she first came - now 9.

Help!.... [whimpers] please?

We're quiet because we're all walking around carrying babies .

Sorry ... no help at all. I've been there. You might get some respite by sitting on the floor playing with all the children, with the clingy child sitting on your lap, then close next to you and just as a gradual process help them to get more and more independent, but it can be very hard.

Yes carry, I have immense upper body strength ha ha.

I couldn't leave any to cry, they might have to whimper if prepping snack or helping with coats or whatever

Try rocking in lay back buggy, sitting the child in hi chair with finger foods

It does get better; imo the more you carry the baby/respond to their cues quickly as teenies the more relaxed they become. Counter-intuitive uf you see what I mean

Really? I would have thought that would make her need it more/for longer... But I only have experience of ds and I did control crying with him when he was 6 months old and after two or three days we were done. Guess I was lucky!!

The sling could work... Is she not too big? Will investigate

Mauve I have a similar mindee and just have to put her in the Ergo and carry her everywhere or stay rooted to the sofa with her next to me. She's not developing many gross motor skills but at least she's not yelling (also mine takes a dummy and will sleep that way). The back carry on the Ergo works ok.

Thanks for the support. Mum doesn't use a dummy so that's out sadly. It's tough when I know it would probably work

It's mad that I get paid the same for this child as I do for the ones that disappear to my daughters room for hours on end

Well you could suggest to the Mum that she use a dummy at your house - it's not substantially different from a comfort object that older children use to help replace the loss of their mother.