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Paid childcare

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

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Original poster

CM can't get DD to sleep, please help.

30 replies

tiredbutgood · 06/12/2012 21:25

I have just started to put my DD (who's 1years old), with a childminder for the first time the other day (this was suppose to be a settling in session). Unfortunately, she had to phone me after 45 minutes, saying that she was screaming, and pulling at her ear, and that she tried everything! My DD was very tired that day and needed some sleep, but my CM had not tried to put her down to sleep. She has not got a separate cot bed to put her into, (as she presfers to put them into a buggy instead). But i can only put my DD down to sleep in a cot at home, and this has to be a quite room, with her music on as she is very noise sensitive. My CM asked me whether i let her cry it out?, but i don't agree with this method. I am really upset to think that 'crying it out' will be her only choice, and that she has no 'quite room' or cot to put her into. I feel horrible really, that i have set my dauugter up, to be un-compatable with childcare, due to her being so difficult to put to sleep.
It just seems that my DD is just not going to get any sleep, (unless she sleeps in her buggy on the school runs), and that is not enough! Should i consider another CM or a nursery, where they have a cot? And how do i stand if i did change my mind, as I have signed a contract?

OP posts:

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HSMM · 06/12/2012 21:32

Can't she put a travel cot in another room? All the CMs I know have cots and (if possible) a quiet space.

botandhothered · 06/12/2012 21:51

Yes, I am surprised you have chosen a childminder who doesn't have the space to provide a cot. The majority of childminders would provide this. Find another one.

GrimAndHumourlessAndEven · 06/12/2012 22:05

yes a quiet space should be available at least

she can sling, cuddle, snuggle, lots of other options than letting her cry

Can you do a ring-round, see who else might be more suitable, more tuned-in to your way of doing stuff?

Original poster

tiredbutgood · 06/12/2012 22:08

I didn't realise that she wasn't that keen to use her travel cot. But i'm going to have a word with her, to see if she can do this, and if not, I will have to look elsewhere. She made me feel really confident that she had methods of getting them to sleep, but I should have really thought about the practicalities of it in relation to MY dd, and her needs. The trouble is, that she has another child at 18 months to looks after, so she can't spend any-time trying to get her to sleep (e.g. a little cuddle by the cot before she puts her down), but I assume that all childcarers will have this issue (unless they have no other children to look after).

OP posts:

GoldPlatedNineDoors · 06/12/2012 22:08

You are paying her to provide a service. Saying that, if all her.mindees has such exactking nap requirements she would need a mahoosive house.

My cm puts all her mindees down for a nap in their buggies in a light room where people still go about their business. She doesnt have the space for separate cots and quiet dark places

Gilberte · 06/12/2012 22:15

Surely many children have their naps in cots so I don't see your daughter as having particular needs. However, I always found it difficult to get my DD to nap in a cot, once she was out of the sling and almost impossible when I had DD1 in the house, so always used the buggy when we were on the way back from playgroup etc and would then leave her in a quiet place to sleep.

I think you might want to consider a nursery because they are much more flexible (no school runs/ shopping trips). All the baies tend to get put down to sleep after lunch and even my children who used to resist naps for me, went easily for nursery staff

HSMM · 07/12/2012 04:57

I am a CM. No school runs and the children sleep when and where they need to. Have a chat to your CM and look for another one if you need to.

ReetPetit · 07/12/2012 14:06

she doesn't sound great tbh, if you are still in the settling period, personally, i would move dd before she has bonded/settled as this childminder sounds quite unflexible and not very child centred.
i do know a lot of childminders who have children sleeping in buggies due to space restrictions. personally, i put all mine down in cots in dark rooms after lunch as i think the routine is good and i find they sleep better. it's just finding a childminder who suits you and your child. you need to ask these questions at the first meeting and try and get someone who does what you do at home as much as possible.

ReetPetit · 07/12/2012 14:09

and Gilberte, sorry to be picky, but i hardly think you can call a nursery more flexible than a childminder!! having worked in them as a nursery nurse (now a childminder) i would never put a young child in a nursery!! things are very regimented in a nursery, and children have to sleep whether they want to or not - childminders are generally much more flexible and give children a much more normal day - this one just doesn't sound like a very good one...

MaryPoppinsBag · 07/12/2012 14:26

So your daughter has been to 1 settling in session and hasn't settled well? Is that right?
Only there for 45 minutes? And CM called you because she was distressed? Have I got it right?

How long was the settling in session supposed to be?

Maybe CM didn't expect to have to put her to sleep as she is there to get to know the CM. And the session might have been better planned when your DD was more rested.

Why not try again when your DD is more rested. And discuss the sleep arrangements with your CM again. There's plenty of time for napping in a cot between dinner time and the school run. I would just pop the other child safe in a high hair or pushchair whilst I settled your DD in another room.

I would say there is a strong chance of your DD being unsettled for a while until she gets used to her surroundings. And she may not settle in a cot in a strange house just because she does for you at home.

Your DD is at the prime age for separation anxiety so settling her maybe hard wherever she goes.

In the nursery I worked in the baby's didn't nap for long because they woke each other up, as they napped in same room.

ReetPetit · 07/12/2012 17:28

oh i must have missed that,didn't realise she had only been there 45 minutes
in that case, i would say the cm hasn't done anything wrong. i wouldn't be putting a child I had had only had for 45 minutes down in a cot alone ion a new environment. What time of day was the settling session??
I'm presuming the morning....
I would give it a bit of time. 1 year is the worse time for settling, it will take a while and if this was the first time your dd has been, it will take a bit of time to get her used to sleeping in a different place.
don't panic - your anxiety will rub off on her!

Samvet · 07/12/2012 17:40

Reetpetit that is not true of all nurseries - Mine does whatKever routine the baby is used to. This means they have babies sleeping at different times but they have the staff to deal with this. Not the regimented system you mention. Mine also will rock/cuddle as needed. Of course don't know what they do behind the scenes but mine sleeps better there than at home!

ReetPetit · 07/12/2012 17:45

do you work in one or do your kids go to one Samvet?

RosieGirl · 07/12/2012 18:11

You need to talk to your CM asap. I try and discuss most of these things early on and it seems you haven't really sat down and discussed your DD's needs and requirements. I have dealt with children with all different sleep needs, and especially in the beginning understand it can be hard work especially if they are a bit older. I will start out doing what the parents do, to ensure they feel secure and safe, and over time as the child grows I find they settle into a routine with me and are used to the fact it can be different here to home. A quite space can be difficult with other children around, but again if I was settling in a child who needs that quiet time I would find something for older children to do that kept them quieter, even bribing with a bit of TV. I personally prefer cots but at the moment most of my parents are so busy, little ones just sleep in the car or buggy so won't settle into a cot.

Good luck.

Gilberte · 07/12/2012 19:20

Ah well sorry ReetPetit, there are good and bad nurseries and I happen to think mine is great. Many of the staff have their own babies in the nursery.

I think they are flexible in the sense that they are open all year round and have more staff so can deal with specific and individual needs. My DD often had a nap in the morning for instance and they were fine with that.

I'm afraid I was put off childminders when I witnessed childminders (at a childminder get together) strapping children into pushchairs and putting them in dark rooms as a form of discipline and threatening it if they didn't look like they were enjoying themselves.

Plus they didn't interact/play with them at all which I thought was rather odd.

I'm not saying nursery is perfect just that I'd rather have a nursery with lots of staff that I have a good feeling about than one childminder I'm not sure about.

Gilberte · 07/12/2012 19:23

Oh and sorry to be picky but depends what you mean is a "normal day".

At home me and the DCs tend to play, do activities, sing, have snacks, do messy play, paint, colour. That seems to be what they are doing at nursery too.

MaryPoppinsBag · 07/12/2012 19:28

Gilberte that sounds like a normal day round my house too. Whether I am looking after mindees or just my own.

lechatnoir · 07/12/2012 19:43

I am 4 weeks into having a 9 month old - I normally do 2 x 1 hour settling in sessions but first hour she cried solid whilst I comforted her 2nd session 40 mins crying, stopped for snack then started again so I added another 2 hour session where she cried for about 20mins then settled for an hour before starting again!! 4 weeks on bar the odd bout if tears if she's tired or hungry she's fine but doesn't like me leaving the room!! I would say trying to get her to sleep in my first settling in session would have been pointless but, am surprised the cm called you as tears are to be expected at this age and as long as she was comforting her you rushing back won't have helped settle her.
Not having at least the option of sleeping in cot would be a deal breaker for me as would any niggling doubts about her ability (speaking now as parent not CM).

Gilberte · 07/12/2012 19:48

MaryPoppinsBag- You sound like a great childminder(that's what a great childminder should be doing)

Please don't think I'm getting at childminders, I'm not.

I just didn't have that sort of level of care available in my area so opted for what was the best option for me and OP should do the same.

sleeplessinderbyshire · 07/12/2012 21:08

I admit that I use nursery not a CM but I really think you've picked the wrong childcarer for your DD. Quite apart from the fact that it is insane to ring you after only 45 minutes of a settling in session, the CM sounds as if she is not being child centred in the care she offers. My DD2 is 5 months and had her first settling in session at nursery this week. There are usually just 3 babies in the room with 1:1 care from one individual. One 2 days there are 4 or5 babies so there are 2 staff member. They sleep in cots or on mats or in a buggy or a bouncer (or in someone's arms) according to what they need/prefer and they sleep when they are tired not at set times (unless they have a set routine at home)

MaryPoppinsBag · 07/12/2012 21:14

sleepless your nursery is wrong babies should sleep in cots as they have space To move and it allows their spine to develop properly.

CM who don't provide cots are obviously also wrong.

sleeplessinderbyshire · 07/12/2012 21:39

MaryPoppinsBag - if you have a child who will not sleep in a cot (and trust me I've had one of them) I think it is far better they sleep somewhere rather than being awake and cranky all day.Clearly the ideal is a cot but my DD1 slept in a staff members arms or in the bouncy chair for 1-2hrs at a time for her first few weeks and I was thrilled they let her sleep somewhere that worked for her rather than putting her in a cot which she hated initially

MaryPoppinsBag · 08/12/2012 07:55

That's the official line though. The Ofsted inspector didn't like the bouncers when they came to do a visit after a complaint (malicious) And said they shouldn't be in them.

I already knew this but as an unqualified childminder what would I know? (nursery managers were all about having level 3 or above but clearly despite their qualifications didn't know everything)

I think arms are OK because then you can pop them down.
Sometimes i do agree there isn't another way especially if children have never been trained to sleep in a cot in the day at home.
However, I don't think they should spend the full naps duration in a bouncer.
After the visit the nursery staff got them to sleep in the bouncers and moved them to the cots.

Some babies enjoyed the comfort of being strapped in as I suspect they'd spent a lot of time strapped in at home for convenience!

Blondeshavemorefun · 08/12/2012 14:41

not surprised your dd was screaming, she was tired and in a strange environment and with a stranger and no cm is going to put a new mindee down for a sleep within 45mins of having her

i am surprised that Ofsted dont make all cm have a quiet room with a cot/travel cot in it

it is better for babies/toddlers to sleep in a cot rather then a buggy every day, not good for their neck or back or posture if always in a buggy

i do believe it is good for children to learn to sleep anywhere, so good to have the odd sleep in the buggy or in car for example

saying that better to sleep in a buggy then have no sleep

did you look round at the sleeping arrangements when you met the cm - did it not occur to you strange there was no cot/travel cot

often children who only ever sleep in cots and get rocked to sleep will sleep and settle well with a cm/nursery/nanny - they behave differently :)

so op - you can either try again if happy for dd to sleep in the buggy during the day and have a settling in period when she isnt tired/due a meal or look for a new one

if you provided a travel cot, could the cm put in her bedroom/another room?

fraktion · 08/12/2012 23:15

What do OFSTED say about slings and napping then?

I'm a believer in if they'll sleep then they'll sleep and that's great! But I have a non sleeper.

In any case if your DD is used to that nap routine you should be looking for childcare that can replicate that as much as possible. If this CM can't your DD will end up exhausted so you'd need a new one.

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