Hi all.
I was supposed to be going to do more digging at the allotment today but too much other stuff to sort so going to leave that. Just doing online shopping (well, obviously not this second! )
I'm a little pi**ed off atm.......I had my 2 boys squashed in a very tight spot in the same bedroom and it was becoming unbearable and that's without baby having ANY toys. Well, his 1st birthday is coming up and when he gets some, he needs a home for them!! Anyway, few weeks ago I decided that I needed to let them have their own rooms so I did that and now put travel cots up daily in different rooms for mindees. The only issue was with overnight stays where I was planning on letting them sleep in ds2's cot and he'd go in travel cot in another room. All was sorted and parents were happy (I'm having a cotbed from mindee as she's got a new bed). Well, was supposed to be picking this cotbed up today but when I texted, mum said ok but can I now set it up as a bed and not a cot for mindees overnight stay on Friday. Well, as my 10 month old isn't old enough for a bed without sides yet, I said I'd pick up just before Friday instead. But the thing is......I can't be taking it apart and turning it from a cot to a bed for every overnight stay so I think I'll just stop that mindee staying overnight after Friday. Mum now wants to rethink naps in general! I'm not happy as we discussed everything and mum agreed everything so was all sorted. Mum said no problem at all having the sides on the bed (i.e. cot) as long as mindee fit in it (which she does as it's a long length one and she's not outgrown it, just they got a new bed). I'm not sure why suddenly it's a problem having the sides up. I'd be fine if she hadn't originally said all was fine - now I'm just confused!!! This mindee is 2.2 so I personally don't think it should be an issue to have sides but I do respect what she's saying, I just can't go and change my upstairs again so that they are squashed in a room and mindees have a seperate room to themselves.
I did rethink childminding recently PURELY because of the sleep situation for mindees. It was really getting me down that my whole family life was affected by it all. Well, I decided that it's silly to stop childminding JUST because of naptimes when most parents are happy as long as they are napping in a cot and are safe and comfortable.
Sorry, I'm ranting now and probably making no sense at all. I'm just worn out by this as I get on GREAT with this family, they are lovely and the mum is lovely but she does have problems. I've always tried my best to accomodate everything, I've been a shoulder to cry on, I try my best to support her and just ignore (most of the time) her 'moments' but I'm fed up with always trying to please them with my own family suffering.
I've decided that I can stop offering overnight stays to them but I've got the issue on daytime naps to think about. I've been thinking about sleep mats but not sure how easy they are to get them to nap on? Also, this mindee seems to be dropping her naps gradually. This week there were at least 3 days where she just played and wouldn't sleep.
Any advice would be good and thanks for letting be vent on here, just feeling down and fed up of trying to make everyone happy all the time at the expense of me and my family
It's such a shame as this family really are lovely in every other way. Very kind to me, make meals and don't expect things in return although I've done free babysitting and offered free overnight stays as thankyous for everything they do.
If they had a real problem with everything and I'm unable to accommodate their needs, then of course they can leave (I have a long waiting list anyway) but I don't want them to as in general we get on great and I've had mindee since 8 wks old so would be a real shame. I love them all dearly but I'm really upset by this!