[carrietorgc]

My 4 mo old dd is in my work daycare - it is an excellent facility and the staff ratios are very low - like 2 to 1. The most I have ever seen is 3 to 1. My work subsidizes it.

I was just down there nursing DD and she was tired and needed a nap so I wrapped her up (we swaddle still) and tried to put her down. She fussed a little so I put her in the swing instead.

At home I must admit I NEVER let her fuss. I will rock until she is asleep. Now, realistically I know that daycare can't do that. One of the workers is clearly not a mommy, although not a bad provider. She said today when DD fussed - oh yeah, the other day she did that for 15 min before falling asleep. I calmly got the rest of the story out of her but I wanted to shout - she's a baby, don't let her CIO! But she said she was just fussing, then quiet, fussing, then quiet. So I let it go. I know the other providers don't do that - the other day one of them ended up singing dd to sleep.

what would you do? I don't know if I should make a fuss since I love being able to see dd and nurse her on demand. HELP!

 

[Liz]

I would just tell her what you do in that circumstance. It doesn't have to be a big confrontation. If she doesn't have kids she may not know and particularly if the other caregivers don't let her fuss, she may be just a little clueless when it comes to babies. Maybe say, "I don't like to leave her to fuss. I find if I just hold her and rock her for a few minutes she goes right to sleep." Also some daycares like to pair up caregivers with new babies in the beginning so the baby has one primary caregiver to bond with. Maybe you could suggest there be one person (perhaps not this person

) who puts her down for naps, etc.

 

[carrietorgc]

Thanks

I did approach it very laid back and mentioned that if she does fuss a quicker and easier technique is to rock her for a few min. And that if that doesn't work in 5 min than she isn't ready for a nap. Luckily DD is not a cranky baby, so she can survive a day with little napping.

of course the little stinker hasn't really napped today

: silly baby. oh well. The director that I LOVE is the one that normally takes care of julia, but sometiems she is not there first thing in the am when we arrive.

Her nap patterns seem to change all the time at daycare, so at least they are flexible about it.

 

[LiamnEmma]

I also allowed pacifiers at daycare. I figured that since my kids tended to comfort nurse themselves to sleep, that having something like that to comfort themselves in that situation was better than nothing. I insisted that it only be used during those types of situations (but who really knows), and then they both gave them up (voluntarily) at one year.

Leah