Helping parents understand

[jec]

Hey everyone,
I've got a new one 12 months who joined me this Tuesday and great first week. Yes, she needs to be up in my arms a lot but then she is getting her sense of security with me. She eats well, smiles and what I think is a great first week.

Nap time however has been a challange. Her parents have asked me to keep her sleep schedule at home the same here to help with her adjustment to daycare and I have no problem with that but I fell she needs to go down early but, they know her best so I'm going with it. I've been getting comments of how horrible she is at night and it's not sleeping here that is the reason. Today I had to put her down for a nap at 11:30 with the rest of my crew who is sick ( cold bug my own kids seemed to have passed on) they all were off yesterday but today seems to have hammered the other 3 I have and they all needed to nap early. The little one 12 months was just screaming while eating her lunch. I really couldn't calm her and then when Ipicked her up, she put her head down on me. So...I did what I think was best for her and put her down and within 5 minutes out. BUT then woke up at 40 minute mark. Now just standing up looking around. i'm not going in the room she is in- seperate from the other kids as I hope she can fall sleep.


I'm feeling a little bad that I didn't follow the parent's suggestions as I emailed them to let them know about the cold bug going around and that she might catch it...and that i put her down early and why....and I got an email back saying that she was cranky last night and hope that she sleeps or they won't be able to put to her to bed tonight

I just find that the dad first time I met with him at the door for first day of drop off and we chatted the second day- every time I said something he seemed to be defensive and cut me off
and now I'm feeling uneasy about making mistakes. any suggestions on how to handle it ladies.

[Crayola kiddies]

Is this 12 month old still napping in the morning ? I have one that's almost 16 months and still needs 1 hour in the am or she can't make it to 12:30 and lunch time is a nightmare so she gets one hour in the morning but no more then that cause she won't sleep in the aft. So maybe she needs a little nap in the am and then the reg nap in the aft ....

[jec]

parents want her down for 9am and then again at 1:30. so she goes in the morning for an hour here vs 2 at home. again in the afternoon for usually 40 minutes vs 2 again for her afternoon nap

being first 4 days though

[apples and bananas]

First of all, parents work around my sleep schedule, I don't work around thiers. For example, I'm transitioning a new 1 year old in. Mom says he sleeps twice a day but the times vary. I've asked her to wake him up as if they are going to work so he's used to the morning wake up. Then put him down around 9:15 after a quick snack, but wake him up 45 min later so he goes down again no later then 1pm. This way he starts to loose his morning nap and we can back up his afternoon to noon with the rest of my crew. They work towards my schedule. I have 5 kids some days. CAn you imagion working on every one of their individual schedules? I'd constantly be up and down the stairs!

[jec]

I'm flexible to work little ones in for the first while until they move into our schedule. I'll start waking her up after she gets more comfortable with the changes going on. I make parents aware that they do have to work into our schedule.
Everyone else is sleeping and it's just her that is up- only for the next little while until she gets more comfortable.

Just second day- and I met the Dad the first time Tuesday morning at drop off, he kept cutting me off as I was saying things. I felt he was almost confratiatonal -spelling there
and I just shut it as I'm not aruging with him. I feel like I'm on egg shells now

[Littledragon]

I'm flexible to work little ones in for the first while until they move into our schedule. I'll start waking her up after she gets more comfortable with the changes going on. I make parents aware that they do have to work into our schedule.
Everyone else is sleeping and it's just her that is up- only for the next little while until she gets more comfortable.

Just second day- and I met the Dad the first time Tuesday morning at drop off, he kept cutting me off as I was saying things. I felt he was almost confratiatonal -spelling there
and I just shut it as I'm not aruging with him. I feel like I'm on egg shells now

I have a confrontational dad too. And unfortunately, I just have to be confrontational back. Either I back off completely and say "I don't know why you're getting so frustrated" or I get my back up and say "let me finish please". Stand your ground! DON'T let your clients make you feel inadequate. You deserve better than that!

[daycarewhisperer]

I don't try to adapt children into their home schedules here. I want them on my schedule. The only way to get them on it is to put them on it. I do it from day one with the exceptions of newborns (birth to four months). At his age he would go back to bed right when he arrived here and sleep till nine. Then up from nine to noon... then nap from 12:15 to 2:45.

That's the schedule from day one.

[jec]

I think what has put me on guard is that I didn't meet the Dad until the first day at drop off. I normally meet both but it was the Mom who came for the interview and play dates but Dad who drops off and picks up.
I had a family I had to terminate that I never met the Dad and he turned out to be a real %^&#$@! and last day came to chew me out in my front hall when I home alone with my own kids to drop off final payment.
I think Im on eggshells as he reminds me of him. Moving forward I'm going to just keeping things quick with him at pick up and drop off and limiting how much I tell them. I might even be stressing them out more by giving too much info??

[kidlove]

Re: giving too much info. I agree, I am a BIG helper! When I have new parents, I always want to help them whereever I can.....some parents dont want your help. I have new parents right now, their daughter is 5 mo. and I have learned to keep my comments low and mind my own business. I just do what they ask and try and keep them happy, they too seems a little picky. I also feel a little "egg-shellish". I read them in the beginning an drealized the books they have read and the doctors advice is more valuable to them than my point of view, so.....when they pick up at night, I answer questions quick and let them know the babies last bottle. no more details than needed. they are just that kind of people, the more you say...the more they seem to question you.

[apples and bananas]

Sounds like they may have the perception that you work for them. It may just be a personality that doesn't go with yours. Give it time, that might work itself out. I find that parents are often defensive at first, until they develop a trust. Especially with their first born.