Advice please!

[Lee-Bee]

Yes, and very specific. Needs one blanket while rocking and another in the actual crib (they provided two). Needs to have bottle at certain temperature. Gave me specific times for everything (nap, lunch, bottle). Wanted to substitute some foods on my menu because she won't like them. Etc... Etc... I was a pretty slack mama compared to this, apparently. Definitely a bit of a change for me! Most of it wasn't a huge deal, but the rocking is... especially when it lasts for so long and twice a day. And then after all that, she only slept 30 minutes! lol.

I know a family where they trained the child to only sleep while rocked. The mom would rock the baby in the rocker, in their dark silent room...dad would sit beside them in a chair and spoon feed mom. Hahahahaha oh, typing it makes me laugh. This is just so unrealistic. The child (through no fault of their own) literally controls every movement in the household because they didn't train him to sleep in a crib on his own. It just spells disaster.

Anyways, you'll need to send a note along saying that you are finding it unrealistic to rock their child for an hour. That they will need to either accept that group care means changes to their preferences or they will need to find another caregiver that is able and willing to cater to their child. Odds are they won't find such a caregiver without finding a private nanny.

Best of luck!! There is always a chance that the baby will adapt and quickly learn to sleep on their own! Set a solid routine, make it multi stepped (turn out lights, close blinds, sing a song, lie in crib, rub back while shhhh-ing. in time shorten it out to just shhhh-ing (no back rubbing) and eventually just plop in crib and go.

There will always be some tears, but you need to set a routine that you can phase out. Rocking to sleep cannot be phased out. Backrubs can be phased out (firm fast rub for a few days, slower rub, then softer rub, then just a still hand on the back etc). Mommy guilt sucks but they need to come to the realization that if mom wants to work outside the home things need to change for the baby. They can help the baby by making changes at home as well...or they can make it harder on everyone by doing things their way and baby having 2 very different types of care.

[flowerchild]

I know a family where they trained the child to only sleep while rocked. The mom would rock the baby in the rocker, in their dark silent room...dad would sit beside them in a chair and spoon feed mom. Hahahahaha oh, typing it makes me laugh. This is just so unrealistic. The child (through no fault of their own) literally controls every movement in the household because they didn't train him to sleep in a crib on his own. It just spells disaster.

Oh my! I can't even imagine.