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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Infants on Schedules
Lilbutterflie 04:54 AM 06-02-2010
I have a parent whom I am watching their 2 1/2 month old son for this week, and then permanently in August. Yesterday was his first day, and his morning sleep schedule was off. He was so tired, and took almost a 4 hour nap before mom asked me to wake him up. Today she informs me he's now on a schedule of eating every 3 hours, specifically at the times of 8, 11, 2, 5. If he's napping at these times, I have to wake him up. I informed her that I would try... I have 5 other kids to watch. And that at home daycares, the daycare usually makes the schedule. Am I wrong? Anybody out there trying to adhere to every mom's schedules? Or has anyone had to let a DC baby go b/c of an issue like this? Has anyone worded their contract to avoid issues like this?
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nannyde 05:04 AM 06-02-2010
No I don't allow the parents to set feeding schedules but I will listen to what works for them.

I do 9 a.m. 12 p.m. 3p.m. for this age group. (after morning nap, before afternoon nap, and after afternoon nap). Their feedings are scheduled to maximize the least interuption of nap.

Good feeding schedule = good napper = happy provider
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tymaboy 05:19 AM 06-02-2010
I make it clear at the interview that I let the baby make his/her own schedule. Around 4-5 months if they are not on a decent schedule (one that fits our schedule here at DC) then I will then work with them to get them on one. I usually just do what works for me & the parent can do what works for them at home.
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Unregistered 05:23 AM 06-02-2010
I do not let parents set a shecdule in my daycare I work the shecdule out for me and whats best for me and if it works for baby. I have a 6 month old he eats at 7 before Mom brings him then he eats here at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm and he naps 8:30- 9, 11-1, and 4:30-5 sometimes he skips morning and or evening nap but he always takes afternoon nap I also wanna add he is breastfed so he eats every 3 hours a formula fed baby may go longer I also have a 12 month old and when he was on the bottle with formula Mom fed him at 7 before she brang him then he ate at 11am and then at 3pm.
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actaktmdt 05:48 AM 06-02-2010
I would let the baby dictate the schedule...untill about 5 or 6 months if not have a set routine by then. I feel moms know their babys needs the best. Young babies are constanly needing things changed as they grow
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mismatchedsocks 05:52 AM 06-02-2010
I dont think with a baby that young you should be waking them up, and definetly not on such a set schedule. I would just tell mom, you will try, then let her know at end of each day when baby ate and when napped. It could be different each day. I agree with previous posters when saying 5-6 months they are usually on the other childrens routines, mostly, and used to nap times/set eating schedules. Good luck!
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momma2girls 06:01 AM 06-02-2010
I was once told to wake a colicy baby up after one hr. into his nap, so he slept better at night for them!! Are you kidding??? Wake up a colicy baby that screamed all day for me!!!!!!!!!!!!
Babies will develop their own schedule, til then, you learn to do whatever is best for you- you can try and go by parent's schedule, but sometimes there's no way it will work with yours and what you have scheduled all day!!
I had another parent wanting their schedule to a T!!! UGH!!!
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Lilbutterflie 06:01 AM 06-02-2010
Though I didn't think to put this on the contract, I myself usually let the babies dictate the schedule as well. If they are sleeping, let them sleep. When they are hungry, feed them. I'd like to get him on a schedule in August of naps at 9am and 1pm and feedings before each nap, and then another feeding at around 4 or 5. I thought she'd be fine with this, b/c right now she lets him dictate the schedule. However, I think she got upset at me yesterday for letting him sleep 4 hours in the morning. Now she wants the schedule.
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grandmom 07:27 AM 06-02-2010
Are you licensed? Does your state have a section on infant care? My state says infants are allowed to sleep and nap on demand. If your state has a similar rule, just explain that to the parent. You are required by law to let the infant set the schedule.
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Lilbutterflie 07:49 AM 06-02-2010
No, I'm not licensed. I am listed with the state of Texas, which means I can only keep 3 unrelated children. But in August I will need to become Registered, which then means I have to follow the regulations and get inspected. I will check to see if this is a requirement, thanks for letting me know.
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MarinaVanessa 08:12 AM 06-02-2010
Yeah I agree with pretty much everyone else here. I don't let parents dictate the infants routine. Even at home you can try to have a routine but it's difficult to follow it even if you have only one child much less if you're watching more DC children. I let the infant tell me what he needs. I feed on demand and if the baby is fussy and has already eaten and has had a diaper change then most likely the baby is tired so it's nap time. Babies that little should be getting a total of 15 hours of sleep total, 10 hours should be at night and the other 5 during the day. If you have the baby all day and the parents don't nap him then he should be taking 2-3 naps at daycare and sleeping about 5 hours.

Sometimes I don't understand parents. They think they know (and yes I know every child is different) but I've had parents tell me that their baby sleeps too much at DC but when they come in the poor little things are struggling to stay awake. If they are tired, they need to sleep.
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fctjc1979 08:57 AM 06-02-2010
I keep seeing articles that say that if we listened to our bodies the way infants listened to theirs (ate and slept according to what the body requires), that we would all be healthier. I say if infants know best in this area, don't mess with a good thing.
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jen 09:15 AM 06-02-2010
I'd just smile and shake my head..."uhhh huh, OK, sounds good..."
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QualiTcare 09:53 AM 06-02-2010
my daughter's pediatrician told me to wake her up to be fed if she didn't wake up on her own, but i was breastfeeding.

is the baby breastfed?
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Janet 12:17 PM 06-02-2010
I think sometimes parents don't take into account that a baby's schedule can change based on the surroundings. Yeah, maybe at home they eat at 3 hour intervals and they sleep at the same times each day, but daycare is not home. I know that I just made an obvious observation, but I have heard the whole "this is baby's schedule" tune before and the babies have never followed their home schedules here. Until they get a little older, I let them sleep on demand and they have their bottles on demand. They still follow their home routine at home, they just have a different one here.
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misol 03:03 PM 06-02-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
my daughter's pediatrician told me to wake her up to be fed if she didn't wake up on her own, but i was breastfeeding.

is the baby breastfed?
If this was when your baby was very young, it probably had more to do with establishing your milk supply than your baby's actual hunger or sleep needs.
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fctjc1979 03:11 PM 06-02-2010
Originally Posted by misol:
If this was when your baby was very young, it probably had more to do with establishing your milk supply than your baby's actual hunger or sleep needs.
That's kind of what I was thinking. I was told the day that I left the hospital to stop waking my baby up to eat since they knew that my supply was good. But I think it also depends on the child too. My oldest was premie, so I was told to wake her to eat to make sure she had what she needed to grow. But after her first month checkup, I was told that it was ok to stop doing that even though she was still small. I'm sure it also depends on the doctor, too.
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fctjc1979 03:13 PM 06-02-2010
Originally Posted by fctjc1979:
That's kind of what I was thinking. I was told the day that I left the hospital to stop waking my baby up to eat since they knew that my supply was good. But I think it also depends on the child too. My oldest was premie, so I was told to wake her to eat to make sure she had what she needed to grow. But after her first month checkup, I was told that it was ok to stop doing that even though she was still small. I'm sure it also depends on the doctor, too.
I forgot to put in there that they were both breastfed.
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melissa ann 04:33 PM 06-02-2010
I have a 14 month old that I had since he was 6 weeks old. Mom wanted me to wake him up to feed him and not to let him sleep too long. Well, if he was sleeping, I let him sleep. When he was hungry, I fed him. The same as I did for my own kids. With dcb, no matter what time he had a morning nap, after lunch I would put him down for a nap like the rest of the kids. He is down to 2 naps. I usually put him down around 7am (he gets here around 6). I feed him breakfast let him play a bit then down he goes or he will fall asleep mid morning and miss lunch. He usually sleeps for about an hour in the morning and then after lunch he will sleep about 2-3 hrs. He adapted really well. Mom says that when the kids are home they don't nap all day. Her two kids are 3 and 14 month and her nephew is 4. But the kids know my schedule and get along well with it.
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nannyde 05:04 PM 06-02-2010
Ooops I see that he is 2.5 months. I thought it was 4.5 months.

I would stick as close to the 9 12 3 schedule as possible but at that age you mileage may vary. Those are start of bottle to start of bottle times. So they are going maybe 2.5 hours in between feedings.

With bf babies though.. it's kind of a crap shoot at this age. I would TRY to get them into a routine where he ate about a half hour before my other kids went down for a nap and then got him up first before the kids got up to do the next feed.

I would not do a four hour nap. I would freak if a kid slept that long during the day. I'd have to pester them to make sure they were okay. I think that is too long between feeds during the day. JMHO though.
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professionalmom 10:35 AM 06-03-2010
I never wake a sleeping baby or child. If they are asleep, it's probably because they need it. The only exception I have ever made was with my own daughter who was 5lbs 5.5ozs at birth. She was full term, just small (we have small babies in my family). It tired her out to nurse so she kept falling asleep on the breast. So I had to "tickle" her to get her to keep going. After her weight took off, we stopped that.

Other than that type of situation, I do not see any value in waking a sleeping baby. I believe my state also requires (or at least recommends) that babies eat, sleep, nap on demand. That's what I have always done. They do develop their own schedule soon enough. But just when you get the "new" schedule figured out, they go through a spurt and it changes.
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Former Teacher 07:41 PM 06-03-2010
It is required in TX that we have written feeding schedule that is signed MONTHLY. If the schedule changes for whatever reason within that month it must be resigned and dated.

I would tell the parents that we did not go by the schedule. It is something that the state needed to see. We went by the infants wants and needs.

I then would explain that in the infant room we went by the child's needs. Out of the infant room, the child goes by the centers' wants and needs.

Some parents agreed, some didn't. I didn't care. As long as the child is taken care of and is content, that is all that matters.
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