Crying Baby!!!!!

[DestinyAja]

OMG I had a new family start today. 2 boys...3 years old and 8 months old. The 8 month old will not stop CRYING!!!! I tried to feed him the baby food they brought. I tried giving him his bottle. I tried giving him his pacifier. I changed him. I burped him. He WILL NOT STOP CRYING! oh wait, correction....the only time he doesn't cry is when I hold him What in the world??? I sent a text to the mom and asked her "Does he cry a lot at home when he's not being held?' She didn't respond. That was an hour ago.

[Blackcat31]

OMG I had a new family start today. 2 boys...3 years old and 8 months old. The 8 month old will not stop CRYING!!!! I tried to feed him the baby food they brought. I tried giving him his bottle. I tried giving him his pacifier. I changed him. I burped him. He WILL NOT STOP CRYING! oh wait, correction....the only time he doesn't cry is when I hold him What in the world??? I sent a text to the mom and asked her "Does he cry a lot at home when he's not being held?' She didn't respond. That was an hour ago.

The lack of ability to contact mom would have me on edge.

I require parents to reply/respond in some way within 15 minutes of my initial contact to them. Failure to do so would more than likely result in immediate termination.

As for the crying... what did mom/dad say the child's behavior and/or normal routine is at home?

I'd say it's normal to cry the first day but if he is comforted by you (a stranger) then it may be because he IS held all day....

That ^ is something discussed in depth with parents before enrollment so the "I need to be held all day" cry isn't a surprise....

[CalCare]

That is pretty shocking that on baby's first day she didn't respond after an hour! I mean, that's bad on any old day, but the very FIRST day. :/

[laundrymom]

I dont think it's odd to not respond. I have several parents who work in a no cell zone.
It takes hours to get a response. If I have a true emergency, I call employer.

[daycarediva]

That is pretty shocking that on baby's first day she didn't respond after an hour! I mean, that's bad on any old day, but the very FIRST day. :/

Not a good sign!

If he stops crying when held, you have your answer.

[DestinyAja]

The lack of ability to contact mom would have me on edge.

I require parents to reply/respond in some way within 15 minutes of my initial contact to them. Failure to do so would more than likely result in immediate termination.

As for the crying... what did mom/dad say the child's behavior and/or normal routine is at home?

I'd say it's normal to cry the first day but if he is comforted by you (a stranger) then it may be because he IS held all day....

That ^ is something discussed in depth with parents before enrollment so the "I need to be held all day" cry isn't a surprise....

Oh she finally responded and said "he's teething. has two teeth coming in on the bottom." and ended the text with the emoji that looks like i don't give a crap.

I honestly don't remember what they said about the daily routine. I interviewed the husband and the 8 month old baby 2 months ago, the dad was unemployed at the time. The wife did not come with them and neither did the 3 year old (apparently he is from a previous relationship and was with his mother that weekend). I never heard from them again. Then she contacted me last week and said her husband is working again and asked if the boys could start today.

I did expect the first day complications, but the nonstop crying no matter what unless I'm holding him....I had no clue. I have put him in the swing, in the bouncy seat, on pillows, in the play pen, nothing is working.

[DestinyAja]

Not a good sign!

If he stops crying when held, you have your answer.

So what do you all do in that case? Do you terminate? Do you hold the baby all day? Like...what??? We can't do circle time, story time, free play, nothing.

[KiwiKids]

If it is settling in crying... I give it two weeks to calm down. If it is from being held constantly at home then I will talk to the parents and give them a date it needs to improve by and if I don't see a vast improvement I will terminate care. It isn't fair to ask a baby who is so used to one on one to function in group care. I'm all for parents parenting however they want, but that might mean a nanny is a better option than a group daycare.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

So what do you all do in that case? Do you terminate? Do you hold the baby all day? Like...what??? We can't do circle time, story time, free play, nothing.

I would just decide what you are capable and willing to do. Me personally, I don't hold babies all day and I want to encourage independent play, so I would terminate care if it did not get better and if the parents were not willing to do their part at home (i.e. not hold him constantly). Just a warning, though. Most parents do not change their behavior at home, so I would not count on them helping.

[nanglgrl]

I would give it until Friday to see if it gets better. In the mean time I would give completely honest information about how the day is going, how much baby is crying, what you've tried to do to calm him (and that only holding him seems to help) and even how you can't hold him all of the time listing other things that you need to be doing (meal prep etc.)

That's what I did with a baby I had a few weeks ago. He cried all day unless held and slept maybe an hour and a half if I was lucky and that was in two 45 minute increments. I basically documented the entire day (I just typed it into my phone and emailed it to her later). With exactly how his day went. After a three day weekend I got the response that he likes to sleep in bouncer which I can't do. There was no "we'll try to get him to sleep in a crib" or anything. They just wanted me to change what I was doing because they were doing worked for them at home.

I then informed them that I could give until the next Friday but without improvement I could continue care. The week was about the same. There were small improvements but he still wasn't sleeping much, screamed through nap and the inprovements were very irregular. I even took a video for mom of how he would start screaming as soon as I went to put him down and be happy as soon as I went to pick him up. Come Thursday and mom messaged asking where we stood, that she'd found another provider but would rather keep him with me. I responded that the best I could do was give them another week to see if he continued getting better but if she'd find another provider she should go there because infant care is hard to find. She left thank goodness.

The family was nice, the baby was sweet if he was held. He weighed 32 pds. And was 8 months old. My wrists hurt, my back hurt and I was so exhausted come closing time at 4pm I was worthless.

[Blackcat31]

Oh she finally responded and said "he's teething. has two teeth coming in on the bottom." and ended the text with the emoji that looks like i don't give a crap.

I exclude for any symptom that makes care and supervision for all children difficult. Including teething

It's listed on my exclusion policy so there is no mis-understandings. Coupled with the 24/48 hour rule....I don't have many issues with this type of thing.

[DestinyAja]

I exclude for any symptom that makes care and supervision for all children difficult. Including teething

It's listed on my exclusion policy so there is no mis-understandings. Coupled with the 24/48 hour rule....I don't have many issues with this type of thing.

What do you mean by exclude? What is an exclusion policy? And what's the 24/48 hour rule. LOL I'm lost....clearly I'm new to all of this. I've only been doing my home daycare for 7 months. :confused:

[Blackcat31]

What do you mean by exclude? What is an exclusion policy? And what's the 24/48 hour rule. LOL I'm lost....clearly I'm new to all of this. I've only been doing my home daycare for 7 months. :confused:

No worries... I'll Private Message you my illness policy. It lists what symptoms and illnesses that I exclude for. It will make much more sense if you can see a visual.

The 24/48 rule just means that parents need to keep their children home until they are symptom free for 24 FULL hours. If I send them home from care for any listed symptoms they need to remain out of care until they are symptom free for a FULL 48 hours. It basically requires parents to step up and make the "hard" decisions.