I just started taking LO to daycare yesterday. He is in an infant room with 4 other babies and two women. I noticed yesterday when I picked him up one of the babies in a bouncer was sleeping and completely covered by a fairly thick blanket...not like an A&A. I thought it was maybe some weird parent request. Today when I went in ALL the sleeping babies were covered up with blankets...one in the swing, one in the bouncer and mine in his crib! It's kind of freaks me out. Am I overreacting? Should I say something? Is there anyone who can think of why they would do that?
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that's weird. I would say something. The daycare I worked at didn't even allow blankets in the crib and also babies were only allowed to sleep in their crib.
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I don't find that odd at all. Sounds to me like they are trying to make sure they are comfortable. Doesn't sound like something awful they are doing.
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I would never want something in the crib until the baby is older, for safety's sake... but then again, are there people constantly in the infant room watching the babies?
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@lovelife ditto! They are infants...I don't know why blankets are in the crib!! As a matter of fact, my LO was laying on his blanket and had one over his head covering him up!
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@lydg: I would not be down with that!!!
Is the room freezing cold or something?
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@lydg: I was going to say that it's probably not a huge concern since there is always someone in the room with them. But a blanket OVER THE HEAD is not OK. I would say something. And I would be really firm in saying that you never want anything in the crib with your child and that you will be sure to dress him warmly enough so that a blanket will not be necessary.
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@mrbee I'm with you on the safety aspect...someone is always in there with them...but like today, one of the ladies was sitting in a rocker with a baby and wouldn't be able to see LO from where she was sitting. It just seems weird, like I worry about their breathing!
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@lydg: Maybe you can take in a wearable blanket and ask them to use that instead? At my LO's daycare they do use loose blankets if thats what the parents provide.
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Not good. If the room is cold enough to require a thick blanket, they need to turn up the heat! And regardless, it's a safety hazard. I would inquire about it to the director/head teacher/boss.
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@lydg: If they are doing this, I would worry about their judgment for infant safety in general!
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OMG - what if they suffocate under there! No dice. I'd be speaking up ASAP.
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All the babies had blankets over their heads! Y'all. I could. Not. Believe. It. These are women who know what they are doing which is why I can't understand it...and didn't want to blow a fuse right when I walked in. Plus it's only lo's second day there.
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@lydg: Over their heads? woah thats scary
i thought maybe just over their bodies up to their arms like a regular person would sleep with a cover
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And the room seemed hot to me...but my hormones are all messed up still. I'm going to mention it to a friend whose daughter is in the same room as DS. Plus, her husband is on the council that regulates the day care. Is that crazy or what!
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Yeah, that is weird and I would not feel comfortable with it. Our daycare actually got cited for allowing babies to sleep in bouncers so they had to remove all of them from the premises!
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@lydg: this might be extreme but I would look for another daycare! Blankets over heads=SIDS, not something to mess around with...
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In my state, it's against the law for a daycare to allow babies to sleep anywhere other than a crib (pnp is ok) or to include any soft materials in their sleep areas. Even to have DS swaddled at daycare, I had to sign a release form. Not only is that an odd business practice, it may not be in conjuction with state laws/recommendations. For sure I would bring it up to the director.
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I would not only say something if there was a blanket over LO head, I would look for a diff day care. Who knows what else goes on.
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@heatherloveskenny I wish!!! I go back to work on Monday and daycare here is few and far between and he even goes to the "best" one in town...I don't get it! I'd rather just talk to the ladies or director ad stop it...
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Wait, by over the head, do you mean that the thick blankets were completely covering their faces and heads? WTF?! I would have flipped the hell out and taken pictures if I walked into that!!!
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My daycare didn't allow blankets or anything else in the cribs with the infants unless they were swaddled. I would say something, especially if by "completely covered up" you meant it was over their heads. Plus I personally wouldn't be OK with them leaving my child sleeping in the bouncer or swing.
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I would be having a serious talk bc even a blanket in the crib let alone over the head is not ok.
I also agree I would supply a sleep sack or wearable blanket so you know he's not being covered up.
Wow. Just wow. I would be out of there asap
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They use blankets at my daycare, as well. I flipped when I first saw it. I went in the next day after calming down and asked them to stop using a blanket on M. They did so immediately. They are willing to use a sleep sack if I provide it.
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Wow, that is scary! I don't think it is ever OK to cover up their heads. Not everyone is anti-blanket for babies, but I can't see any reason to have a thick blanket covering their heads!
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I can't think of any good explanation! I would definitely have a conversation with them about this - at the very least you do not want YOUR baby covered with a blanket during naps!
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I'd do two things:
1. Talk to the daycare director about your concerns and that additional staff education might be necessary.
2. Contact your state licensing board and ask that they review the facility to make sure everything else is on the up-and-up.I'd also start seeing if there are other daycare options out there. We ended up going with an in-home provider because it had a more homey environment AND no waitlist. That way, you have a secondary option if this issue continues.
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I'm pretty sure it's against the state regs here for daycares to allow anything in the cribs in the newborn rooms (unless it's something attached to the crib that is (like a sound machine, mobile, etc.). I would be very upset, especially if the blankets were covering all the babies heads. There is absolutely no reason for that.
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Our daycare has us provide blankets but I would flip out if I ever saw one over any of the babies heads. I've gone in when he has been asleep and he has been covered with it. But he usually sleeps in the playroom anyway. He has a hard time falling asleep in the nap room.
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@HeatherlovesKenny: +1
at first I thought NBD - DS sleeps with an A+A blanket in his crib, and if I am watching him I'll put a thicker blanket - but your LO is SO LITTLE, not 8 mos like my LO. AND covering the babies heads'?! that is a serious safety concern and though I admire your restraint I would have flipped.
@Goldilocks1107: agreed
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@lydg: have you had a chance to talk to your provider yet?
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My understanding is that babies can't process carbon dioxide as well as an adult- even draping their car seat completely without a vent can be dangerous. I would think that a baby would sleep longer this way but not for a good reason. If you think it would be helpful that might be a good way to approach the subject.
Good luck, I know challenging the status quo can be really hard! -
@mediagirl yes I raked to the director today. She was super and totally agreed with me. Not that there was much to disagree with! She is going to look into it. We both agree the ladies in the room have good intentions and are probably doing it to make sure the babies stay warm (albeit bizarre) but she is going to put a stop to it.
@coco bee I know it would be easy to flip...but this really is a fantastic daycare which is why it seemed so odd. The two ladies are caring and cautious and really go above and beyond-will call during day to let me know how he is-text pics-etc. Definitely not trying to defend them but its just a weird deal! It wouldn't have done me any good to flip out then and there...I would hate for them to get defensive and/or take it out on the baby, you know? Not that they probably would anyway.
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Our daycare's owner went on some weird tangent about how babies need loveys to be comfortable and sleep and that parents are concerned they'll suffocate but they won't, blah blah blah. And in their list of "required" stuff to bring is a blanket for naptime. I just said, if I prefer he not have anything in the crib with him until he's a certain age, will you honor that? And she said yes. So, I'll bring a blanket for his tummy time or whatever but I will be instructing them not to put it in the crib with him. I think this might just be an old-school child care thing. She did also say their policy is to never put babies on their stomachs so I know they're not totally batty. Like you, everything else about the daycare was amazing and it's accredited so I figured I'll just make sure to stay on top of it and it shouldn't be an issue. If something had happened to a baby while there I'm sure it would be common knowledge, they've been around for like 15 years.
ETA also since we have to be the ones to bring the blanket, I can make sure to bring an A+A that is breathable, just in case.
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I would look into your state laws about those practices and say something ASAP.
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34 comments