How do difficult babies do in daycare settings?

[Anonymous]

For those of you who had the stereotypical intense/hypersensitive/difficult infant, how did they do in daycare? How does daycare handles infants like these?

[Anonymous]

How old is s/he? My colicky 3-month-old had really turned a corner before she started daycare at 4 months. She was still pretty intense, though. The first couple of weeks were rough on all of us. They told me she screamed all day the first couple of days. I was a wreck too.

Then something magical happened. She bonded with one of the daycare workers. That woman is amazing with babies in general, but she and my daughter ADORE each other. For awhile, I think she came pretty close to just holding DD all day. After DD calmed down a bit, this magical woman just had to be somewhere baby could see her and all would be well. The others have told me that DD frequently goes to the breakroom with her during her lunchbreak. I am lucky, I suppose, that she works there and that the daycare was flexible enough to let her spend so much time attending to my intense baby. I wish I could afford to hire her as our nanny. because i would in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

I am sure I will get flamed for this, but sometimes those difficult babies aren't difficult for daycare.

[Anonymous]

Mine stayed with grandma this whole time. We do lots of playdates and social activities, but she hates people. I was against daycare form many reasons, but hindsight is 20/20. I think she might have been better off. It would have been hard no matter where I left her. But at a certain point, she would habe been too busy to play, loved to be around kids a bit older than her (she is oldest in playdate group), would have learned lots of skills from older kids (maybe), and she would have had to wait a minute. She is sooooo bored with grandma now. Doesn't get tired enough to sleep well.

[Anonymous]

They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

My experience is more like 19:57s - they wind up in someone's lap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

I have never seen a baby alone and crying on my daycare, ever. But way to justify yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

I have never seen a baby alone and crying on my daycare, ever. But way to justify yourself.

Right, it's mot gonna happen when parents are around.... But it does. A lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine stayed with grandma this whole time. We do lots of playdates and social activities, but she hates people. I was against daycare form many reasons, but hindsight is 20/20. I think she might have been better off. It would have been hard no matter where I left her. But at a certain point, she would habe been too busy to play, loved to be around kids a bit older than her (she is oldest in playdate group), would have learned lots of skills from older kids (maybe), and she would have had to wait a minute. She is sooooo bored with grandma now. Doesn't get tired enough to sleep well.

How old is DD? Has she always "hated people?"

[Anonymous]

My baby wasn't super high needs, but liked to be held much of the time would only sleep in arms. Our home daycare was great, the provider wore dd in a carrier much of the time. I think it really depends on the baby and the situation, but it may work out really well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

I have never seen a baby alone and crying on my daycare, ever. But way to justify yourself.

Right, it's mot gonna happen when parents are around.... But it does. A lot.

Decent day cares aren't allowed to have bouncers or swings, FYI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

I have never seen a baby alone and crying on my daycare, ever. But way to justify yourself.

Right, it's mot gonna happen when parents are around.... But it does. A lot.

At every daycare? Ok. And the infant room is near the entrance, so it isn't like someone can just snatch up a baby or you wouldn't hear crying. Maybe it's - gasp - good care!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

I have never seen a baby alone and crying on my daycare, ever. But way to justify yourself.

Right, it's mot gonna happen when parents are around.... But it does. A lot.

Decent day cares aren't allowed to have bouncers or swings, FYI.

Huh? My kid goes to one if the most well regarded ones in the area, with 4 teachers for 6 infants, and they have a swing.

[Anonymous]

A good daycare center will have a lot of tricks up its sleeve, and a fair amount of experience dealing with difficult babies. So it may be a combination of holding the baby extra at first, swings or bouncy seats. DD got lots of visits to other rooms (being carried by the teacher who was dropping things off or relaying messages) and she liked to see the older kids.

And PP who said some difficult babies aren't difficult for daycare is right. Sometimes alot of it is situational. DD is much needier and likely to pitch a fit at home with me than she is at daycare. DS was even more so that way. A co-workers daughter was super easy going during her maternity leave and then got difficult upon starting daycare. Try not to worry, most of these phases pass quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They get left in a bouncer or swing crying.

I worked in daycares during college. This is true. The workers get frustrated a lot quicker than parents do. Once a baby cried so much and so often that the parents were asked to find another daycare. It was really horrible being in the room listening to crying all day long. I'm sure it was stressful for the cranky baby and all the other babies.