Babysitting Care
Infants Sleeping
behaviour
Infants
Younger infants generally sleep when they feel tired. Some infants have
difficulty relaxing and settling to sleep. Some infants get "over-tired" and
then have trouble sleeping with this. It is really important to get to know
the infant by asking a lot of questions and watching carefully to see what
helps the infant calm down.
Older infants usually have a "routine" – something that the parent does each
time the child is put to sleep. Ask the parent first, and then try other
calming techniques to help the infant go to sleep:
Play lullabies, or calm, soft music.
Gently pat on the back and hum.
If the child cries a little bit, but remains laying on the bed, try being
quiet in the room or leave quietly. Do not let the child cry for more than
just a few minutes before you go in and help. If the child stands up or
cries a lot, help the child relax and settle down to sleep.
It is not always easy to put an infant to sleep. Do not be surprised if it
takes a great deal of time.
Toddler or Pre-Schooler Sleeping
Toddlers
Ask the parents what the "routine"sleep behaviour is & how the parent puts
the child to sleep. Toddlers usually like to play more than they like to
sleep. Make sure you help the child calm down first by reading books or
laying down and telling a story.
Generally toddlers do not need to "cry" before they sleep, so make sure you
help the child calm down and relax enough to sleep.
Preschoolers
Ask the parent what the child likes to do before he or she goes to sleep.
Keep activities calm before naptime or going to bed. For safety reasons,
make sure you are available when the child is settling to sleep. Preschool
children can get up and may get into unsafe situations.
Read books, relax and play imagery games to help the preschooler close his
or her eyes. Imagine sitting by the river or watching clouds in the sky.
Babysitting tips, articles author L.S Batra. ©2002 Indianchild.com
Go Back To Main Babysitting Index Page
Starting
Babysitting Business ::
Babysitting Jobs Tips ::
Becomming a Babysitter
Babysitting Job Tips ::
Babysitting Problems ::
Babysitting Safety
Babysitting Ideas ::
Babysitting Games Activities
::
Babysitting Care
Bathing Babies ::
Feeding Babies ::
Baby Diapering ::
Baby Dressing Tips