Will He Ever Stop Crying?

I agree with S. H........one child I kept also cried a lot, maybe not even as much as this little guy but I ended up asking the mom to find somewhere else since I already had my own high need baby, I could not tend to either of their needs as well as I hoped. She did find somewhere else but also investigated why, finally, and the child had reflux, allergies, and had been and did continue to have ear infections until they put tubes in. I hated to do it but I could not just go day to day with that, it was not healthy for any involved. It took me asking her to find somewhere else for the family to not just think that is how the child was and find a root cause. Not much help here, but I am an advocate for the child first and would be pushing to find a root cause.

I would be willing to bet this baby has three things going on. First, he does have severe separation anxiety. If he is held all day at home then comes to daycare and doesn't get held, he is just miserable! He also may not like the noise level daycare has to offer. My first son had a very hard time with the noise level of preschool and I ultimately pulled him out and re-enrolled him a year later so he would be a bit older to handle it. At 10 he still has trouble with a lot of noise. The last thing that is happening is he can sense every ones frustration with the crying. He can feel the tension and gets more upset. The only thing I can think to try is to maybe give him a bit more attention, maybe even carry him a bit more, and try to stay as calm as possible. See if it helps. If he just cannot get over it, then I suggest he go to a different daycare or an in-home type of daycare.

Good luck.

Can he be picked up?
How long has be been there?
Isn't there any other personnel there that is attending him???
He is young.... screaming that long, is not good for a baby's brain.... it affects it.

What are the protocols, at your employer, for handling crying/screaming babies? I'm sure, just leaving them there unattended is not good...

Is he ill?
Ear infections?
Separation Anxiety obviously... and "object permanence" which a baby does not know yet. Look it up online.
he is not used to be left alone...
is his diaper wet? Poopy?
Is he hungry??? A baby this age, has to be fed on-demand... at a daycare or not. Not on a schedule...
Maybe he is tired? He needs a nap then.
Or maybe he is over-stimulated? Babies cry/scream to shut-out external stimuli. That is what they do it for as well.

Ask your Supervisor... what are they doing about it?

Does the baby's Mom know he is screaming ALL day with no solution?

all the best,
Susan

Not sure!! I kept one (who is about his age now) for two months who screamed all day long. I ended up having to stop keeping him because of it. I honestly think something was wrong with him though, he had sensory issues and stuff. At our church, we give the parents 15 minutes of complete screaming before we go get them - but I guess you can't really do that there. They may need to make a phone call to the mom and figure out why he's like that. Good luck!

Have you talked to his parents about this? I would feel terrible if my child spent all day 5 days a week screaming his lungs out. Has anyone tried to hold him and calm him down?

Its a phase. I always thought my son was so proud of the noise he could make.....:and used it to get my attention.
... While I would be running around and my son screamed and watched me,....
First, I would hide behind the counter... jump back out and say peek-a-boo.
That usually got a chuckle... and distrupted the piercing screech....
Then some more peekaboo... with a "where's mommy?".... then jump out from behind the doorway with a "here I am !!" before hustling back to my chore.
If you can find some other sound/noise he can make, he's probably just as likely to practice that sound instead of screaming.

Can you wear him in a sling? If he's a big baby, I recommend the Ergo. It's far more comfortable than a Baby Bjorn. Your back will be OK wearing him for long periods of time in an Ergo and your hands will be free to tend to the other kids.

If he stops when you pick him up, then you know he just wants your attention. Make sure you talk to his parents and find out if he does the same at home. It could be that they just hold him at home and he expects the same there, but it could also be due to a medical condition. As long as you know he is okay, no need for a diaper change, or hungry and he has no medical condition, I don't know if there is anything else you can do, other than maybe pick him up for a little and then put him back in until he gets it.
Blessings!

You need to tell this poor baby's mother immediately!!!!!!!!!! I would want to know if my son was so unhappy. Please please tell the parents!

I would terminate the child as it has to be not only hard on you but the other children that have to listen to it. It is not worth the money and another pleasant child can fill his place. He is obviously not happy there and I would tell the parents I am so sorry we have tried and tried to make it a pleasant stay but he just is not happy. Let them deal with it. He will lose over and over in day cares. G. W

Is he getting lots of attention while he is screaming? Is it an upset scream, or just screaming because he likes how it sounds? Talk to his parents and see what they recommend doing. If they are OK with you ignoring the screaming, then maybe that's what will help. He is at an age where he can't put into words what he wants or how he feels, so maybe he does it out of frustration. Not all day long though! I would definitely check with the parents and see what they have to say about it.

He may be held all day when hes at home and used to that. I took care of a little one once he was a couple months older than my daughter, and he just COULD NOT entertain himself even for a second no matter what I tried, he just whined/cried/screamed everytime I put him down. I just ended up carrying him around all day! Obviously this is not an option for you...

I think you've received some good advice. I just want to applaud you for seeking advice from moms, and for your patience and obvious caring and concern for this little boy. What ever the problem, he needs your compassion and understanding, and it sounds like you're giving him that, even when you want to pull out your hair. God bless you.

Poor baby is probably screaming in pain - teething bites! Is he crawling yet? If not he could be bored/frustrated, I know our first son was super fussy right before he started crawling because he wanted to get to things but just couldn't.

Have you talked to mom and dad? Does he do this at home?

8 months is a long time to scream daily. Does his mother know how miserable he is? Maybe she doesn't have a choice but to leave him, but if she does, I think he needs to be taken out of day care. Does he scream at home? If he screams all the time everywhere, I think the mom needs to talk to his doctor, that's NOT normal. If he only screams at school, then try to figure out what is going on at home that isn't at school...does he eat differently at home vs. school? Is the TV on at home and not at school? Maybe he'd enjoy white noise in the background or music playing if he's used to having music or TV on while at home. Does he usually like the swing at home? Can you use a swing at school? Surely you've already tried all of this, but I'm just racking my brain. I just re-read. Is he screaming for attention or out of misery? I don't know what to tell you!

The parents need to handle this immediately. It is probably a medical problem and the child is in pain - internally. Have them take their baby to the doctor. You can't run your business with a child in this condition; it's not fair to the other little ones. I don't mean to be insensitive, but the parents need to handle this now.

I couldn't help but respond and second Lori B's suggestion of wearing him. The Ergo is a fantastic carrier -- much better for baby's body than the Bjorn! My son doesn't cry so much, but when his is fussy, I can put him on my back in the Ergo and he immediately calms down. He loves being able to see what I'm up to, and when he was under a year old (he's now 18 months) he napped in it all the time. www.ergobabycarrier.com You may try and contact them to see if they would be willing to give a discount, given that you are government-run and with the issues that he is having.

Good luck!!!