Getting Frustrated !!

[suzydominguez]

I have a 13 month boy who is on his fifth week. He is at daycare 3 days a week
tuesday wednesday and thursday). He is fantastic and everything is great here, up until nap-time.

As soon as I pick him up to put him in his play pen, he starts to cry. He cries himself to sleep everyday, sleeps for 15- 20 minutes and cries again. This goes on for the first hour. For the second hour he will talk, scream cry and not sleep. My other kids are older and are able to sleep through it and I also have white noise going on.

I asked mom if he does this at home and the answer is "No he sleeps his 2 hours straight". Everyday she asks me how is nap and I tell her nothing has changed.

I am getting frustrated because I have most of my children start at 1 year, they do cry for a few weeks and than its ok. What is so different with this one?

I am worried too that when my other child starts in 2 weeks, he will freak out when nap-time comes.

Any one go through this? Suggestions.

[mickyc]

Oh I feel for you! I seem to have had a bad go with nappers over the past year. I don't know if it is because the kids are just held too much now or that the parents seem to helicopter parent but I just don't understand it either. I would almost wonder if mom is putting him to bed earlier because he is tired?

I currently have had a boy for 5 weeks now as well. He still has times where he cries (like outside time today - he cried majority of the time). Nap time so far today has been fine, he went straight to sleep but yesterday and Monday were totally different - maybe got an hour if that from all the crying.

All I can say is we are hear for you and totally understand!! Here's to hoping it stops soon!

[momofnerds]

i think they are either rocking him or laying with him, thats why he can sleep at home. Also does he have a bottle at bedtime that mom isn't telling you.

[CrazyEight]

Could the fact that he's only there mid-week be contributing? He is at home for 4 day stretches, Friday to Monday, so if they're doing something different or coddling him, then it's going to take him longer to really realize that naptime at daycare is different. Maybe ask them to write down exactly what happens at naptime at home? Then either ask them if they could change what they are doing to be more in line with what you do, to give him consistency. If they are lying down with him or giving him a bottle to get him to sleep, then that would explain why he's fighting naptime with you - he's waiting for that, and 4 days at home getting it is a long enough time for him to forget what it's like at daycare, and then after 3 days with you, just when he might be getting the hang of things, it's 4 more days at home with whatever they might be doing.

Might be worth looking at, if you can get them on board with having naptime being the same thing every day, it won't take nearly as long for him to get used to what is expected (hopefully!)

Good luck!

[suzydominguez]

Momofnerds, the mom did mention during our interview, that she would rock him to sleep when she needed him to fall asleep quickly. I told her that she should of never done that and if they chose to come here that she should stop it immediately because I never had to rock a child to sleep and I don't think it is good for any child. Bad Habit !! She told me she stopped, but did she really ???

[Secondtimearound]

I would say , nope !! Lol. I think you are doing the right thing ! Let him cry ! I use the white noise too and fans . So I don't get frustrated but they have their naps . I have a lot of 3 day a weekers . My one dcg , 21 months does not nap or sleep for mom , up until 11:00 or so , doesn't bother me here , she only came one day this week ( due to sickness ) and she cried for the first 1/2 hr of sleep but she finally fell asleep woke up an hour later and I still let her cry , she fell back to sleep and ended up sleeping until 3:30 . As long as consistency is followed at your house what happens at home can be overcome !!!
Good luck to you !!!!!

[Judy Trickett]

i think they are either rocking him or laying with him, thats why he can sleep at home. Also does he have a bottle at bedtime that mom isn't telling you.

I would tend to agree. There obviously has to be SOME reason and something drastically different happening with his nap routine between home and daycare. In my experience, anytime I have had a kid carry on at naptime for weeks on end it always ends up being found out that the parents are doing some sort of nonsense at home like rocking, or going into the child or giving them a bottle etc etc.

I would have another talk with mom and ask her (you don't say anything as to not sway her response) exactly what she does at home before and during nap. I bet you dollars to donuts she's catering to him in some manner and not telling you.