nap advice and childminder

[dizzy]

Hi, looking for advice.

My LO is a year at beginning of Sept. He still has 2 naps a day an hour in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon (at the mo). I have to go back to work in a week and we have been practicing at the childminders where he is meant to be going for the mornings only. He enjoys going and plays happily and is ok when I leave him to play but he will not nap at all. DH and I have both spent time with him at the childminder's and have both done the nap routine with him as has the childminder but he just cries and gets up in the cot all the time. We decided it was upsetting him too much so we should leave the nap but he is now even having a bad afternoon nap which we have been putting him down for as soon as he gets home and has wind down etc as usual. he is now waking after half an hour and crying for half an hour before I can settle him and then he has half an hour again and wakes upset again I know this is OT. He is also starting early waking's as well. I think he is telling me he can't cope with 1 nap yet?
My DH and I have come to a compromise for now and changed him to only going for 2 days and not 5 but not convinced he will cope with this? any ideas or advice?

[Bryony]

Yes sounds as though he's not ready for one nap yet

HUGS - it's so hard getting them to nap at childcare, mine would only ever have 30 min naps when we had her in a nursery for a while at around one year.

A few thoughts:

- what is different about the sleeping arrangements at the childminders? Is he in a travel cot there?  If so I would get him used to sleeping in a travel cot at home for naps, and hang sheets over the side both at home and at the childminders so that once he's in there it looks the same. We do this and put Katie into a travel cot at home most days for naps now, and so it doesn't bother her if we go and see friends at a weekend and she has to nap there in the travel cot. 

- is it dark and quiet at the childminder?  would help him sleep

- take your own sheets, sleeping bag, lovies, whatever he would have at home to try and make it as familiar as possible

- if you can get him to sleep there once or twice it will really help him associate it with sleep

HUGS

xx

[dizzy]

Will try the sheets on the side, have taken his lovies and done same routine as at home with story etc. It is lighter at the childminders and can not change that as she has a glass door, he likes it very dark at home or is to nosey so I think that is th problem. I would be happy if he had half an hour then he would survive but he won't sleep at all just cries and keep on getting up in the cot and trying to get out. DH has said for now he will do more mornings of having him which is great so now only has to go child minders for 2 mornings until drops morning nap and then will do 3 then the planned 4. This has made me feel a little better about it all.

[Bryony]

That sounds like a good plan for now!  Your DH is a star!

xx