I Want Her to Nap on Her Own...

Hi! I have three kids and have been married for 11 years. My son is 7 1/2 and my daughter is 5 1/2 and they did the same thing! My docter told me with my son,when he was that age is to give him is milk and all of my children had to be rocket in a rocking chair. After I would do that he told me to put him to sleep an every 10, 15,20,30 mins. go in there. He finally got the point I wasn't going in there to get him and he finally would go to sleep! Now with the baby she is 8 months old and I do have some toys in there for her and they are safe and I totally thinks its ok, but then again I am very laid back. She will cry when I walk to the door but, she will roll on her stomach and play with her lion and the next thing I know shes out cold! It works for me! I hope some of this is help full?! H. H.

HI A.,

My son was the same.
I had to let him cry at 7 months and he did it after doing this for 1 month. I laid him down at naptime and went back in a few times to give him the paci. Eventually he'd crash. Now that he's almost 8 months, he goes down without cryibg at all. Even at my in-laws, so I'd assume your daughter would also do it at daycare.
They need their rest, that's for sure. At 1 my daughter was still taking 2 nice naps too.

I'd just suffer through the crying and let her get the concept. The longer you wait the harder it is on her. I can totally appreciate you wanting to nap with her. I also loved napping with both of my kids.
Mine was always the second nap.
It was harder to get them to nap on their own than if I had started at 3 months (she started at 8 months and he at 7) but very much enjoyed 7 and 8 months with each child ;)

Yah...I don't think you have to let them cry it out. Just do the same bed time routine you do for putting her to sleep at night. At our house it includes reading three books on the rocker, and then tucking in your child and turning on music of choice. Also be sure to make the room plenty dark...put a sheet over the window or whatever you need to do. Also make sure to put child to bed for nap with full belly. We used to do 10A and 2PM....but u can do whenever. My 2 1/2 year old still takes one nap at 3pm. We've never had any problems and I never had to let anyone cry it out!!! My 5 mos old on the weekends goes to bed awake in the morning just with one toy..and his fisherprice star thing...and tucked in after being fed and falls to sleep on his own.

A.,
I have 2 year old twins, and can remember that up until 1 year old they only slept for naps in their swings. They got to a point where they were too big and one of the swings broke, and miraculously, they just started sleeping in their crips at nap time. We just had to try it, and at that age if somethign doesn't work, give them a break try it again in a few days. If you haven't already, just try to let her go to sleep by herself in the crib. You NEED that time to yourself, naptimes are a godsend and I will give my girls naps as long as I can. Granted, some days it may take an hour for them to wind down in their cribs, and they undress themselves and talk to each other, but they aren't hurting anything by being in their by themselves.

When I wanted my son to nap on his own, I started him out in our pack&play in our room. The two times, I put him down for a nap, I stayed right with him (I had the pack&play right next to my bed). Then I started to leave him while he was napping. Finally, I started to put him in his crib for a nap. He adjusted well but he was also younger than your daughter. You could also try to give her a plush animal when she takes naps in your arms so she will associate the animal with napping and when you get her used to the crib for naps, you can put the animal in the crib with her.

If you sing to her maybe record you songs to her, and take one of her favorite blackets and you yourself sleep with it for a few night so it has your scent on it and then give it to her to sleep with when she takes a nap, quietly lye her down and tell her it is nap time and that you love her and give her the blanket and play her a song, walk out of the room and if she starts crying let her cry for a few. if it continues go back in BUT DO NOT PICK HER UP lay her back down and just tell her that she is fine and mommy will be back in after her nap . when you leave the room again let her cry for about 10 mins and once again walk in the room but just sit in a chair by her crib and when she settles down walk out again just keep this up and she will eventully lay down on her own it may take several days but she will come around. good luck Patience make it happen

my 4 mo. old was like that, she would have no problem sleeping at night in her crib, but nap times it was offlimits...i just got blackout blinds for her room and got it as dark as if it were night-time, i sat a chair next to her crib and would keep moving it back about 6in each nap session, after a couple days all i had to do was lay her down and shut her door with me still in the room give it about 5 min. to hear her snore then creep out..it's worth it to be able to give 5min. to her to gain 2 1/2 hours to give to everyone else with a clean home.

In your sitution I would like to ask does she like music? When I wanted my son to fall asleep I got him a musical lulby that plays musical tunes and I stuck it on his crib. It had a light and it played tunes for a while. It helped him to go to sleep. He used it for a while. He really liked it. You can get them at walmart or babies r us. I think they are $20.00 or $30.00. You can get the ones that hang on her crib. That is what I did for my son.

Read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth.

You have realistic expectations and she can do it. Read the book and follow the techniques, and soon you'll have a happy little napper on your hands!

I was skeptical. Day 1 was tough. Day 2 was not bad at all. Day 3, my boy was napping like a champ.

No matter what you decide to do, just be consistent with your expectations and your child will follow your lead.