Struggling With a 17m Old at Naptime....Again

[TaylorTots]

I have had DCG since she was 8m but her mom is a teacher and I lost her for 2 months in the summer. She has returned and is on week 4 back. She is full time and 17m old now.

By the time she left, she used to nap 2 hours at resttime (it was hard worked for on my part). Now she naps 1 hour and wakes up screaming, even when I lay her back down (the usual suggestions which worked to train her the first time).

1 hour of rest cannot be sufficient for a 17m old. No way. Mom says she sleeps now 12 hours at night (so 6:30PM-6:30AM?!) and her nap schedule was pretty lax in the summer (grrr).



Suggestions other than the usual lay her back down/check diaper/check on every 15 min etc?

[Heidi]

I have had DCG since she was 8m but her mom is a teacher and I lost her for 2 months in the summer. She has returned and is on week 4 back. She is full time and 17m old now.

By the time she left, she used to nap 2 hours at resttime (it was hard worked for on my part). Now she naps 1 hour and wakes up screaming, even when I lay her back down (the usual suggestions which worked to train her the first time).

1 hour of rest cannot be sufficient for a 17m old. No way. Mom says she sleeps now 12 hours at night (so 6:30PM-6:30AM?!) and her nap schedule was pretty lax in the summer (grrr).



Suggestions other than the usual lay her back down/check diaper/check on every 15 min etc?

Can she have a blanket or stuffed animal now? Here they can have a stuffed animal and/or pillow at a year. My not-so-great sleeper (21m) has a teddy bear, a book, and two "chuck" cars, as well as his blanket. The cars did the trick, and he plays happily now until I come get him. When I walk into his room (he is alone in my bdr.), he is always smiling "HI!"

I have tried just getting him up once awake, but there are no "quiet activities" for this kiddo. If he's out of bed, he's running and screeching happily. He's go, go, go and loudly!

Another thing I've done with kiddos that are screamers-upon-waking is that I will go into the room and busy myself for a few minutes before getting them up. Make the bed (again), throw in laundry (my laundry is off my master bdr), or some other little tasks, all the while talking to the kiddo. Then, I make them stop crying (gently) before I take them out. "I hear you..I will get you out when you stop. Stoppppp..." hand out in front of me. Then, I say "thank you!" and love all over them as I get them out. Basic message...no need for all the drama, baby!

[Leigh]

I have had DCG since she was 8m but her mom is a teacher and I lost her for 2 months in the summer. She has returned and is on week 4 back. She is full time and 17m old now.

By the time she left, she used to nap 2 hours at resttime (it was hard worked for on my part). Now she naps 1 hour and wakes up screaming, even when I lay her back down (the usual suggestions which worked to train her the first time).

1 hour of rest cannot be sufficient for a 17m old. No way. Mom says she sleeps now 12 hours at night (so 6:30PM-6:30AM?!) and her nap schedule was pretty lax in the summer (grrr).



Suggestions other than the usual lay her back down/check diaper/check on every 15 min etc?

This isn't going to stop when Mom is too lazy to take care of her and just throws her in bed in the evenings. Suggest to Mom that she start keeping her up until 8:30 or 9:00 and let her nap in the daytime like she is meant to. I'm sure the 12 hours at night is making it difficult for her to sleep in the daytime, even though her little body still needs it.

[Heidi]

Leigh is right. My toddlers are all in bed at 8ish.