Sleep and Settling Advice?

[coreyna89]

Hi guys,
I'm a first time Mum who's just placed my nearly 18mo into family day care two days a week.

The educator is WONDERFUL. A really good fit for my shy son as she's quiet, sweet, patient and not pushy with him. The downside is that she's only just opened her family daycare this week, and whilst being Cert 3 qualified she's only had around18 months professional experience in a centre (and that was working with 3-5 moreso) and is quite young (20) and without her own kids yet. So basically I'm trying to step up and help as much as possible without getting in her way.

Everything goes fine during playtime but come naptime he is just not having it and I'm hoping for advice about what I and the educator should do. Today I let her try twice over about 90 minutes and then picked him up early because I wanted to make sure he would sleep and also didn't want to risk jeopardising his positive feelings associated with her home and his bond with her generally by having him cry it out.

At home our sleep routine is really specific and not super adaptable to being in care. Takes up to 30 mins for the whole thing but he's pretty much always napping at the same time of day/same amount of time and same thing for bedtime.

Change of nappy/shirt
Wind down in darkened room with reading quiet books, white noise and stars projector
Put soft toy to bed and turn projector off
Have half a bottle of milk in rocking chair whilst being sung Hush Little Baby
Transfer to cot with bottle. If not completely out I'll lay in cot with him for a few to 10 mins or so (Didn't used to have to do this but it's been a feature since bad teething and separation anxiety kicked in)

In care he has the same books/bottle/toy/projector and pillow/my shirt from home. She does books, then tries to lay on a mat with him and gives him a bottle. Apparently he screams if he realizes he's being laid down. She did manage to get him to lay for a little while watching the projector but he screamed her whole house down once he realized she was trying to leave him.

How should we approach this?
Is this something that will just get better with time?
I have 100% flexibility with work atm so it's an option for me to just leave him for the morning and NOT attempt naps in care until he's more comfortable but I don't know if this is the right move?
Should I work harder to change the home routine to be more independent?

Cheers!
Coreyna

[Lorina]

It's completely normal for your child to be unsettled during sleep especially when it's a new environment. It will get easier as time progresses. Is it possible to include some sleep time music? You can include a song at home during sleep time and then use the same at the FDC as well. Your child will learn to associate the music with sleep time and typically sleep music will make them sleepy. You can try it and see how it goes.

.
Lorina

[Marissasam]

Thank you for sharing!

[melany9mw]

Sometimes a good sleep depends on comfortable clothes, which baby wears.

[AureaRea]

I think that all will be settled soon!! Babies just really tend to be uneasy when adjusting to a new place. Yes, even when they're asleep. I suggest that you give your baby a certain blanket or toy that he or she can hold on to, even when she's asleep. I assure you that he or she will be more comfortable sleeping anywhere as long as that blanket or toy is beside them as they sleep. It worked well for my baby when we travel.

[Nandy84]

Hello,

I think it is quite normal and will get better with time. But till then, according to me, you can use a particular pattern of music or a soft toys you can share with the child at the home and same at the Family daycare, with which the child can associate that both places is equal for being relaxed and then I think he can sleep properly. You can also use the same mat, pillow, or anything that he can feel the same at home and also at FDC. This will help to relate him to equals.

You can try this. It may take some time, but I think it will help you.

Thanks

Nandita