Getting a Child to Sleep

I also have worked in a daycare and am in the process of starting a home daycare.

My experience with infants 8 months-15 months has taught me that sometimes you can leave them and they'll pass out on their own. Then in cases like yours you can't, I would suggest laying him down on his side or tummy and rubbing/patting his back. Playing soothing music/humming/singing also helps. It might take a couple weeks for him to get used to the idea, but he will learn that once you lay him down, cover him up and start patting his back that he's not getting up and he will go to sleep.

He clearly still needs naps or he wouldn't let you rock him to sleep, so just stick with "helping" him go to sleep in his crib/playpen. In time it'll take less time to pat him to sleep and he might even relearn to layhimself down and go to sleep on his own.

Hope this helps,
K.

I have a 19 month old daughter who when she learned how to walk started to do something like this. She would walk and run all over her crib. When we went for her next DRs visit I told them about this since I was concerned over her not getting her naps in and waking up and just walking all over. They told me that this is a normal response to a new thing they have learned. It is on their minds constantly on how to keep doing it and perfecting it. Another thing I noticed too was she stopped babbling as much as she was prior... total focus was on the new learned mobility.

To me it sounds just like this since when you are holding him he is comforted and can not really move. He can relax and not concentrate on his new skills. For me, it finally stopped when I started wrapping her up like a burrito in her blanket again- she usually takes her arms out right away though if I even bother with them... she is a thumb sucker. But she knows then that when she is wrapped tightly and her legs are not moving or able to that it is time to relax. I still do this to this day! Actually now she wont sleep unless she is wrapped up! She naps for 4 hours in the afternoon and sleeps approx 12 hours at night. Ahhhhhhh :)

Good luck and I hope you find a way for everyone to rest!

Unfourtinately enough, if it's happening at home he is going to continue to push your buttons and try to get away with it at your place too. I'd highly suggest talking to the parents about your concerns. At 1 year old, the child should not be getting rocked to sleep anyways, otherwise they won't learn to fall asleep on their own and they won't learn how to soothe themselves. My son did the same thing when I put him in his play pen... it's neat and interesting to them that they can finally pull themselves up, but they just haven't figured out how to get back down yet. The only thing you can do is rock him to sleep and keep trying to lay him back down in his play pen, or request that the parents stop rocking him to bed and when it's time for bed to put him in his crib/play pen and just let him cry. Children need to learn things on their own... if his parents are going to continue to rock him to sleep, and not let him learn what bed time really is and how to soothe himself, then I can pretty much say with great confidence that you're going to continue to have a difficult time with this child.

Wish I had a suggestion for you, but just wanted you to know that my son did the same thing. He hasn't napped during the day since he was a year old, which I thought was too early to stop napping. He would only nap if I held him, but would scream if I put him down, and he would not cry himself to sleep, no matter how long I left him in his crib, so I gave up. I guess some kids are done with naps at one. Poor us!

My son was like this the first eight months of his life. The method that worked for me was to lay him back down, and rest my hand on his chest or back, tell him it's bed time, and shush him. At first it may take 10-15 minutes, but as he gets used to the method in 1-2 weeks depending on how stubborn he is, it'll get to the point where you just lay him down and he stays. If you try this method, I hope it works for you as it did for me. The good thing is, it's a no cry method, so it won't wake the other kids up.

Good Luck,
J.

Wow, that is a tough situation. I am a daycare provider as well. So, I am curious to see what others suggest. I thought to myself, what would I do in this situation. Could you put him to sleep later than you normally would. Maybe if he is REALLY tired, he will just lay down and go to sleep. What do his parents do at home?? If it were me I think I would just wait until he was really tired, and then lay him down. Does he do this for both a.m. and p.m. naps? Maybe he is ready to give up his morning nap? Good luck! Let me know how this ends.
Karen

Have you tried giving him a book or two to look at to make him sit down and relax in the pack-n-play. Maybe you could even read to him quietly while he is in the pack and play. I play lullabies for my 21/2 year-old to get him to relax. When he hears the music now, he knows it is "night-night" time. You could even try rocking him and reading to him at the same time and then right before he falls asleep, put him in the crib. This way he will teach himself how to fall asleep which is totally a learned behavior. It does not sound like his parents are doing this at home so why should he at daycare? Does he have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal from home with him in the crib? Some little ones are just so stubborn when it comes to putting themselves to sleep. They have not yet learned how to do it on their own. Good Luck!