Is this normal?

[Aries1985]

My dd, 17 months, has never, ever let her dad comfort her to sleep. EVER. She completely freaks out if he comes near her when she's tired. Even just patting her back she will not accept. From the day we brought her home, she would scream bloody murder if I fed her, then handed her to him to rock her to sleep. She is not an easy kid to get to sleep at all, never has been, and man, I'd really love a break! Ironically, she will let my mom comfort her back to sleep and she will fall asleep for my mom if I'm not there. Why not for DH?

Will it ever get better? Anyone else's dc do this?

[lisavark]

Yes. Mine is like this. She's 21 months old and only gone to sleep without nursing all the way down a couple of times--and they involved a LOT of crying. DH has put her to sleep ONCE in her life, and my mom has managed it once as well. If I go out, she stays awake till I get back. The other day she skipped nap and stayed up till I came home and put her to bed at 10:00, so she was up from 8:30 am till 10:00 pm straight. Once I went to see a midnight movie, and she woke up fifteen minutes after I left...so that day she fell asleep for the night at 11 pm, woke up at 11:15, and was up until 3:00 am when I got back from the movie.

DH can't even TRY to get her to sleep; she screams like crazy. She'll stay up and play with him until...well, forever...I think she'd stay up till the next day if I didn't come home...but bedtime is mama and only mama.

It sucks. I'm so sick of it. I'm about ready to check into a hotel for a weekend and let DH just struggle.

Subbing for ideas...

[rzberrymom]

My DD was just like this until she turned 2, and it drove me nuts. And then at 2, she ONLY wanted daddy and I started to feel left out and unneeded.

It will pass.

ETA: Although, he could *sometimes* wear her in a carrier and get her to sleep. Has your DH tried that?

[Aries1985]

I'm glad I'm not alone!

My DH has tried wearing her, but that's a no-go. A) I don't think he's entirely comfortable with it and B) She's getting ever more difficult to get to sleep in a carrier. *I* only have success anymore on my back and DH for whatever reason can't get her on his back in the Beco.