[chipper26]

I'm so worried that my dd, who will be 2 in July, will have trouble napping at daycare. She'll be starting in Aug. and right now se still nurses to sleep and wakes up in the middle of her nap, after about an hour... then I go and lay down beside her and nurse her back down so she'll sleep another hour or so.<br><br>
Can I continue what I'm doing or should I start weaning her from nursing to sleep, like using the Pantley Pull-Off or something similar?<br><br>
Will she just behave differently for them, and maybe be more tired (and therefore ready for the nap) if she's up early? I'm not sure yet if she'll be napping there, but it's a good possibility and I'm really nervous about it.<br><br>
She's never been a good sleeper and has always relied on me for help. She's the type of kid who needed to be held for naps until close to her first bday, when I figured out how to lay her in our bed for naps after rocking and nursing her to sleep. I nurse her for a bit more once she's in our bed and then sneak away (if I don't fall asleep. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue">)

 

[Jend1002]

I don't have advice about your breastfeeding questions but I can tell you that my son was (is?) a pretty challenging sleeper. We definitely had to rock him to sleep and only recently the need has reduced. BUT...at day care, he is a great napper! I have no idea why but suspect that all the other kids are doing it and he just goes along with it plus, I am not there so he just lays down and goes to sleep. For a while, his caregivers had to pat his back but now they tell me he just lays right down. I ask them a ton of questions about it because I was worried and they all tell me that the kids behave differently in daycare. I hope this helps to ease your fears.

 

[Hannah'sMommy]

My DD is only 8.5 months, but she's been in a home based daycare since she was 3 months. She naps wonderfully with the babysitter, but horribly with us and her grandparents. At the babysitter, she takes a 45 minute nap in the morning, and a 2.5 hour nap in the afternoon. We usually end up having to do 3 shorter naps at home, and it's a challenge to get her to sleep sometimes! While the babysitter is just able to lay her down and say "night night" and she goes to sleep with little fuss. I think its different with parents. They know we'll pick them up and cuddle them <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue">

 

[RollerCoasterMama]

I can't answer specifically about the nursing to sleep part, but I know that DS has napped wonderfully at daycare and preschool. He goes right down for them. A lot of it seems to do with seeing the other children going right to sleep. They have their routines and the kids just pass out like clockwork. It's been the same at all three places he's been at!<br><br>
It really seems to hold true that they're quick to differentiate where they're at. DS is three now and he goes to sleep completely differently for me, his dad and his preschool. We all get it done, but he's picked up a different routine for each of us. At school and his dad's, he goes right to sleep. With me, he wants extra cuddles and songs and trips to the potty, etc.<br><br>
I'd say, keep your nursing relationship as-is at home as long as it works for you and your family. Your DD will most likely adjust pretty quickly at school! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[Alyantavid]

My kids never had trouble with napping at daycare. Everyone naps at the same time (by that age) so it's not like a kid playing will wake her up.<br><br>
Keep doing what you're doing at home and I'm sure she'll do fine napping at daycare.

 

[SarahDC]

Thanks for this thread- I'm switching from grandma-care to daycare this month and was having anxiety about the same thing! Great to hear how many kids do better napping at daycare than home.

 

[StephandOwen]

Chiming in to say that I agree.... she'll adjust to daycare napping fine! I wouldn't worry about weaning her off falling asleep at the breast, as it likely won't be an issue. You won't be there so she'll never associate sleeping at daycare with breastfeeding. At the daycare I work at we have a routine that we do every single day so the kids know exactly what to expect. Most of my 2 year old's when they start with us do okay. A few cried and need me to lay next to them, reassuring them that everything is okay, but they soon fall asleep and I can't think of a single one who cried at nap time more than a couple days before being okay with it.<br><br>
I know at our daycare all lights get turned off at nap time (including the hall lights), curtains are closed, soft classical music is playing and all the kids are laying down in the entire daycare so it's mostly quiet. It's the perfect environment to encourage sleeping (or to make a child so bored they fall asleep <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> ).