Panicking a bit - DD starts with CM tomorrow

[Steben]

As the title says really - dd has her first trial session with cm tomorrow and having used nursery previously for older dc (can't do that this time round) and have just done nothing but worry about it. She is really tricky to get to sleep and I am worried how CM will cope - I usually have to feed her to sleep, or drive her about or sometimes just leave her I wouldn't want CM to do that obviously as she will be in a strange place. Have others experienced this - a mindee who basically doesn't sleep during day? I know I am ranting and not making much sense! Having not used a CM before I am just really unsure of whole process and coupled with worry of going back to work I may be over thinking things.

It's going to be fine, honestly (easy for me to say, I know!).

I usually stay in the room and stroke their hair if they're having trouble sleeping (I work with DH).
Sometimes, for a child who will only sleep in the car, we'll all go for a trip out, or a walk in the pushchair round about naptime so they get the routine of a nap and then I can try moving them to a cot once it's established.
I have also cuddled and rocked to sleep and let them nap in my arms. It's just seeing what a child will like best and doing that at first, then gradually moving to a cot.

I have had children who simply wouldn't nap with me. They didn't nap at home either so their parents were ok with that.

I expect your childminder will have her own ways of getting reluctant nappers to settle. Try not to worry, she's probably got a lot of experience of this and she really will be fine with you LO.

Thanks for reply - am fretting about everything today. She is also a tricky eater - really has to be persuaded to eat off a spoon and does lots of head shaking etc first. I have gone through her "routine" with CM and written some of this down but I suppose I am just being a bit pfb (even though she not first) and thinking no one knows her like me

No one does know her like you so ' why us childminders ask about routines, how you do things etc.
I have had little ones who have sat on my knee to go to sleep then i put them on a bean bag and as they have got used to coming they progressed upstairs to the travel cot.
I usually find children behave very differently with me compared to at home. I am sure your childminder has experienced lots of different kinds of behavior in her time and will take it all in her stride and come up with strategies to make it easier for your little one to adapt.

Not at all
We have all seen the really PFB parents - I could tell you some amazing stories

It's natural to feel anxious about your child's first day anywhere. This term, I have my youngest starting school and I'm just the same: worrying about how she'll cope. She's only just 4, you see - just a baby, far too young for school in my Precious Last Born opinion
I also have my eldest starting his secondary school and I'm fretting about him, too, and how he'll cope with the older boys, and how independent they'll expect him to be.

It's mad: we know they're going to be just fine but we worry ourselves into bits just the same.

Fussy eaters are very common, too, by the way. Your CM will have seen it before and have a few strategies up her sleeve. I do find that it helps having the other children there, too. They want to be like the others so much that they'll often eat far more with me than they ever do at home.