naps and childcare - experience please!?

[Katekoom]

Dd currently only sleeps on me in the day and is fed to sleep. The childminder we've chosen will put her to sleep in a pram in a quieter area of the downstairs.

I'm trying desperately to get her to settle herself for a nap but it's proving tricky. I know the childminder will be too busy to pander to her needs so she's likely to be left to cry or not nap!

She'll be 7-8 months when she goes and she's 4 months now. Any experience of this?

IME kids will behave differently in childcare than they will with you. My DS has always been a nightmare for me to get to nap but the nursery seem to get them all down at the stroke of 12.15 every day. Mine naps much more easily for my DM too.

By 8 months her sleep will have totally changed so please don't worry to much.

The childminder and your DD will figure it out between themselves. And as a childminder, I try not to leave children to cry to sleep, preferring to rock them whilst other children settle themselves or do a quiet activity.

I started my job (nanny) when my charge was 5 months and she soon learnt how to sleep in her cot, in the pram by herself. I didn't leave her to scream or cry but she was slowly taught how to do it this way. In 1 job the 10 month old was cuddled to sleep and it took me 4 nap times but she soon learnt how to nap in the cot with no assistance.

DD napped in a cot in the baby room at nursery - the only place she's ever fallen asleep in a cot! It'll be fine, childcare tires them out far more than you ever can, and they behave totally differently. She now naps on one of their funny little mats in the toddler room, if I tried that at home she'd think I had lost the plot!

What may help is a teddy/rabbit/blanket or any comforting object. Just put the (soft toy/blanket) between you and baby when she is falling asleep and she will learn to associate the object with you and with falling asleep. Warning though, not all parents want to do this as it means that you will have to a) not loose the toy in question and b) take it with you on holiday or wherever you go!

4 months is still so early for her to learn to self soothe. I agree with the pp that by 8 months you will have a completely different child when it comes to sleep! Keep working on getting her to nap somewhere else but on you, another four months is literally her whole life time away. You've got ages, try not to stress.

You baby will be so tired from all the excitement at the CM she'll be glad of a nap. At nursery my boy sleeps on a matt on the floor in a noisy room...will he do that at home? Will he 'eck.

My dd (now 3.5) was 8 months when she started at a childminders. She was ridiculously clingy then and only ever fed to sleep on me. But at the childminders she would fall asleep anywhere all by herself - buggy, high chair, sofa. Never ever once did that at home! It's amazing how differently they act/behave when they are not with you. I know it's easy for me to say now but honestly try not to worry, she will be absolutely fine to the point you won't actually believe it yourself!

Agree with the others. I was in this exact situation with my first son and he was fine. Completely different at childcare than with me. Same with second. Just make it clear you don't want her left to cry xx

In fact he also napped much better at home after going into childcare!

There is a massive difference between a 4 month old baby and an 8 month old baby! At 4 months DD would only nap on me or in a moving car. At 8 months she would only nap in her cot. Nowhere else. Still won't at 18 months!