ds takes a long time to settle before mid day nap at gp's

[thegardener]

Has anyone got any advice/tips on trying to settle ds when he goes for his mid day nap at gp's.

Usually at home he loves his mid day nap and settles really quickly but when we go to gp's he wants me to cuddle him - which i don't mind as i love doing that but he just cries & cries when i try to put him down and can take 1/2 or so to settle. I know he is getting more aware of his surroundings (he's 16 months)so it must feel strange and a bit unsettling when we leave him in a different room.

Should i see if gp's can come to us more often ?

Can't you try taking his bedding from his cot with him maybe the cot feels weird as he doesn't recognise it. Just a thought.

How often do you go there? If you are there quite often then floo's suggestion to make it as much like home as possible sounds good. Otherwise could you just push/ drive him around so that he gets a nap that way?

We alternate seeing parents at our & theirs usually every 3 weeks - so mil we go every 6 weeks for the day and probably my parents too.

we always used to take ds's sleeping bag and he started getting difficult to settle the last few times at each of our parents. We now use our sheets and blankets, he throws any toys he has in his cot out so they're not a comfort or maybe the throwing aspect is???

Should i try a bit of warm milk?

Has anyone got any other good ideas please

Is it a cot or a travel cot? My sis DD hated beyond all reason her travel cot and would never settle in it. The then tried to get her asleap in the pram and lifting her, in the end she prefered to sleep in a bed, and the put loads of duvets around the out side incase she fell out.

It's a travel cot at both gp's, both also have single beds but ds is only 16 months not sure how he will cope with a bed also it's all the stuff gp's have in spare rooms i suppose i could try and perhaps pre warn gp's and ask if they could help to put child unfriendly stuff out of reach, would also have to ask one gp's if they would mind us using a stair gate aswell.

Sorry to say but I think that your problem is he hates the travel cot. Not many babies truly settle in them, as they are so low down. Maybe try bringing the travel cot down stairs occasionally and get him to use it as a play pen so he gets used to it. Lets face it how many of us sleep well in a different bed, especially if we are going to only sleep in it once every 6 weeks. Sorry to be so abrubt but it will get easier.

we have a travel cot we use a play pen except ds doesn't go in that much now just toys so might try & put him in a bit more often, hope it does become easier, is uppose we don't sleep that well in starnge beds either!

ds has always been difficult to settle if not in his own room

tbh we have often cheated if at my parents/ILs and got him to sleep in the buggy/car, then carried him into cot

What time do you travel? Is DS falling asleep in the car on the way there?

we usually leave about 10am to get there for 11. ds hasn't slept on the way for ages.

gardener, my ds will ONLY sleep in his own cot or in a moving pram...can't go anywhere

It's really hard for them isn't it, going on holiday soon hope he sleeps then!