Monday, July 19, 2010

Nap Time

I'm currently trying to break Clark of the bad habit that he and I have of taking naps together, I just got so used to laying back in the Lazy Boy with him, it became our "thing".
Now I'm realizing with my husband working from home, in the living room, and the phone constantly ringing, that we don't always have that luxury of mommy and Clark naps.
Now I'm listening to him scream, and I mean SCREAM his head off in the other room as I'm trying to get him to nap in his crib.
Don't get me wrong, he is a great sleeper at night on his own, we can lay him down at 8pm at he will sleep until almost 7am, but the second I lay him down for a nap, the screams start.
I have got him down a few times for a nap in his crib, if you can call a half hour a nap. Other than that, he won't do it.
I've layed him down in the lazy-boy before, and under my watchful eye, he slept in that thing for 3 hours, but again, Daddy works from home now, so he doesn't seem to stay asleep there either anymore.
I feel bad that the neighbours might be hearing these screams (but then again, I don't feel THAT bad, after the door kicking incident, plus, they are getting evicted, so I can't feel too sorry for them).
I don't have a hard time hearing the cries at first, but then it starts to chip away at my heart and I rush to go get him.
I just wonder, will he ever take a nap?
I suppose on child #2 I will be a lot more willing to lay them down come nap time, because I am now seeing the problems it has caused for both Clark and I.
I know this is every mothers least favourite activity, the good old "cry it out" method. I just wonder how many of them stay strong enough to not rush right into the room?

2 comments:

  1. We've been going through the same thing with Kieran. Breaking him of his habit of napping in his bouncy chair & also bouncing him to sleep at night & then putting him in his crib. I've been reading up on the "crying it out method" & from what I've read it's harder on the parents then the baby & if you can stick it out it's the fastest way to get them to fall asleep on their own. The first week was the hardest. He cried so hard the first time he threw up :(. We go in his room every 5 to 10 minutes and pat him on his back and give him reassuring words. We also have "Scout" the leapfrogg dog that you can customize. It plays up to 10 mins of bedtime music & it seems to help soothe him. It does make you feel like the worst parent in the world but if you stick it out it does get better.
    Good Luck :)

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  2. Yea, I'm still working on it. I haven't gotten him to the point where he throws up, but he does start this "gasp-cry", that is usually the point where I break down and have to go get him.

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