Never in my years surrounded by children (and I have had countless years, more than most people) have I ever encountered a child like mine. I have fought the nap war since week 2 after he was born. Than is when it started. I could not get him to sleep unless I held him and if I tried to put him down he screamed. Mind you he never slept all the time like people tell you newborn babies do. His "naps" were about 2 a day and each only about 30 minutes, if I was really lucky maybe an hour, and it took me at least an hour to get him to sleep in the first place. Back then I frequently reminded myself that he would grow out of it, that this was a phase.
Fast forward 7 months and in an effort to get ready for daycare I put him in his bed for naps and he screams for at least 1-2 hours every single day before collapsing into exhaustion for a total of 45 minutes, again on a rare occasion I may get an hour and a half.
Fast forward to now and while when I tell him it's naptime he will crawl in my lap and be out in a total of 5 minutes (thank the good lord above for routines), getting him to sleep in his bed is still a war. As I type this I am sitting on my bed while he is in his crib screaming. It is now almost 2:30pm and we have been battling since 11:45am. He was asleep when I brought him to his crib and his eyes popped open when his butt hit his mattress. I refused to give in, knowing how unbelievably stubborn he can be and desperately needing him to get into a routine of sleeping in his bed. We both got a break to eat and get a diaper change and then I put him right back in bed. As he screams I feel a bit like a crappy mom, like I should just get him out and cuddle him for a couple minutes until he falls asleep. However I know this will not help him and I know when it's time for me to go back to work I will only be punishing those who are willing to help us by watching him.
I feel like the only one whose child does this and it is a battle that after 19 months I feel like may never end.
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