new tricks/won't nap

[lizajane]

mr baby has learned how to sit up after lying down. with this fabulous new trick comes the wonderful treat of sitting up instead of lying down for naps. he has been pushing his naps later and later in the past week (i really don't think this is a "real" nap transition time- they haven't been getting shorter over a long period of time... it started with the sitting up).

he is in his bed yelling right now. i have been going up to pick him up and hug him, then put him back down (lying down!). does anyone have other suggestions for how to get him to nap again? will it just take a week or so for him to remember that he should lie down when tired? he will fall asleep nursing, so i know he is tired. but that is not "how we do it" around here, and it is not a habit i wish to start. (he has also learned the sign for milk, and has a verbal cue as well. so he asks for it when he is tired in addition to the new sitting back up trick.)

[gour0]

Ben is doing this as well. Sorry, no real tips yet. I do let him nurse to sleep. Bad Mommy. I know. If he cries, I go in and get him. I rock him and or nurse him and try again. I haven't done any sleep training.

[lizajane]

don't be silly! you are not a bad mommy to nurse to sleep. i just don't want schuyler to HAVE to nurse to sleep, because at some point in my life, i might like to go somewhere.

[flagger]

Cocoa has been sitting up from a laying down position for awhile now. I found her this morning sitting up just sucking on her Taggie.

We personally feel that it is just her protesting going to sleep because she wants to continue having fun with us. We stick with our routine pretty religiously and say our goodnights even at naptime. Sleep usually pulls her in very quickly and she is out.

[Sarah1]

Liza,

Audrey did the same thing, and I remember DH and I were unsure if we should leave her sitting up. I was worried she'd fall asleep in some weird position...but I took Weissbluth's advice and just left her in her crib to her own devices. She did fine. Soon Schuyler will learn to stand in his crib, and you should just leave him then too. He'll sit back down and eventually lay down.

So, long story short, we just left the room as usual (for naps & bedtime), even if she was sitting, standing, screaming, whatever! Almost ALWAYS, the minute we closed the door, it stopped.

One other thing--this is just my experience--I've found that going back in after a few minutes to hug, soothe, etc can be counterproductive. She generally just cries harder the second time we leave. So, my motto (again taken from Weissbluth) has become "down is down"--once we've put her in her crib, we leave, and that's it (of course, there ARE exceptions, but I think this consistency has really helped).

[Melanie]

Stacey, those definitely DO NOT make you a "Bad Mommy." Never.