Losing it! (Naptime rebellion)

[Kamio]

I hope I am allowed on this forum, since i'm not actually a parent. I am 19 and I babysit a toddler on the weekdays from 7 to 4.

She usually goes down for a nap at noon and I let her sleep until she wakes up on her own, which usually isn't until around 3 in the afternoon since I try to get her tired out before naptime by going to the park and whatnot.

Today though, she fell asleep for about an hour then woke up again and started throwing a fit. It has been 2 and a half hours and she is still crying and nothing I am doing is helping. She needs to go back to sleep because she is coming down with a cold and needs to rest.

I feel so bad because I know she doesn't feel well and she just keeps screaming for her mom and pushing me away.

Help!

[cay8099]

Does she use a special cuddly bear or blanky? She needs that, and maybe something that smells like mommy will help. Depending on her age she could be teething. Does she have all of her teeth?

[freckles]

Good for you for looking for a solution, so yes you are allowed here. Yeah, when they are sick they want their mommy. You could let her sleep with a picture of her mom, is this weird? You could rock her to sleep if you have the patience.

[bearda93]

I know when my two are sick, noboby but mommy will do. It sounds like this might be what's happening there, too. It's hard when you are caring for a child and can't find a way to help soothe them. I like the idea of the picture of mom, and you could try calling mom and letting her LO hear her voice.

Otherwise, if she just won't go back to sleep, I'd just call it a day and move on to playing, try to distract her and have some fun.