Sleep Without Rocking...

Try introducing a special small blanket that is just hers. The blanket then can be her cue to sleep or at least lie quietly. The same could be with a "sleepy time only" stuffed toy. Don't allow these items to be available to her except for sleep so she will crave them and the sleep that comes with them. It's just my way. Role playing also works. She's young, but you could get her to pretend it's nap time and use the words that will trigger her to behave appropriately when the teacher says nap time or rest time or get your mats etc. Meanwhile rock and soothe for as long as you can, it's a bonding time that only you can have with her and it will last forever. God bless you and your little girl.

If she is only sleeping 20-30 minutes at a time then she might not be all that tired. I'd pick one or two acceptable nap times depending on when she wakes up in the morning a little further apart and if she is more sleepy you might not have to fight her so hard. My daughter is 2.5 and has never been a sleeper. She slept her first 6 mo great and then terrible after that. I had to start doing the exact same thing before nap and bedtime everyday or she would not go to sleep. For example, I'd put her down in her crib and talk/relax for a couple of minutes, read a book (only once), and then tuck her in, give her kisses and hugs, assure her I was there (at home), and tell her goodnight. I wouldn't go in her room when she cried or called for me, but she would cry for a while (15-20 minutes) at first, but once she got used to it, she would reconize the rutine and go to sleep in about 5 minutes. I wish you the best of luck.

We had a lot of success using tips from the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantly.
Also remember that kids adapt to new situations- she may still expect/want you to rock her, even if another approach works for the day care providers.
My dd#1 still asks sometimes to be rocked to sleep (she's 3 1/2) and I enjoy the quiet together time, especially since she's getting bigger every day. I know when she's 12 she won't ask me to rock her anymore, so I try to cherish this time when she's still little.
Good luck.

You don't need to eliminate the rocking altogether to get her to self-soothe. Just follow your regular routine, but only rock her until she is drowsy, not until she's fully asleep. Once she's drowsy, but still awake, put her down in her crib and let her fall asleep the rest of the way on her own. This may take a few times for her to get used to (you may need to go back in and pat/reassure her), but she'll get the hang of it.

Good luck.

One of my 3 was a rocker and she just grew out of it naturally. When she was tiny, if I didn't rock her she would CRY and not sleep. A little older, she cried less but still didn't settle herself. But over time she just grew out of it. When she started a program at 2, it was just mornings and she just gave up her morning nap. She often fell asleep in the car on the way home and that was part of growing out of the needing to be rocked.

Be patient with her and make sure her needs for comfort and holding and your attention are being met in other ways and I am sure she will grow out of it painlessly.
ENJOY! As challenging as it was at the time, now that they are all teens, I wish I had a baby or toddler who just wanted to be held constantly!
: )

I highly suggest a book, titled "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" by Dr Richard Ferber of the Boston Children's Hospital Sleep Clinic. It discusses many types of sleep issues, and will be useful through adolescence. I used it when it first came out 23 years ago, and my son kept waking and falling asleep up to 7 times a night! I've also recommended it to several friends with young children in the past few months, and they've *all* had great success with their little ones. It is not a "leave the child to cry" method, but a simple tactic that trains the child to soothe him/herself... there is some crying, but it allows you to check on them, they don't feel abandoned, you can see they haven't made themselves sick, and it works in just three days for most babies. (in a nutshell: ritual, put child down, child starts crying. You say "sorry, but it's bedtime. time to go to sleep...and leave her crying for 5 minutes (by a timer! no cheating.) -Go in, no lights, no picking up, no fun. Just pat her back and say "Sorry it's bedtime, time to go to sleep", and walk out again. this time wait 10 minutes before checking. same thing, then wait 15 minutes, and go in every 15 minutes, until she falls asleep. If she wakes during the night, start with 5, then 10 then 15, again. The first night is the worst. The second night, start with 10 minutes, then 15, then 20. There should be a lot less fussing. The third nigt you start with 15, then 20, then 25... the fourth night, most often if you've kept to the form, and not given in and gotten all involved in rocking or anything else that makes her think she's going to get some fun... mine snuggled right down and went to sleep with just a grumble or two)

I'd also suggest (along with the rituals that are standard for going to bed) that if you get the child a blankie...get two or three. Then, two can be in the bed, and one in the washer, and you can switch them out, without there being that interval where it doesn't smell or feel 'right', and they get upset. (They wear out so quickly, and once time has passed, the same styles are rarely available again.)

Your rocking ritual can be translated into reading a picture book to her after bath and jammies, then as she gets drowsy, into bed, goodnights, and lights out.

"Meanwhile rock and soothe for as long as you can, it's a bonding time that only you can have with her and it will last forever. God bless you and your little girl."

Amen!
No, seriously, I still rock my now almost 5 year old! I will be so so so sad when he says to stop! Do I rock him to SLEEP? Noooo. But rocking is part of our nightly routine.

So, I suggest a routine...certain books you read before nap, certain songs you sing, rocking, etc.

Everyone will have advice for you as to what to do to get your baby to sleep on her own. It sounds like maybe she's not ready? Ok that sounds odd, but I say this only because I tried EVERYTHING to get my oldest son to nap (I even let him cry & he would cry for an hour! something I DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!!) and he was like your baby, just a little here & there. Then, out of NOWHERE, he started actually napping when he was 18 months! Amazing!

So enjoy that baby, keep following those cues and it'll all come together :-)

This is a hard one. I had this happen with my 3rd baby, who is currently 21 months old. I had to rock him to sleep too and then one night I tried to put him to bed awake and he played with his musical crib toys and would put himself to sleep. Unfortunately, this "phase" was short lived. Now he won't go to sleep unless he is asleep in my arms first. For me, this isn't a problem because I do enjoy holding him and I love holding a sleeping baby. The best I can advise is to attempt to lay your baby down awake but rub her back or belly while she's in her crib until she settles down. Perhaps you have a low volume musical toy to put in her room so the soft music lulls her to sleep too. It may work. It may not but just try it and see what happens. Good luck.