One of the hardest things I have come across as a new parent is putting my little one down for a nap when in a public setting. I remember when I was little my cousins would take their children into a quiet room nearby during a family gathering so that they could pass out and I respected them for this and have tried to apply into my own life. When my little guy starts getting cranky, bratty and rubbing his eyes I take him into the nearest quiet room I can find and attempt to put him down. Being a social little guy, he hates this and will often cry for awhile until he falls asleep.
I have been a number of places where the place I select for nap time is not private enough and the crying reaches through the walls and upsets the people around me. Some of these people have different parental views (and they are allowed to) and do not appreciate me letting my little one cry, others are not parents and so the sound of a child crying upsets them and makes them nervous.
If you are out on the road with a toddler or plan to go out on the road with a toddler or baby, this is something you will need to get used to. And unfortunately, there is no easy way to solve this problem. You have to weigh up whether you respect peoples "feelings" or whether you be the parent you need to be. The latter wins out in the case of most people.
Don't let that get you down though. The majority of people out here on the road are pretty understanding on this front.
For example, a couple of weeks ago my little guy started having a tantrum all over a truckers lounge. He wanted my coffee and I told him, "No." He threw a fit and I apologized to the truckers in the room. They said, "It's ok. We understand," and left it at that for which I was very appreciative. He eventually passed out from crying so hard.
Today he was also having trouble going down for a nap so I took him into the best room I could find. A quiet place next to some vending machines. The truckers nearby could hear him crying as I rocked him to sleep and soon enough he passed out. I had no complaints, but I got some filthy looks (probably from interrupting their football game) as I carried my now limp child back into the lounge nearby and put him down. Those looks used to really bother me, but I have had so many that I just don't care anymore and I get a sense of fulfillment of having successfully put him down for a nap after a such difficult time.
So if you are out there on the road with a child don't give up and keep working on it!!!
I have been a number of places where the place I select for nap time is not private enough and the crying reaches through the walls and upsets the people around me. Some of these people have different parental views (and they are allowed to) and do not appreciate me letting my little one cry, others are not parents and so the sound of a child crying upsets them and makes them nervous.
If you are out on the road with a toddler or plan to go out on the road with a toddler or baby, this is something you will need to get used to. And unfortunately, there is no easy way to solve this problem. You have to weigh up whether you respect peoples "feelings" or whether you be the parent you need to be. The latter wins out in the case of most people.
Don't let that get you down though. The majority of people out here on the road are pretty understanding on this front.
For example, a couple of weeks ago my little guy started having a tantrum all over a truckers lounge. He wanted my coffee and I told him, "No." He threw a fit and I apologized to the truckers in the room. They said, "It's ok. We understand," and left it at that for which I was very appreciative. He eventually passed out from crying so hard.
Today he was also having trouble going down for a nap so I took him into the best room I could find. A quiet place next to some vending machines. The truckers nearby could hear him crying as I rocked him to sleep and soon enough he passed out. I had no complaints, but I got some filthy looks (probably from interrupting their football game) as I carried my now limp child back into the lounge nearby and put him down. Those looks used to really bother me, but I have had so many that I just don't care anymore and I get a sense of fulfillment of having successfully put him down for a nap after a such difficult time.
So if you are out there on the road with a child don't give up and keep working on it!!!