I have recently started watching my friends new baby. This is her first child. He's about 11 or 12 weeks old. I've had him since he was 9 weeks old. They are really good about paying me on time. Really nice people, no real problems. Overall it's been going well except... I'm pretty sure that she holds him till he falls asleep...and sleeps with him.... and pretty much holds him most other hours of the day she is with him.

She is breast feeding him which (I am also breast feeding my own daughter. So I realize there is a big difference between the breast fed and formula fed babies when it comes to independence.)

She drops this baby off at 7:30 am and always tells me that she thinks he's ready to go back to sleep but THIS KID NEVER EVER SLEEPS............. EVER....

He pretty much screams from the minute she leaves till the time she picks him up at 5:40pm. Sometimes I can get him to stop but only if I pick him up and hold him...as soon as I put him down, whether he's asleep or not asleep, he starts screaming and this is an irrational, hysterical blood curdling scream. He pretty much wants to be held non stop, all day long.

Does anyone else have this problem?? If so, how do/did you handle it? I've been trying cry-it-out for a couple of weeks. I haven't told her that because I don't think she will take it very well. I'm just telling her that he's been fussy and hasn't slept much but overall she seems happy with me. Not really sure what to say to her about it because I kind of feel like we both need to be on the same page as far as how we are handling it but I don't know that she would change either.

We haven't made much progress so far. He rarely gives up during cry it out, he will just lay up there and cry until I come and get him. I don't know what the longest amount of time I should really let him go like that should be. So I feel bad doing this but I don't know what else to do for a baby that can't be soothed. He doesn't take a pacifier and I can't spend the whole day holding him and I can't force everyone to listen to him scream all day. He will only usually fall asleep if I hold him.

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