Weekend routines

shellbell3845

So we have a pretty okay routine going during the week. But when we get to the weekend, it gets completely screwed up. Even when we're not doing anything, LO seems to get off his normal schedule. But there are also days like today when we have things that are smack in the middle of his normal naptimes -- like church. For his little naps, I don't get too bothered. But we had a family birthday party this afternoon, LO fell asleep on the 15 minute drive home, I transferred him to his crib for another 15 minutes, and that was it -- and that was at his long nap time. So as a result, LO is over tired and miserable all evening, DH and I get frustrated and snippy, and we end the weekend feeling like failures. 

So I guess my question is, does this happen to you? How do you navigate weekend things that happen during nap times? Do you not worry about it? Do you just stay home? Is there something I could be doing better?

Codypup

I think it's somewhat different for me because during the week, W is at daycare. When we're home together, I turn into Patty Paranoid because I'm never sure if what she's doing is normal.

Take today for example - she took a great morning nap from 7:45-8:30. Then fell back asleep at 11, until 12. And then was ready for another nap at 2pm! That seemed like a lot of back to back sleeping compared to her daycare naps. So I panicked that she was sick (she isn't) or that I was doing something wrong (I'm not.) 

In any case, you're not alone. I think babies sense the difference in week days vs weekends. I wouldn't necessarily change your weekend schedule completely...but maybe alter it a bit. Like sometimes if I know W needs a nap, I'll purposefully drive around for 20 extra minutes to ensure she at least gets those minutes in. Or I'll be late to something to avoid waking her up in the middle of a nap.

But that being said, she doesn't have a set "2pm Nap for 2 Hours" schedule, so maybe we're in different boats here.

/rambling

TessyMessy

I think it depends on what is going on. Sometimes you just cannot avoid being out during nap time. If we must go to an event during nap time I bring the stroller and my Ergo. Usually LO will fall asleep in the Ergo. TBH I prefer to stay home during nap time to avoid cranky baby syndrome but then we would never get to do anything on the weekends. It's all about balance.

JackieP1023

We have this somewhat, but since I'm a FAHM... We run errands at odd times. (Like, grocery shopping is easier during the week, and I avoid lunchtime traffic at all costs, so we are inevitably out when she should be napping). Like @Codypup‌ said, we fit our stops around her. If she is asleep in the seat, we'll do little short stops, so either DH or I can go in, and the other stays out with her. I have also drove extra while she's sleeping, just to get her nap in. Or we have also just sat in the car until she wakes up. I think we got a fairly easy baby, though. She hasn't really had more than maybe a handful of times where she is overtired from not napping.

shellbell3845

Codypup said:

I think it's somewhat different for me because during the week, W is at daycare. When we're home together, I turn into Patty Paranoid because I'm never sure if what she's doing is normal.

Take today for example - she took a great morning nap from 7:45-8:30. Then fell back asleep at 11, until 12. And then was ready for another nap at 2pm! That seemed like a lot of back to back sleeping compared to her daycare naps. So I panicked that she was sick (she isn't) or that I was doing something wrong (I'm not.) 

In any case, you're not alone. I think babies sense the difference in week days vs weekends. I wouldn't necessarily change your weekend schedule completely...but maybe alter it a bit. Like sometimes if I know W needs a nap, I'll purposefully drive around for 20 extra minutes to ensure she at least gets those minutes in. Or I'll be late to something to avoid waking her up in the middle of a nap.

But that being said, she doesn't have a set "2pm Nap for 2 Hours" schedule, so maybe we're in different boats here.

/rambling

I've tried telling LO "2pm Nap for 2 hours" but he just won't act right. 

We have a routine, not a schedule, so there is some flexibility in our schedule. The other thing is that daycare is nicer than I am (because state regs) and doesn't let LO lay happily in his crib and talk himself back to sleep for his afternoon nap, which I do. So on daycare days he's not getting a long afternoon nap, but seems to want to nap when we get home. It gets a lil too close to bedtime for my comfort. But that's not what this thread is about.

Crap, as I read all that, I'm questioning if the routine I think we have is actually made up in my head. 

shellbell3845

elf828 said:

It is the struggle of my lyfe to get LO to get with the program on the weekends. She is a pretty reliable napper at daycare but at home, all bets are off. At daycare they don't have a specific schedule for her naps but they do for her bottles so the naps just fit in between them. So I study her reports from daycare to figure out what to do with her at home, and I stick to her feeding routines and hope like hell the naps will follow. I try to build in longer car rides during nap times which sometimes works. And sometimes when I know she's a tired mess I will just pop her in her crib and give her 5 minutes to figure out if she wants to nap. She usually cries for a minute or two and then starts acting right. I'm not sure if this was me helping you or me commiserating with you.

This made me giggle. Idk why. Exhaustion?

So like today, LO napped on the way to church 20mins, bounced on my lap for all of church, napped in the car between church and bday party 30 mins, and napped on the way home from the bday party 15mins plus about 15 after we got home. It's nowhere near enough sleep. He turns into a lunatic, and I just pray for a heavy nap day on Monday.

But guise, I shouldn't worry too much because mil said the fresh air of the bday party would for sure tire him out and make him sleep good. And since she once held him four months ago, she is an expert on my baby and his schedule.

Madelyn0713

Yes, it definitely happens here. We were just talking about it today. Between events with DH's recruits, football games, tailgates, DH's games, church, etc., her schedule is all messed up. Luckily *fingers crossed* it hasn't been too much of an issue yet...but I know that'll be coming soon.

rachaelmary

Oh weekends are out the window for her schedule. We are usually out all weekend...lo will usually take a nap in her stroller when we walk the dog, and the other naps I go into a guest room at the ILs and let her fall asleep while nursing so she can get some sleep.

She also stays up at least 2 hours past her bedtime both Saturday and Sunday...this used to really stress me out, but lately I'm trying not to worry so much about it. I can tell she's exhausted, but as long as she isn't a screaming mess then I try and stay out and let the ILs visit with her.

keags5496

We're big schedule people and I feel like in the grand scheme of things, thy nap for such a short period that I try to protect their naps if at all possible. I know it isn't always possible, but I run errands during awake times and if we have somewhere to go ill show up late or leave early if possible. If not, the we suck it up and roll with it. I feel like if most days his routine is in tact we do fine. If every weekend is off the whole house loses it.

ramfan05

keags5496 said:

We're big schedule people and I feel like in the grand scheme of things, thy nap for such a short period that I try to protect their naps if at all possible. I know it isn't always possible, but I run errands during awake times and if we have somewhere to go ill show up late or leave early if possible. If not, the we suck it up and roll with it. I feel like if most days his routine is in tact we do fine. If every weekend is off the whole house loses it.

Yep, everything @keags5496‌ said. If there are errands to run, we go all together when they are awake or one will go while the other takes care of things at home and the kids nap. Show up late and leave early, yep, we're those people. I feel like routines are so important to kids (heck, I'm a routine person myself) and like keags said, it's a short time in the long run,

Dexter&11

Does everyone else's LO nap? Em refuses to nap in the day unless she is on me or the other half...weekday or weekend makes no difference! She does sleep from 8 til 6-8 pretty much every night though, so I'm reluctant to mess with the day too much in case it screws up my nights!

shellbell3845

Dexter&11 said:

Does everyone else's LO nap? Em refuses to nap in the day unless she is on me or the other half...weekday or weekend makes no difference! She does sleep from 8 til 6-8 pretty much every night though, so I'm reluctant to mess with the day too much in case it screws up my nights!

Short answer? Yes, he naps. Usually 3-4 times a day. 2-3 shorter (40 minute) naps and hopefully one longer chunk. 

I am sad that he no longer sleeps on me. There are days when I would really, really like for that to happen. But I'm happy he's able to nap in his crib.

I think once we switch to a convertible car seat, the way we run errands on the weekend changes. I feel like he can nap in the infant seat and, since he's so portable, we can let him sleep. But once we go to a convertible, we'll have to wake him (probably) to take him into a store or restaurant. 

BB0214

We try to keep her schedule the same on the weekends. She naps at 9:30 and again around 2:30. The length of the naps has always been unpredictable. It's anywhere from 45
mins to 2 hours.
Sometimes she will fall asleep in the car while we are out. It usually makes for more shorter naps. We just do our best to make the schedule work. Our goal is just to make sure she's getting enough sleep to not be cranky.