2+ moms, infant napping ?

Reagan's Mommy

So, I've been really trying to get the girls out of the house everyday so that Reagan doesn't go stir crazy (and drive me crazy in the meantime), but I feel like Cameron isn't getting quality naps during the day b/c she's in/out of the car seat, in/out of the car, etc and she is a fairly light napper.

She sleeps well at night, but I feel like we are having a hard time establishing any sort of daytime routine for her.

When did you start to get a daytime pattern?  Did you alter your older child's schedule or plans around the baby, or just stick to your routine and have the baby adapt to your already established rhythm?

esposa38

I don't know, but I would love to see some good replies bc/ I am struggling w/ this, myself.  I am in exactly the same boat.  I've always put naps/sleep as a top priority, and I hate to sacrafice that, but OMG, I cannot sit around this house w/ an antsy ~3 y/o who is used to going out and doing something every day. 

So far, I've just been going out and doing something w/ them in the morning, and then letting #2 get a good nap in the afternoon.  But he is still over-tired and over-stimulated by bedtime, and I have a tough time in the evenings w/ him being fussy bc/ of that.  I'm open to any advice or suggestions!

LanaM

I think that's another reason why my little one is such a crappy napper. I started staying home with him when he turned 12 months old and he was sleeping much better initially, but it all went downhill now that he gets 1.5 hours for his nap, and it's late... after we drop off Ethan at school at 1pm.

Now that we're down to one nap a day, I try to make sure we're home, but he would sometimes fall asleep in the car/stroller much earlier.

 

Septmomtobe

We probably had both on a similar nap schedule by the time DS#2 was 3 months old.  DS#2 would nap in the morning while DS#1 and DH spent quality time together (DH is a SAHD).  Then in the afternoon we adjusted DS#1 schedule so he napped at the same time as DS#2. 

In the beginning it was tough b/c DS#2 did nap broken b/c of day trips and such.  As we adjusted we learned to schedule outings and such in between the 2 naps.

HTH
Heather

Yodajo

Around 3 1/2-4 months, #2 was taking regular naps and I stopped having him nap on the  go.  That meant that we did most of our visiting and running around after his morning  nap or after his afternoon nap.  I don't think it has kept #1 from being able to do anything.  It just took a little more planning on my part to have everyone ready to go as soon as he woke up from his am nap. Now that he only naps in the afternoon, it is a lot easier  and we have more time to get out and do things.

I just felt it was important for them to nap in their cribs.  Both of my boys are great sleepers and I think its partly because I worked hard to establish good routines for them.  Its such a short period of time that you're limited that the payoff is worth it in the long run. 

Bellisimo

We just sort of fell into a pattern.  Once DD outgrew the "sleep all the time" phase, she got herself on a 2 nap a day routine.  So, in the mornings, we all wake up and I feed both kids breakfast (bottle) and then DD goes back down for her morning nap.  Once she wakes from that, she eats solids and then we are free to go run errands.  It usually takes me her entire nap time to get myself showered, dressed and the bags packed to go anywhere anyway.  So, we usually don't leave the house until just before lunchtime....unless we absolutely have to be somewhere like, say, their checkups which almost always fall around 9 a.m.  Otherwise, we're home all morning and if we go out we spend lunchtime through about time to come home for both of their afternoon naps (2 pm or so) out doing whatever it is we've gotta do. 

ridesbuttons

It took much longer to get a daytime routine for my second son for this very reason.  He was probably 5 months or older when we started seeing a regular daytime nap schedule.

JillShari

When DS#1 was little, I started a playgroup and we were all very anal, at least most of us were about naps...getting home for them, not in the car, arranging activities around them and such. 

When I was PG with #2, the advice that they all gave me, because they had all had their #2's sooner, was to not let this one get into too much of a routine.  They need to be flexible and they need to be able to nap when they can get one and be in their crib when you can.  I have a 4 year old who has to be dropped off at 9am for pre-k and picked up at 1pm...so, no matter what my infant is doing, he MUST come along.  I have had to transfer him from house to car and car to house and sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.  If the baby is on a set schedule, you may run into larger problems when you can't stick to it.  Next school year I will be driving a longer way to take DS to Kindergarten at an earlier time in the morning and later in the afternoon and once again, the baby will have to be in the car and will have to adjust.

So far, DS#2 is doing ok with this.  But, we'll have to see.  I know it isn't what the books say, but I'm going with what my other mommy friends tell me including my own mom who said she woke up my younger brother daily from his nap to pick me up at school.

Zenya

At 2 mos I did nothing at all to cater to DD (my baby).  When naps were predictable (+6 mos) then I try to have one nap at home.  But that's kind of ambitious.  It's not unusual for her to only have car/stroller/ergo naps.  She's awesome though - really flexible and happy.  Occasionally she'll seem pissed off about being woken up and then I'll make an effort to get her some 'good' naps the next day.

I was much fussier about my son's sleep and OMG what a waste of time!  I don't know what I was thinking.

Hooray2005

Zenya:

At 2 mos I did nothing at all to cater to DD (my baby).  When naps were predictable (+6 mos) then I try to have one nap at home.  But that's kind of ambitious.  It's not unusual for her to only have car/stroller/ergo naps.  She's awesome though - really flexible and happy.  Occasionally she'll seem pissed off about being woken up and then I'll make an effort to get her some 'good' naps the next day.

I was much fussier about my son's sleep and OMG what a waste of time!  I don't know what I was thinking.

This, almost exactly for DS#2.  I think a big piece of it is temperament, too - DS#2 is sooooo flexible and easygoing, he's ok with the unpredictable nature of his nap routine.  DS#1, however, was a disaster if he didn't get two-three good naps in daily; so you have to know your child a bit, too, and decide if the routine is more/less important for them and their needs.

Preschool drop-off/pick-up does def. get in the way of DS#2's napping, too - so flexible he must be, sadly  

puhorst03

So we're muddling through that issue now too. DS is 2.5 months, DD is 2.5 years.

DS sleeps in Bjorn or carseat at least once a day because of different issues like preschool drop off/pick up, play dates, errands, etc.

I was concerned about it, but when I talked with my pediatrician, she said it's the hazard of being the 2nd kid and not to worry. She said on the bright side, he will end up being more adaptable as a sleeper, as long as I make sure the nap itself is regular, it shouldn't matter where it happens.

So we've been focusing more on getting the naps more regularly scheduled throughout the day. We also have really zero'd in on a routine for naptime and bedtime, so regardless of where we are or what we're doing, we can send the indicator to the little guy that it's naptime.