Vent: I have complained about this a million times

brightning

but it is so hard to get anything accomplished now that DD has stopped napping. She plays quietly in her bed for a while but invariably there's something that she wants me to see, etc. She acts tired, but most definitely won't sleep. And by 4 p.m., she just wants me to hold her and read books until it's time for dinner then bed by 6 p.m.

I have no idea how I'm going to make dinner tonight. And I must make dinner. It's been over a week since I've cooked.

Okay, whine over. Time to get DD occupied in some activity long enough for me to make chicken pot pie! Why couldn't I have picked an easier dinner for tonight?!

brittneycc1982

Aw man, I don't know what I will do when that time comes.  Does she like to sit on the counter and help you make dinner? M does this EVER day. I started a bad habit.

omurray

Ugh.  I am in serious denial that naptime will end at some point.  Not just so that I can get stuff done, but also because I really need that break from DS and some quiet time to clear my own head.  I have found that play-doh keeps my DS busy for at least 30 min at a time.  I set him up at the table and he just goes to town with the play doh and tools.  Its a good activity for him when he's overtired too cause its not active, but gets him to focus and kinda relax a bit instead of whining. 

Dani123

brittneycc1982:

Aw man, I don't know what I will do when that time comes.  Does she like to sit on the counter and help you make dinner? M does this EVER day. I started a bad habit.

UGH!!! THIS IS SOOOOO ME! I thought "hey how cute! want to help me mix this??" BIG MISTAKE!!!! lol lol

Now everytime Im doing something at the counter she stands at my feet with her hands up!

Luckily were still napping though....What about a gate at the bedrm door so she can have alone quiet time during "nap time"??  6pm seems so early for bed. what time does she wake up?

swtmely

I remember when I was little (about 4) my great grandmother used to make me go to bed everyday after lunch. I hated it! But now I get her. Kids need to nap even if you have to force them to it (I know, I know, easier said than done) I still remember ... so maybe it wasnt such a brilliant idea. lol

coffeeqween

aiden is sketchy with his naps even at school. we put a baby gate in his room and he understands nap time is quiet time no matter what. even if he doesn't sleep he can 'read' in his bed til we come get him. I also agree 6p is an early bedtime unless lo is waking up at 6 am. aiden goes to bed at 8p and wakes up between 730 and 8a. he is always in a better mood if he lays down even just for an hour and I am too!

brightning

DD does help me cook when she's in the mood. But when she's so tired at the end of the day, the only thing she wants is for me to hold her on the couch with a book and her blankie. Right now I make her stay in her room for at least 30 mins during "naptime." I may have to work on making that time longer. I think I might cover up the "minutes" of a digital clock and tell her she can get up when the first number says 1, or something like that.

My DD wakes up at 6 a.m. religiously ("sleeping in" is 6:15), regardless of when she goes to bed. I've been known to put her to bed at 5:30 on days when she's truly exhausted.

momofolivia

just an idea...your PIP post made me think of it. I read somewhere that if you let kids read themselves to sleep they will fall asleep later than if you don't.  I know you said that it takes her forever to fall asleep at night, but I wonder if her reading in bed has something to do with the lack of naps? Did you let her start reading and her naps stopped around the same time?

no flames, just trying to think of some ideas for you.

brightning

That is interesting about the reading/sleep correlation. I've never heard that (though I always stay up way later when I'm reading before bed ... just one more chapter!). She's had books in her bed since she was old enough to have anything in her bed.

I guess the debate for me is really over how involved I should be in her sleep process. I really believe in kids learning to be independent and "putting themselves to sleep," so I hate to go in her room every 5 minutes and tell her to stop reading and go to sleep. She has always been on the low end of the sleep scale, even as a newborn and infant. She's just one of those people who gets less sleep. I think it has something to do with her being shy. I've read that it takes shy kids longer to fall asleep because they have more to process at the end of the day. Who knows, really!

What I need to keep reminding myself is that this too shall pass and she'll eventually play more independently so that I can get more accomplished when she's awake 12-13 hours straight. It would help if DH was home more often, but there's not much we can do about that right now.

Thanks for the suggestion!