Hi, Friends.
I missed everyone this weekend. I'm in the midst of non-napping/crying/screaming freak-outs at my household and that incorporated with shower/work/life exhaustion on my part has taken over the last 3 days of my life. The shower is this Saturday and I have a lot to do before I'm done. I still have to get my games in order, pick up prizes for the winners, arrange the rest of the food, order balloons, and then on Saturday pick up everything and get it all arranged before the onslaught of 90 (okay,about 30) people arrives. And this doesn't even include the fact that I have no real idea of how many people are coming, whether my mother-in-law plans to spend the night here, which means planning a mother's day gift for her as well as my mother, not to mention making sure my guest room is ready just in case and the list goes on and on and on.
But, Lexy. This is the most important. There is just little to no napping going on here. I'm not sure what's gong on and I don't know how to fix it. She's so tired she doesn't know which way is up, but she refuses to sleep. Her eyes are drooping and yet she's flailing her legs and singing songs. Unless it's a day like yesterday. Yesterday she cried for an hour and a half (interspersed with playing with her stuffed animals) before she fell asleep. Which of course was at the end of her typical nap time. And, of course, she woke up crying and was inconsolable until I found a Scooby-Doo cartoon on TV. But, because she was so tired she wouldn't let me put her down or do anything other have her sit on my lap for the next 45 minutes. This leads to the inevitable McDonalds for dinner which is just not good for any of us.
I have no idea how to combat this situation other than continuing to tell her that it's important for her (and Mommy's sanity) that she nap and attempt to get her to sleep. I've pushed her nap time back a half and hour hoping that will help. So far, no go. She's getting extra outside running time to try and wear her out even more than she already is. I know that kids out grow their naps. I understand that she's getting older. But she's not even 2 and a half and I see how tired she is. She's just taken to fighting the whole sleep issues and right now she's winning.
I need ideas people. Ideas on how to keep my sanity while keeping her in the napping routine. I need to know how everyone has dealt with this situation, because, please do not tell me I'm in this by myself. And I need suggestions on knocking your kid out. No, I'm not talking about drugging her or hitting her on the head with something. What makes your kids head off to dreamland. Share the love people, I need to get back into our routine! Oh, and did I mention that I'm REALLY tired. Any suggestions on how to STAY awake for Mommy?
Thanks for the support. Love to you all,
C-
Posts
Every two and 1/2 year old I know has started going through this. My best advice is to not give up and stay consistent. Don't worry about playing around with her nap times. Nap time is nap time. Lexy has just learned that she can resist sleep if she wants to. I thought Adam had given up napping, too. But I stayed consistent with it and have kept putting him down and now he is back to napping on a fairly regular basis. It did take a while, though.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you find out, let me know. We are dealing with Ezra (2 next month) and a transition from one nap to two. It's been extremely inconsistent....one day of 1 nap for 1.5 hours, another day of 2 x 1.5 hour naps, and yet a different sort of schedule with no morning nap and an afternoon of 2+hours. The only thing that has kept us sane through any of this is consistency. Even if he isn't napping as we would like, he still gets the routine. My hope is that it soon resolves itself.
ReplyDeleteI had to cut my oldest naps out when she was 2, but not because she didn't want them. When she took a nap she would be up until 11-12 at night, and that was killing me.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lexy does nap, does she still fall asleep at regular bedtime? If so, then I believe she still needs the nap.
I agree with Jennifer and stay consistent with Lexy. My only suggestion would be maybe try and call it quiet time? Let her take books with her to bed and explain she and you need time to relax, chances are she will get bored and fall asleep.
I still have quiet time on the weekends. When my baby goes down for his nap my older 2 can either read books or watch a movie in our bedroom. They usually end up playng quietly upstairs, but that's not the point...the point is I get some (quiet) time to myself and then I'm more pleasant.
Good Luck!
As others had said - stay consistent. Jacob is put down at the same time every day and if he cries - he cries. You just have to let them. Go outside if you need to.
ReplyDeleteHe is also goes to bed every night at 8:00, he has some books and a car so he can play quietly until he drifts off to sleeps.
Some days he won't nap - but he has to stay in his crib - that way we each get our quiet time.
My sister has a 2 year old as well and he's not napping either. She requires both boys (2 & almost 5) to go to there rooms for 1 hour each day regardless if they sleep or not.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed honestly that she does this and even more amazed that the boys will sit in there rooms and not cry the whole time. I can't even go pee without Mason freaking out that I've left his side and don't even get me started when I get up in the middle of the night to go pee. I swear that boy has a GPS on me and knows when I move.