Planing your day around your toddler's nap

How do you set up your weekends to go on any type of little trip while making sure your toddler gets to nap and on time?

We would like to take a day trip to a museum but Benjamin takes his nap at 12:30 for about 1.5. It doesn't make any sence to just go for 3 hours, inlcuding the dirve, and going after he wakes up is also to late.

How do you resolve this?

Message edited 10/10/2006 12:09:06 PM.

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

We have the same problem - DS naps at the same time and it makes day trips hard. But we went to the Bronx Zoo and although his nap schedule got thrown off, it was OK. He stayed awake until around 3 and then fell asleep completed exhausted (he dosen't normally nap well in the stroller). Next day he was right back on schedule. I think as long as it doesn't happen often its fine. You have to have a life (sometimes!).

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

Kevin also naps at 12:30 for about 1.5-2 hours as well. When he doesn't get his nap he is pretty miserable so we do try to plan our day around it as much as possible. Obviously, it is not always possible, so then we try for 2 short naps or get him to nap earlier even if it is just an hour or deal with mr misery. Like this weekend we went apple picking. We left at 11ish and had an hour drive. He slept for at least 45 minutes of it. Then we figured on the way home (4/5) he'd nap again - but he didn't. But he did ok with the one nap that day.

Message edited 10/10/2006 12:36:28 PM.

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

Now that Jacob has transitioned to the one nap a day, his nap is from 1-3:30 ish. However, we do not base our day around the nap. We are lucky that he sleeps anywhere, so if we are out he will take his nap in the stoller.

I guess the reason for this is that we have had him out at restaurants, and public places since 8 weeks and he got used to noise.

I also try to do things in the morning hours--so when we go to White post next weekend we wil be there when it opens at 10:00 we will be done there by 12:00 go and get a bite to eat and then he will collapse...

I also used to manipulate his nap and try to get him to go down earlier... That always worked for me too...

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

I never plan Justin's nap around what we are doing since he will sleep anywhere..the car, stroller, etc.

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

I never planned trips around naps. As a result my DS will fall asleep anywhere if he is tired. I would think the car ride there would be a good napping time and then again on the car ride home.

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

I'd go in the morning and let DD sleep in the car on the way home from the museum if necessary. Truth is she never has interest for more than 2 hours, so we usually make it home in the 3 hour window.

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

Yep, I've never planned around naps. We just went and did what we had to do, and let Andrew nap if he slept in his stroller or car seat.... I can't imagine not doing somethings just because I had to be home for his nap, KWIM? I am doing the same now with Lauren.

Re: Planing your day around your toddler's nap

I used to plan around her naps, but then learned that we were missing out on things. i've eased upand just go. If she falls asleep, she'll fall asleep. we still can enjoy ourselves.