Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Before your baby is in a set nap routine, but they still need to nap every 1.5 to 2.5 hours AND, fall asleep in a nice, comfortable quiet space-- how do you manage to get out?

DO you not make any plans? Do you only run out right after they wake up and are fed? What do you do?

Since really working on the napping-- I am afraid to go out. I *almost* don't mind that it has rained every day for the last week.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I work around him to a point. If he falls asleep I will wait. If Im out during his nap time 9 out 10 time he passes out where we are. I still do what Ihad planned for the day. I dont hault anything, I try to let him get used to noise and different surrounding. Its works for us.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I don't really follow the 1.5-2 hour nap rule, to an extent I do.

Samantha usually goes back to sleep after her bottle at 7am (except for today, but I did just put her down 20 minutes ago and she's sleeping). So this is what I do.

She wakes up from that morning nap around 10ish, bottle at 10:30, dressed and we are out by 11:30. She will usually fall asleep in the car seat around 12:30ish. I make sure I am home by 1:30 and she is usually awake by then. She gets a bottle and goes down in her crib for a nap by 2:15ish, and is fast asleep by 2:30. She will usually nap 2.5-3 hours. She can go longer, but I do not let her sleep past 5:30 because she goes to bed by 8pm - bedtime routine starts at 7:30.

I'm curious right now to see how long she sleeps since this is the time she usually gets up, but she only just fell asleep about 15 minutes ago. I'm hoping she still gets up by 10:30.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

My personal feeling is that their sleep is MOST important- so I schedule everyday activities/errands around their schedule. With 2 it often means I don't get to run errands until 3pm. I personally don't believe a child gets "good" sleep from a stroller or carseat.

That said, I AM very flexible for special reasons like parties, playdates, appointments, etc. One or 2 days of a screwy schedule won't hurt them.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I am still trying to figure this out as well.....usually I try to take her out when she has been fed and has had some play time and then she falls asleep where ever we are....but I have been out and had her freak out b/c it was too close to a feeding!

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I used to always try to schedule around DS's naps. He was just so cranky and off if he did not nap that it was not worth it.

I would go run errands right after he woke up, fed him, changed him, and ran out the door.

If I just needed to get outside, I would take him in his stroller somewhere quite and and basically walk his whole nap time.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I never cared. Is that awful of me? I just went about my day and my business and lugged her everywhere with me. If she was tired, she'd just fall asleep in the car or the stroller. I'm an on the go kind of person, and I really wanted her to just go with the flow. And she got with the program quickly

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

he only napped on me, twice a day for the first 8 mos.

maybe the first 3 months we stayed home during naps...after that it was really nice to see him sleeping in carseat or stroller. I used it as a break.

its a double edge sword.

the kid I babysat for was a napping nazi. same time, same blanket, same stuffed animals, pacifier...or a meltdown was coming.

so, his mother could count on his naptime as free time...but its terrible for wanting to get things done, or god forbid go to a zoo or something. he never slept in stroller and would just scream in the car until he got home.

my kid always slept in stroller and in car. I can take him anywhere at any time.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Posted by lehcar

I never cared. Is that awful of me? I just went about my day and my business and lugged her everywhere with me. If she was tired, she'd just fall asleep in the car or the stroller. I'm an on the go kind of person, and I really wanted her to just go with the flow. And she got with the program quickly

Message edited 6/18/2009 10:16:16 AM.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I didn't read the other responses yet, but here's what I did...

I almost always deferred to their nap schedule. For me, routine is a must. Also "Erin time" is a must. I NEED to have a couple of hours to myself or I will go nuts. If that meant/means staying in at certain points during the day, I would do it. To a point...I mean I wouldn't totally miss a party or something like that. So, I'd have around two windows of opportunity during an ordinary day to run errands, etc.

The result for me is that my kids are just about the best sleepers I know. People marvel...seriously. They KNOW when it's their time to nap/go to bed...no issues. However another result is that neither girl really ever slept in the stroller...that was something I was willing to sacrifice, however.

So...that's me!

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I would run errands around DS nap. The second he woke up though he was fed and we were out the door. Sometimes, Id just go anyway though if something really needed to get done and hope hed fall asleep in the carriage. Most of the time, I just worked around him or ran out when DH got home at night and DS was in bed. I still plan my errands around his nap, but its much more predicatable now and its not the end of the world if he naps late or misses one.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

When she was little and sleeping all the time, we went on with our day and she slept everywhere.

As she got into a schedule and I knew for the most part when she would sleep, I would work around her schedule and try to be home for naps. For special events, parties, family stuff, I of course make exceptions.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Message edited 6/18/2009 10:45:49 AM.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

when DS was younger he really, really needed to nap, so i would try to work around his schedule. however if i knew i was going to be in the car i didn't worry - he slept well in the car so i just put him in the infant carrier.

now, i try and let him stick to a schedule but i have no problem waking him up if i need to - if he is tired he will just go to bed earlier.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Posted by lehcar

I never cared. Is that awful of me? I just went about my day and my business and lugged her everywhere with me. If she was tired, she'd just fall asleep in the car or the stroller. I'm an on the go kind of person, and I really wanted her to just go with the flow. And she got with the program quickly

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Posted by neener1211

Posted by lehcar

I never cared. Is that awful of me? I just went about my day and my business and lugged her everywhere with me. If she was tired, she'd just fall asleep in the car or the stroller. I'm an on the go kind of person, and I really wanted her to just go with the flow. And she got with the program quickly

Same with us. If he is already sleeping, we'll wait for him to wake up, but if we have something to do, and his naptime is in 30 minutes (which is not even a set naptime-he sleeps when he is tired), he comes and will fall asleep in the car. There are days where he takes cat naps in the car in between where we are going. He is too nosey to fall asleep in his stroller-he wants to see what is going on. He goes with the flow.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I always make sure I'm home for one of his naps a day so he gets a good nap in. If I need to go out and do something I will do it around the naps if I can. He has no problem missing a nap here or there or sleeping in the car/stroller, but if he is off schedule one day I make sure to get him back on it the next day. And yes, there are some days where I stay home just so he can be on routine. It's much easier then schlepping a cranky baby around

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

What worked for me was to have the diaper bag ready in advance (like the night before). I would schedule errands and trips out of the house around his naps. I didn't want to mess with a good thing and if he was in a good routine with sleep, I didn't want to disturb it. The minute he woke up, he got fed if necessary, a clean diaper and then we went out ASAP.

My son also never slept in the stroller unless he was completely exhausted (and was usually screaming beforehand) and only in the infant carrier if the car was moving. If he happened to fall asleep in the car, I kept driving. The minute I stopped the car, he woke up and wanted OUT. I don't know if he hated sleeping outside the house for its own sake, or if it was just the habit of mostly sleeping in the crib. I do know that he has always moved around a lot when he sleeps, so maybe he isn't comfortable enough in either the stroller or the car seat.

ETA - I always, ALWAYS brought at least one bottle with me.

Message edited 6/18/2009 11:13:18 AM.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I always work around DS nap schedule. I try to get ready when he takes his morning nap so I'm set to go out when he wakes up.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I try not to let her naps dictate my life. But, if I see she is tired and I need to run out, I will wait and see if she naps when she has a bottle.

She sleeps well in both the stroller and car seat too. Which makes it easier for me to get things done sometimes.

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

Up until now I usually went out around her feedings. Now that she is 4 months I've been trying to be more efficient with getting her naps on schedule. I find that the days that I stay home and focus on her naps she naps great. On the days that I have lunch plans or errands to run, her naps are more sporatic because she ends up falling asleep in the stroller or the car and it throws off her naps for the day. I totally think their sleep is imp.

so I am trying my best to go out around her naps. DD usually naps at around 9 or 10 and then again at 12 or 1. I will go out after the second nap (if possible).

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

I work from home and my babysitter is here with me during the day. They basically take 3 naps all at home. She usually leaves around 3:30-4. I feed them dinner and then we go out-shopping, grocery store, wherever. They fall asleep in the car in between. We get home around 5:30-I give them their bottles, bath and bed. They have just started STTN for me!!! Wait I don't want to jinx myself.....I guess I do a combo of what everyone else is saying. On the weekends-they do take their naps in the car more but we tend to go on longer drives so they get at least an hour

Re: Question about naps and getting out of the house...

we havent gone out yet- but our baby naps with the tv on and/or us talking... maybe start introducing sounds at home so they'll be used to and sleep through it