What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS is 11 months. He wakes up around 6, then has a bottle and then we go in the living room and play before his nap at around 8:30 - 9. Problem is, I'm sort of at a loss of what to do with him and end up turning the TV on. He plays with his toys, but they're all getting so old for both of us! We do breakfast of course (usually with marginal success - this kid just does not eat! )

Just need to know I'm not alone!

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

I usually watch the end of the BBC morning news, and if I am feeling really trashy, Jeremy Kyle (or Lorraine Kelly if the mood strikes me) and finally, while she is napping, Homes Under the Hammer...

In other words, I chill until she has her first nap and then usually go out.

But I think that she should fit into the things that I want to do, so on Mondays & Fridays we go to playgroup at 10 am, if she sleeps through them, thats okay. The rest of the week, we just chill out!

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

When DD was 12 months, tv was part of our mornings. I didn't let her zone out to tv, but there was/is only 1 show she really loves, and I let her watch it in the mornings and in the late afternoon. but it's the kind of show that she can be active to--there's singing and dancing, and she first learned to really dance to the show. She learned to dance, spin, bang the floor to a beat. And she learned those words/phrases. When she got into the whole show and not just the opening song, I think it was good for her attention span. All that means, I'm not opposed to tv and think in moderation it can be healthy.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS is 12 months. Usually, the tv is on but its on a show I like to watch- The Today Show. DS plays with his toys in the living room, then we play with some toys in his bedroom and, now that its been so hot, we go play with his 'big-boy' car outside before the day gets scorching. Then its breakfast time. After breakfast is where I have trouble occupying his attention. There's usually a half hour until he's ready for a nap, so at this point I do put on a show he likes and when I see he looks tired, in the crib he goes! So, no, you are not alone!

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS gets up at 7. He has a milk bottle then, we play for a while, breakfast at 8 and play some more and he naps at around 9. We usually don't go out in the morning. DS is 13 months.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

Most of the time they have breakfast, we read a few books, one or both take a bath, get dressed.

If it's a day he has camp I put her in the exersaucer, and a DVD in for him, while I shower and get ready. We have to be out the door by 9:15. On those days she barely naps, or she naps in the car.

If it's not a camp day. I put her down around 10 am. Usually she sleeps an hour or more. I put a DVD in for him while she is napping so I can get ready. When she gets up, they both have lunch, then we go out or whatever.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS is only 4m, but this is what we do, he wakes up usually around 5-6am with poop, we clean poop, and he plays and/or naps in his crib till 8.

At 8, he gets his morning bottle, and watches Your Baby Can Read, while I get the stroller ready for our walk. We walk for hours weather permitting. He'll fall asleep around the time for his nap, and I'll stop the stroller sit on a bench and read a book, or play with my phone.

If weather is terrible, we'll watch baby signing time together and sign and talk about all the things we see in the video. I try to make it as interactive as possible.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

If we have no plans, we watch TV and play in the living room. I'll be the first to admit that DS watches too much TV but while DD needs soo much of my attention still, that's how it will be.

However, since DS has been napping a little later (he's 22 months) we have been able to go out and do things in the mornings and then come home for a nap, in which case I let him watch TV after his nap while he has a snack, and then we play till DH comes home.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

We used to read books

On nice days I would put my boys in their stroller and walk the neighborhood- we live in Brooklyn

they would take their naps in the stroller while i drank my starbucks or shopped

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

sounds like Ian's schedule. After his bottle at 7 he plays in the exersaucer for half hour to an hour then we'll do tummy time play or just sit on the floor and play with his toys. he eats breakfast at 9 then naps right after.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS is 8 months old and he basically plays on the living room floor after his morning bottle. Then he goes in the exersaucer. I get down and play with him and read books. The tv is on, but he usually doesn't watch it. Unless there is music on...He doesn't make it longer then 2-3 hours after he wakes before he needs a nap...

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

Usually a walk or playing outside(we have a baby pool, water table and a swingset/fort thing

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS is not walking, so unfortunately the TV is on. He wakes at about 6:00 or so...has a bottle and he plays on the floor or watches tv in his exersaucer or jumperoo. I cannot believe how much he loves television, but he does. Sometimes its just on for noise in the background while he's playing. Then he goes down for a nap around 10 and wakes about noon, then we have lunch and basically do the same thing over until he has a nap around 2 or 3, sometimes he skips it. I'm done working around 3 or so, and at that point we play together. Usually floor time stuff.

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

DS is almost 8 months but mornings on the weekends are somewhat like this:

6am- wake
then we play, let him crawl, stretch it out
7am- bottle
play more
b'fast 8am- while I clean up Mickey Mouse clubhouse
then sometimes it's a quick walk outside, or a walk to the deli so mommy can get a big cup of coffee, sometimes out on the swing, somedays it's just more play time.

nap 9/930

Re: What do you do with your LO in the early mornings before their morning nap?

We walk! DD has come to expect that as soon as we are done with bottle and Mommy's cup of tea, we'll go out for our walk. It is great because since I started this routine, it forces me to get exercise and being in the fresh air really tires her out and I have noticed she sleeps much better for her first nap.