Naptime (always conflicts with baby classes)

[Friendlee]

What time does your little one take their morning nap?

Mine goes to sleep around 9:30 or 10:00 am. I'd REALLY like to take her to these weekly little baby classes at the library, or a music class...but they are all offered at 9:30 or 10:00 only. I'm bummed that we can't ever make it to any classes. If I tried to keep her awake for it, she'd be miserable. I had to schedule a doctor appt the other day right at 9:30 and we were not seen until 10:00 and even the doctor said he was trying not to dawdle because she was obviously barely making it. Soooo sleepy!

WHY do they offer these classes during a very common naptime? Or am I crazy? I mean all of the sleep books I read said that it's reasonable for them to have 2-3 hours of wake time before napping. She wakes at 7 and sleeps at around 10. I think it sounds pretty normal and would think that these classes would conflict with lots of babies' nap times.

So when is morning naptime in your house?

[Knitting Mama]

I know what you mean! Cecilia's naps are still a bit mutable, but for the most part she naps around 2 hours after waking up. So if she gets up a 6, she naps from 8-11. If she gets up at 5, she names from 7-10. She's 3 1/2 months old, by the way.

We do afternoon playgroups, because she generally is fine with taking a nap around 1, and then being awake until 5 or so.

[Norasmomma]

You need to find afternoon classes instead. There has to be something else out there.

ETA-my son who is the same age naps at that time too, he usually is asleep between 10-10:30 and sleeps for an hour or so.

[tzs]

our morning nap has been shifting. it used to be at 10:30 (we woke up at 9 or 9:30...the good ol' days) which interfered with our mom and me group which started at 11. now it starts at 9:30 and we just go late.
it seems impossible to schedule those things because while my babe may be sleeping at 11 someone else's may take an early afternoon nap at 1. and then mine takes hers at 3ish.
i'm cool with sacrificing a nap once a week though to go. but i have the babe who fights sleep so hard so if there's anything going on she's not going to show that she's tired so it works. when she was tiny and got sleepy i would just nap her in my arms while there.

[sew_crafty_girl]

Yup, 9:30 'is when she starts getting cranky. I've started doing the morning hikes with the mommy group for this reason. Easy to get her sleepy on the drive there and napping in the carrier. At 2 1/2 months when naptime=cranky time, I started understanding why some moms didn't attend get togethers because of naps. Before that she'd sleep easily and anywhere. We sleep in though and find hard to get going in the morning.

[Friendlee]

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

You need to find afternoon classes instead. There has to be something else out there.

I've looked, I swear! I've decided to contact the library and the Y (the Y has a bunch of mats and soft equipment, so it'd be perfect) to see if I can just volunteer to teach a class consisting or crawling, socializing, pat-a-cake, a story...? (I don't sing) And I'll ask if I can hold the class at 11:00. It seems like lots of moms would want to take advantage of something like that. Right?

It's kind of a small town and people have suggested things to me like the craft class at a nature preserve (for a 9 month old? really?) or the museum. I have a degree in early childhood development and while I know any activity will provide stimulation, I really want something weekly and age appropriate that will allow her to channel her energy in a way that faciliates crawling, climbing, socialization with other babies, (activities that target her level of development and that she can do on her own) as opposed to me making a craft and pretending that she did it or me carrying her through a museum, ya know?

[texmati]

I dunno... cant you just get her up earlier, have her take her nap eariler, and then have her wake up in time for the class?

DS doesn't have a nap routine, though, so maybe I"m talking out of my depth.

[Friendlee]

Even if I got her up as early as 5am she'd then nap right at 8...which would last until 10...and the first class is at 9:30. The second one is at 10, but if she wakes up at 10 it'd be half over by the time we get there!!!

Sure, I could wake her early from that 1st nap, but honestly, I'm just not willing to wake her at 5am anyway. She'd be exhausted the whole morning as we wait for the class to begin. I'm not a big fan of trying to keep her awake when she's tired because she's just really clingy and cries so we're both miserable. I like her waking at 7 and I worked so hard to establish a routine that I'm super hesitant to mess with it too much. It gives her a good 12 hours of sleep and my internal clock feels like it can start to get going by 7...earlier than that is rough.

[Kmama2]

Originally Posted by Friendlee

Even if I got her up as early as 5am she'd then nap right at 8...which would last until 10...and the first class is at 9:30. The second one is at 10, but if she wakes up at 10 it'd be half over by the time we get there!!!

Sure, I could wake her early from that 1st nap, but honestly, I'm just not willing to wake her at 5am anyway. She'd be exhausted the whole morning as we wait for the class to begin. I'm not a big fan of trying to keep her awake when she's tired because she's just really clingy and cries so we're both miserable. I like her waking at 7 and I worked so hard to establish a routine that I'm super hesitant to mess with it too much. It gives her a good 12 hours of sleep and my internal clock feels like it can start to get going by 7...earlier than that is rough.

Lots of babies sleep anywhere or are flexible with naps or have no nap routine whatsoever... so thats why they do offer classes like that.
ds is the same as your dd.. is ready for a nap sometime between 9 and 10 and then takes another nap around 1-2 pm. Its hard to do things... you have to do it in their awake window....
he gets cranky too if he misses a nap so we don't go out a whole lot unless its in the afternoon after his second nap.

[Parker'smommy]

I remember this exact frustration when my ds was little. I wanted to take him to Gymboree classes and they were offered smack dab in the middle of morning naptime. But they offered them then because they offered older kid classes later in the afternoon when they are out of preschool or el. school.

I eventually found something at 1130 I also found a nice playgroup that met from 1030- 2pm. It was very open ended and we could arrive whenever we wanted. I would come at 1130, have lunch, talk with the other mommies and then leave right before naptime at 130/200 pm.

I was VERY excited when ds finally dropped his morning nap around 13 months It opened up a lot more socialization for us.

[jsh7809]

I think it's because most babies (well, mine anyway!) tend to get a lot crankier in the afternoons in general, especially if they miss their afternoon nap window. My DD is only 3 months, and I haven't been to any classes yet (cause there aren't any for one so young around here, which is a drag! Can't wait till 6 months). Her napping schedule is also not very set up yet, since she's a funny little power napper. But she generally likes a nap from 9-10 and another one around 11 or 12, but if she misses those she's okay, can keep mellow and happy or fall asleep wherever. It's in the afternoon that she falls apart if she doesn't get some serious quiet sleeping time at home or in the car or on a walk.
But it is a bummer that you're not able to go to those classes
Maybe things will change in her schedule, you never know! In the meantime, what about a group of moms with similar age kids? At least you guys could get some social time, and set it up for the afternoons? Walking with some friends with 3 month olds has been my sanity saver (although they all always seem grouchier in the afternoons! ha ha)

[dislocator3972]

I'm in the same boat, but with different times. Mother Moose story hour is 10:30, playgroups are at 11. DD's been going down for her nap at 10:20 or so. Sometimes we make the 11 o'clock stuff, but not if she wakes up a little later and bumps the nap back.

I really don't know what I'll do when DD needs to get out and the littler child needs naps, but for now I just take each day as it comes. If DD really needs the nap, I skip the event. If I can put her down a little later the night before, or lay with her and nurse her to keep her sleeping a little longer in the morning, then I go to the class or playgroup. With all the stimulation DD is more than happy to stay up, and if I bring a book I can read after she's fallen asleep in the car.

That's how it works for us anyway.

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by jsh7809

I think it's because most babies (well, mine anyway!) tend to get a lot crankier in the afternoons in general, especially if they miss their afternoon nap window. My DD is only 3 months, and I haven't been to any classes yet (cause there aren't any for one so young around here, which is a drag! Can't wait till 6 months). Her napping schedule is also not very set up yet, since she's a funny little power napper. But she generally likes a nap from 9-10 and another one around 11 or 12, but if she misses those she's okay, can keep mellow and happy or fall asleep wherever. It's in the afternoon that she falls apart if she doesn't get some serious quiet sleeping time at home or in the car or on a walk.
But it is a bummer that you're not able to go to those classes
Maybe things will change in her schedule, you never know! In the meantime, what about a group of moms with similar age kids? At least you guys could get some social time, and set it up for the afternoons? Walking with some friends with 3 month olds has been my sanity saver (although they all always seem grouchier in the afternoons! ha ha)

What about baby storytime, Jess? They have that at the local libraries here at all different times, and they're generally only 1/2-1 hour long so littles don't get too bored.

Here's what the schedule looks like for us.

[jillmamma]

Originally Posted by dislocator3972

I really don't know what I'll do when DD needs to get out and the littler child needs naps, but for now I just take each day as it comes.

You would be amazed how the baby adapts when you are driving older siblings places. I have not done any kind of playgroup or class with my youngest at all yet (6 months). I have been pretty busy taking her siblings to preschool, therapy, gymnastics, swim lessons, etc., and she is getting plenty of stimulation just having older siblings. But she sleeps in the car or in the sling on me a lot too. We are just now starting to have somewhat of a pattern to her naps. 10:30/11ish for about 45 minutes in the morning, 1ish for an hour or two in the afternoon, and a catnap in the evening. She goes to bed about the same time as the others (8:30/9ish), and wakes to nurse about 5, back to sleep till between 7 and 8. Amazing how it just works out.