Schedule issues -- help me think this through

[crunchy_mommy]

Sooo we seem to be running into issues with the shorter days & colder weather, it's not working too well with our loose routine....

Here's the routine:

10am - DS wakes for the day

11am - outing

1pm - nap

3pm - lunch followed by another outing

5:30pm - DH returns

It was working out OK although our mornings were a bit rushed but DS wouldn't eat breakfast anyway so it was just a matter of quick shower - out the door. But now he is sometimes eating breakfast, plus he wants to play around the house in the morning... So if he gets up a little late there just isn't enough time for a morning outing before nap time. We can push the nap back a couple hours for 'special occasions' but generally he's tired/asking to go home by 12:30 or so & goes down so much easier if I catch him in time. OK so that just leaves an afternoon outing but now it is getting dark around 4 and I can't reliably say he'll always be awake by 3pm, sometimes he takes a while to fall asleep (especially if we miss the AM outing) or sleeps longer & doesn't wake up 'til 3:30 or later and by the time we have lunch, change diaper, etc. it's dark out!!!!! So we are often going the entire day without seeing daylight except through the window, which is just not good for either of us. And he REALLY needs the outings to be properly stimulated... when we stay home too much he is just so cranky & miserable. Also now that he is starting to really eat table food more consistently, I need to offer him more snacks but I just can't seem to fit it into our days. My own eating habits have been horrendous lately too.

So I don't know what to do. I feel the days are simultaneously too short & too long (long because we are not enjoying them!) It would be great if he woke up earlier but he's just not a morning person (nor am I) -- plus I absolutely HAVE to work 20+ hours a week (WAH) to maintain health insurance and while he's sleeping in the morning is the only time I'm able to get lots of hours in. He isn't very happy just playing out in our yard, he just cries that he wants to go inside, he really needs to be around other people. I don't know if there's really a solution to this, maybe we just need to suffer through the winter, but hoped maybe someone would have some ideas??? Or maybe at least share your routine (especially if you have a late sleeper like my DS!)

[pumpkin]

Wow that sounds a lot like our day including me trying to squeeze in the work hours. I've decided that we try to leave the house once. If we go out again its with DH in the evening. Most of our errands are just to the store anyway so evening is fine.

The biggest thing we did was to get a climbing toy. DD can climb and slide and crawl through tunnels and it really helps with being able to be happy at home.

[crunchy_mommy]

Hmm. We have a tunnel at home which he loves setting up but has no interest in crawling in. We also have 2 slides outside (and a few other toys) and he won't go near them. :(

I would be OK with just one outing but I can't figure out where to fit it in. Today he woke up at 10:30 & we weren't ready to leave until past 11:30 but I was too tired to think of somewhere to go & I figured he'd want to nap in an hour anyway. So we stayed home and had an early lunch & then tried to get him to nap at 1pm but he didn't fall asleep until almost 2 so it will definitely be dark by the time he wakes up unless he wakes up early or something... today is not going my way.

[pumpkin]

We have a lot of those days. Late or slow start. Just too tired to try to face a car seat battle
for a brief excursion. I try for an activity, possibly messy. DD loves to help me bake. She also likes to play with a big tub of lentils. Cornstarch and water. Painting. These all mean lots of work for me, but they help get us out of the rut and worse case scenario I clean it all up once DH is home and can watch her.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

How about just doing some nature hunts around the neighborhood for you outing?  Get him a basket and let him collect all the things he can find around the block.  Does he have any ride-on toys to play with outside?  Those are the key to happiness outside at our house.  Some scheduled playdates might help too.  You could rotate houses and then he would get to see other people without always having to leave home. 

What time does he go to bed?  You may try moving it up by even just a 1/2 hour and getting him up by 9:30.  That would still give you some time in the morning, but would give just that little extra time to do things in the morning before lunch and nap.

[Courtney-Ostaff]

We spend a lot of time indoors too.  It helps to bundle them up and take them outside, even if just for a walk.  I just let her wander at her own (very slow) speed and look at whatever she wants.  Even if it's just 20 minutes, it makes a world of difference.

[crunchy_mommy]

He goes to bed at 11:30. I have tried endlessly to get him to go to bed even just 1/2 an hour earlier but he's just a nightowl like me.

I try to get him to do a nature hunt, walk around the block, etc. but he just wants no part of it. No interest in push toys or anything either, at least not our own (he likes the ones at the playground but they are closed for the season). I had marginal success getting him to play hide & seek outside & he'll sit in his push bike for a short walk around the block so I guess I need to do that more (just wish that he would go explore on his own though & use some energy). We do schedule at least one, sometimes several playdates a week & we WERE going to 3 story hours a week but they are on hiatus for the holidays I guess.

Today actually went great though -- I got him up at 10 (even though I think he would've lounged in bed for another 1/2 hour or more) and we skipped breakfast (which he doesn't eat anyway but I still feel it's a bad habit) & went to the bookstore to read/play, came home just in time for lunch & then nap, then he helped me throw a soup into the crockpot before we headed out to the library. Our days go better when we spend tons of time reading books like we did today... but I feel like he's not getting enough opportunities to MOVE & develop. He will run around a bit or play with the toys at the library some but mostly he just wants to sit & read. So when he wants to play in the mornings I feel like I should let him, not take him out somewhere, but then the whole day turns sour. 

[Courtney-Ostaff]

Every child is different. :)  Maybe he just likes to watch the world!  He'll bond with Ferdinand eventually. ;)

[Summersquash]

I know you said he isn't much for walks around the block...have you tried going for your walk at twilight?  My DD loves, loves, LOVES to watch the streetlights come on (and now she gets to see Christmas lights as well).  It has gotten to the point where she sees it starting to get dark and asks to go outside for her walk.  There's something about that time of day that makes being outside much more fun for her.  

[crunchy_mommy]

Hmm I could try that. We don't have sidewalks or streetlights so I'm a little reluctant but he does love Christmas lights. I just don't know if our neighborhood is very safe to walk around at dusk, I may need to get some reflector tape or something!

[larzanna]

First, let me say WOW 10am!!!! Wanna trade? Mine gets up well.....lets just say that 7:30am is sleeping in?!! And he does not go to be until 9pm.

What about a workout video in the AM rather than leaving the house on days that he gets up late-er.  Mine LOVES to watch me and also to "do the workouts" with me.  I give him small weights to make the moves with me, and a mat...you get the idea (its also really cute).  The worout DVD that i do is only 20 minutes so not so long that he is board. 

I also "make" him "help" me in the yard...even in the snow, he can help fill the bird feeder, shovel the driveway ect....if i am out with him he is happy to play help mommy. If its way way too cold i have been known to bring mixing bowls of snow into the house to play with. :)