Naptime issues with new baby on the way

[tm0sweet]

As I type this I'm sitting in my kids' room. On the floor. Waiting for DS1 to fall asleep. 9 months preggo, I'm having BH contractions and contemplating how I'd handle the situation if my water broke right as DS finally falls asleep. I digress.

My boys' are 2 and 3 years old, share a bedroom and still REALLY need a nap, not just "quiet time". The problem is, the only way I have been able to get them to actually sleep is to sit in their room with them until they both pass out. Not a problem with DS2. He is usually out within 5 to 10 minutes. DS1 however, has sensory issues and has a very hard time calming his body down for sleep and generally takes closer to an hour to finally go to sleep. Usually by the time they're both asleep and I can leave their room DS2 will be waking back up in 30 minutes to an hour but it's still worth it to get a quick breather for myself. Anyway, my big concern is the fact that I'm due with DS#3 (we seem to only be capable of making boys!) any minute now, and I have no clue how I'm going to make this naptime routine work with a newborn in tow.

I'd really appreciate any advice on how to keep my older boys napping after LO is born or even someone telling me I'm not totally nuts for siting on their floor for an hour to get them to fall asleep

Quick note: leaving them unattended and AWAKE in their room is not an option as experience has taught me they certainly WON'T sleep and it will result in a trip to the hardware store to replace whatever it is that got broken by my rambunctious children

[skycheattraffic]

Is there any way you could get a comfy armchair in their room to sit in? Transition into it now do they get used to it - and it's gotta be more comfy for your tired back anyhow. Then once the baby arrives, you could sit in the chair like before, and just nurse baby while your older boys fall asleep. if it takes an hour, it shouldn't matter since baby is with you. As a side effect, you may have a little family naptime with all four of you drifting off :-)

[LadyCatherine185]

Originally Posted by skycheattraffic 

Is there any way you could get a comfy armchair in their room to sit in? Transition into it now do they get used to it - and it's gotta be more comfy for your tired back anyhow. Then once the baby arrives, you could sit in the chair like before, and just nurse baby while your older boys fall asleep. if it takes an hour, it shouldn't matter since baby is with you. As a side effect, you may have a little family naptime with all four of you drifting off :-)

this is a great idea!

He could be getting ready to drop his nap, my DS1 dropped his shortly after his second birthday, and DS2 (will be 2 yo on the 17th) is getting close to dropping his as well..

But, do whatever WORKS! :)

[nextcommercial]

Honestly, I would just call it naptime for everyone.

I watch six or seven kids a day.  Usually, one of those kids is a newborn, and I can get them all to take a nap at the same time.  I can't really nap then, but if they were my own kids, I'd SO be napping too.  

I like the armchair idea.  (not a pretty one, the boys will wreck it)  and, I'd feed the baby, let him or her sleep on my chest, or in a seat of his own, while I sat there listening to my ipod for two hours.  TWO full hours of lounging in a chair listening to my ipod sounds so good.  Kids totally don't appreciate the virtues of nap time.

[tm0sweet]

I love the comfy chair idea! I may have to give up on being able to sneak out after both boys are sleeping, but as long as everyone is well rested I guess I can't complain. There may even be an old chair in my parents basement that will work… I'll have to check and get it in the boys' room soon so it won't be so "new" when LO is born.

[tm0sweet]

Nextcommercial: how do you manage naptime with so many kids? I've always wondered how daycares/people who watch kids accomplish that.

[miilemons]

My 2 year old daughter doesn't take naps most days now (she would, but then she is up for HOURS in the middle of the night) and I have a 5.5 week old. It gets very tiring, some days I have to give in and just take a nap and deal with being up all night long lol. 

[tm0sweet]

How do you know when they're ready to give up nap? The only one who *might* be anywhere close to ready is DS1, but when he misses a nap he is a NIGHTMARE to be around for the rest of the day. And he sleeps just fine at night on the days he does nap. It just takes him forever to fall asleep for nap.

Our naptime (1pm) is probably putting DS1 down a little early and DS2 down a little late everyday, but this is the best solution I've found to balance the nap needs for both of them. If only I could be in 2 places at once!