Dudes. World=rocked.
I’m officially in mourning. G has recovered nicely from his billion germ sickness and as the virus died so did something else. Something I’ll never get back. Something I loved dearly and held close to my heart every single day.
THE SECOND NAP.
I heard rumblings of this thing that these toddlers do, but it seemed so awful and horrific, that I brushed it off as ugly baby rumors. There is no way MY child is giving up his second nap. He sleeps and hour and a half in both the morning AND afternoon. No, I’m not lucky. I’m smart. It took me a long time to get there and it was not easy. And that is why I was never giving up that 2nd nap. I planned to read Goodnight Moon (which is the dumbest book ever) to him twice a day in college.
But just like that, it was snatched out from under me.
Once G started “playing” in his crib for an hour, I knew it was done. I would come in and the humidifier would be on the floor, all the shit in his crib would be on the floor and he’d be breakdancing and rapping. Yeah, it was done.
And turns out in our “trial run” G was more than ready for full on awake time from 7-12. The child didn’t miss a beat. HOW CAN THIS BE? DOESN’T HE KNOW I NEED THAT TIME?
Please understand, I adore and love my child and I love playing with him. But he still doesn’t let me open the refrigerator without a melt down. And it’s the G show all the damn time. I’m ok with this. He’s “spirted”. Which is what I’ve learned teachers call the crazy ass kids. But dudes, my internet time is cut in half. Remember The Project? Yeah the whole working out thing? That happened during the morning nap. And it took me a freaking year to figure that one out.
Do you know what else happened during the morning nap? Things like, brushing my teeth, pooping, putting on clothes and brushing my hair.
Yesterday was my first day on my own with G for the 1 nap day. And for the first time in 13.5 months, I felt like a stay at home mom. Now I know that sounds Britney to you, but listen: Before I had a baby. He would nap, we would play a little. We would eat some food and repeat. The actual stuff that happened in between naps was all well and good, but he was a baby so I could throw paper on the floor and be like “GAME!”. Now I’m a mom to a toddler. A toddler who totally needs me to stimulate him and teach him things. THINGS! And that my friends in pressure.
Ok maybe I should have been doing more of this before, but we really do the best that we can with a kid who just needs us and attention so much.
So yet again I’m coming to you guys. Please help me. How do I make this transition easier? How do I not be a delinquent mother and actually do things with my child that are fun and good for him?
Am I really a stay at home mom now?
PS.
I am butt ass sick. I caught the Croup. Apparently in adults croup= we’ll clog up all the holes in your face so it all has to drip down your throat.
PPS
I’m writing this during my one and only break today. You’re welcome.
Hi I’m MODG. But you can call me MODG. You say it like Modg, like a Grandma name. Not like M.O.D.G. That’s a lot of syllables and I don’t have that kind of time. 
{ 107 comments… read them below or add one }
Just wait til he decides to give up naps altogether! My 2 yo doesn’t nap consistently anymore, and he loves to “help” me get things done (which means nothing gets done)
sorry, I’m not helping. I haven’t figured it out yet.
I have 3 kids age 4, 2.5 and 1. I LIVE for quiet hour (which is actually 2 hours) when the kids are all in their rooms and I can do – whatever. As for the rest of the time – we read books, we eat snacks, they watch a couple episodes of obnoxious (but mostly ‘educational’) toddler tv shows on youtube, and I spend an exhaustive amount of time looking up crafts for toddlers on Google and Pinterest. And checking out every toddler craft book from the library. And letting my kids fingerpaint in the bathtub and then pretend they’re “mopping” the floor to clean up all the water they tossed out. We go to the park. We go to the store so they can spend their hard earned dimes on goldfish crackers. We joined a playgroup (check meetup.com if you want other mommies to commiserate with while your kids tear up each others’ homes). Some days I literally give them a bucket of rice and a spoon and hope for the best (with a vacuum near by). It gets better, I promise! Sorry about the nap. My first son gave up napping altogether at 20 months and I didn’t figure out the “quiet hour” thing till he was 3.5 – it was a long couple years :S Good luck!
DON’T BUY ANY MORE TOYS. babies like to occupy themselves with dumb shit like pots, pans, and wisks. If you need to do something during his outgrown second nap, just drop a whole bunch of it on the floor in his baby jail. But-flashcards are great to start teaching colors and shapes. It’s tough, but you’ll get through it, he’s just growing up now! lots and lots of snacks too. Also you can now go to more places while he’s awake like children’s museums to wear them out so they sleep really good at night.
F. Flashcards? Really?
only if you want to
. I think personally, I attempted the flashcards for a week and then gave up. BUT I will say my friends who stuck it through had babies that knew like, everything. I was a really lazy mom-(hell I had my first baby as a full time active duty Marine-when I was single-so I didn’t really have time to “teach”). My second baby was just me being pure lazy. I again as a new mom (married this time-only the husband worked full time, and I was breastfeeding, so I didn’t see the light of day for like, ever) I’ll admit I relied on Baby Einstein alot. And Baby First TV. If you have DISH-GET THAT CHANNEL . It will save your life. And one of those back carriers *can* be fun when you want to go places and they are not feeling the stroller. Who really knows-I’m just glad we all survived and they are not dumb.
lalalalala I didn’t read taht lalalala my kid will always take two naps lalalalalalala.
Sorry I cant be of help, but I too am in denial about the potential loss of the 2nd nap (notice I still said “potential”). Please take copious notes and when you figure it out… post!
I don’t know about Courp, but mucinex is my go-to,and I HATE taking medicine. It takes 24-48 hrs until it really works and then watch out! And none of the D stuff, just straight no-letter mucinex.
F again. I just took the D stuff today
RIP MODG’s Sanity
It only gets worse, my friend. I totally remember that 1 nap transition oh so long ago. Now…NOW(!) we’re starting the NO NAP transition….deargodsaveme. My “breaks” now are during his lunch, and instead of doing smart-people things, I’m reading blogs, like yours. Doh! Good luck to ya. Peace love and bacon grease, morning nap!
I feel that pain. Here’s a 5 minute break for you:
http://longdistanceneighbors.blogspot.com/2012/01/good-deed-13-give-erica-5-minute-break.html
MODG
I have an almost 11-month-old and I, too, am dreading this day. I feel like his 1st nap is for getting chores started/done and the 2nd is for exercising, and then night time is for adult conversation/work. Although I have yet to experience this loss, maybe try getting up earlier, before G wakes up, in order to do your exercises. And start taking him places. You no longer have the excuse that you don’t want to ruin his nap schedule. PLUS, as an added bonus, taking him places like the zoo or parks will wear him out, and he’ll enjoy seeing the new sights more, and sleep better at night. Maybe you’ll get more hours of bedtime! Don’t forget to do things YOU enjoy, too. Maybe you can chase him with a remote control car. Fun for all! haha Forts out of pillows and blankets are always enjoyable, but G will most likely just want to destroy it.
I hope I helped, and if not, I’m sure I’ll learn from someone else. Good luck! It sounds exhausting!
PS I hope you feel better, soon! Funny how you went from peeing out of your butt to being all stopped up.
I’m actually kind of looking forward to my little guy giving up his morning nap. He is about a month younger than G and shows no signs of not needing it anymore, but soon that day will come. I can only say that because he’s my second and I got used to not being tied down during that time in the morning after my daughter gave it up. But I promise you I mourned it when she quit it. Then I realized that I had the whole morning to get out and get things done without having to plan it after the nap but before lunch. I know you’ve said you don’t want to take him to the gym and let other people watch him, but it’s a good time to get over that (if he’ll let you. The battle of the toddler v. the gym nursery is a whole other issue). It maintains both your workout and your morning “me” time and lets G hang out with other kids. Yeah, there are germs and stuff, but as you know, they catch stuff straight out of thin air so what’s the difference. Another positive development might end up being an earlier afternoon nap and earlier bedtime and that means more time for you in the evening. It’s hard because it cuts into Daddy time, but depending on when B gets home it might not be too bad. My son is in bed by 6:00 and sleeps until about 7:00 (with two naps). Sometimes my husband doesn’t see him at night, but it makes for a happier baby and then they hang out in the morning.
Hang in there. I have no words of wisdom because my son is younger than G. I’ll be looking back here for advice in a few months, so make it good people! Until then, be strong, sister!!
I feel that pain. Here’s a 5 minute break for you: http://longdistanceneighbors.blogspot.com/2012/01/good-deed-13-give-erica-5-minute-break.html
I am currently having the same problem with my ears following strep throat and an ear infection. It’s one of the most annoying feelings of all time. Anyway I’ve tried the following, an antihistamine, mucinex, netipot up for 5 times a day, blowing my nose harder than I pushed a baby out, hydrogen peroxide in the ear, my babies eardrops from their ear infection, holding my ear over steaming hot water, laying on a heating pad, wedging my finger in there as though I was going to find an earplug, … and probaby more things I can’t remember. I finally made an appt ENT after fearing the worst. But before the appt I casually mentioned my issue to a friend of a friend at lunch. Turns out she’s an audiologist and she told me that the antibiotics I had taken only clear the bacteria and it can takes WEEKS for the fluid to drain from my ears and it’s completely normal. A few days later it occured to me that I could hear better and it has gotten a little better everyday. So give your body some time and in the meantime don’t declare war on your ears! p.s. I am writing this during my twin boys only nap… that gets better too =)
I FREAKED out when this happened with the first one. And now? I CAN’T WAIT for it to happen with the second one. Because once you’re down to one solid nap – you can go OUT. FOR HOURS. Go to storytime, the park, AND the grocery store. Without having a melt-down mid-store because you’re 5minutes late for his nap.
Of course, my eldest is now intent on giving up his one & only nap. At 25mo. Thank Gawd his door has a lock on it…
YES on the uninterrupted awake time. Domesticated Gal is wise.
We started doing a daily walk. My daughter gets all quiet outside and inquisitive. I actually let her walk while she holds my hand. She’s totally into it. We only end up walking to the end of the street and back, but between getting dressed up to go outside and her little steps, it kills about an hour. We also sit down to all meals together now. She also “helps” me vacuum and empty the dishwasher. And then there’s always lots of books, and cleaning of her room so she can take it all apart again. You’ll figure it out as you go. Stimulation doesn’t necessarily mean cramming ABC’s and 123′s down their throat all the time. It can come in many different forms. And don’t be afraid to start getting G to learn to play on his own. It’s good for them. Plus, they learn to stimulate themselves!
It will get easier!! Trust me…I thought I would go crazy when my daughter gave up one of her naps! But guess what…soon after that, she gave up her one nap! I felt like I would go crazy trying to teach her stuff and playing with her all day long…but she eventually got to the point where she could entertain herself for a while, and so I could get things done! She’s 4 now and the best thing in the world…It will get easier…you’ll find a new routine! Good luck!
Ah, yes, the dreaded loss of the nap! That was the hardest transition. You just have to schedule your day differently. And, there is nothing wrong with letting your kid play by himself! I did that since my kids were really little, and now they are masters at it…which allows me Facebook time, coffee time, pooping time,whatever….
My child has yet to give up that 2nd nap at the ripe ole age of 17 months. I pray to the E! News Gods that she doesn’t any time soon. When will mama shower? Certainly not at night. You can fry chicken on my hair after just one day of no washing. Not gonna happen.
night showerers. join us.
Ah the mourning of the nap… It sucks so hard.
I don’t remember what grown-up TV is. It’s on Sprout or Nick Jr or whatever ALL. FREAKING. DAY. Right this moment the youngest kender is watching Max and Ruby. TV is your friend. It will let you shower (if you’re super fast and the TV room is baby-proof), dress, have some tea, breakfast and e-mail time.
Keep going the best you can, though. It sounds like you’re doing the right thing with baby G. Consider a play-group for him. He’s old enough and could use the socialization. I know that my three did/do better for having “baby friends”.
I tried TV. Get this…HE’S NOT INTERESTED
This just means you haven’t found the right show. Does he love music? Try DVRing Fresh Beat Band or Blues Clues. OR (my least favorite that seems to be crack for toddlers) Yo Gabba Gabba.
Yeah… there are days when my son isn’t interested in TV but Mama has to get some work done and we just flip through until we find the “right” show for that moment that will hold his attention for just 15 more minutes…
Do you have Comcast? OnDemand has nursery rhymes for kids and my one year old loves them. I call them “magic songs.” Each segment is about 10 minutes long, but sometimes that’s enough (and you can always play 3 in a row). Kids > Baby Boost > Baby Genius or Nursery Rhymes. Baby Genius usually has more segments. It’s real kids singing and playing to all of the classic songs. I think there is something about watching real kids that some toddlers actually prefer over cartoons…kind of like how Baby Einstein uses a combination of those puppets and real people/animals.
So, in ridiculously long comment I left below, but before I saw this one, I said I was feeling guilty for starting to rely on TV. But now I see other people mentioning TV. Should I not feel as guilty as I do for letting her watch TV under two? (And I mean Nick Jr. The TV is on when she’s around, but luckily Sports Center doesn’t capture her interest.)
She loves Fresh Beat Band b/c of the singing. Same for Blue’s Clues. But anyway, your comments her have relieved some of my horrible mother guilt. Thank you. Thank you.
That’s terrible, I had no idea!! My son takes two naps still but refuses to sleep longer than 15 minutes unless he’s in my arms. If he stopped taking his afternoon naps I wouldn’t be able to watch Kourtney and Kim Take New York or Gossip Girl or any of my other important programs.
Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully – what will is eventually happen is that G will ease into one, much longer nap. Like 3 hours! That way, you’ll have a nice long break. It took my almost 2 year old about 3 months to get through the transition but we got there!
The one and only reason I’m glad I’m no longer a stay at home mom is that Sydney actually learns things in daycare. I pick her up and she’s learned like 3 new words, painted me 6 pictures of what’s supposed to be a dinosaur (she’s 16 months, so at this point it’s still scribbles), and can practically put her shoes on herself. We’re transitioning out of the 2nd nap on the weekends. She only gets one at daycare, but she wears herself out because she’s so active…and very “spirited” too. So by the time I pick her up, she wants dinner as soon as we walk in the door and then it’s meltdown time until I put her to bed. I’m glad G’s croup is gone, but be glad he’s NOT in daycare because I’ve literally been sick for the past 6 months straight since Syd’s been in daycare. All those snotty drippy gross kids touch her and infect the both of us. gross.
We just switched to one nap too.
It sucks because I get less time to troll facebook, eat without little hands touching my food, poop alone, and comment on blogs.
But it rocks for us because Abraham goes to sleep right away at nap time and bed time instead of crawling around (we are cosleeping), trying to play, pinching nips, etc for 2 hours he falls right to sleep.
Also, you need to find a play group. We go to one and it is awesome. You are more than welcome to come to ours in Reading. Not too far, and G would be in good, spirited company.
dude. Reading = far.
I remember this scary time! George is now three and I’m still struggling a bit with the ‘things’ thing.
I have recently found lots of tricks and ideas on http://www.supernanny.com/ you might have seen the show? I’ve no idea how popular it is in the US.
Anyyyway… Good luck brave soldier. .. it’s a tough one. You seem to be good at the routine thing so you’ll figure it out- more activities outside the house helps break up our day. He doesn’t nap at all anymore so we try and go out in the morning and then have the afternoon at home. I cannot stand playgroups though so we run out of things to do some weeks.
I study that show with a face full of straight up fear
OMG = Goodnight Moon IS the dumbest book ever! Who says “goodnight nobody, goodnight mush?”
Advice is to let him get used to doing independent play. Best game ever.
Put a pack n play in the living room, give him a snack trap and a sippy, and…turn on the TV. A little Nick Jr never hurt anyone. Do what you need to do. Maybe a try a little awake crying it out.
I mourned the second nap too. But it’s actually better. He will probably start to sleep even longer during the one nap– 2, sometimes 3 hours. My advice: get some morning activities scheduled– playdates, gym, music class etc.– like every day. Then your routine will be: get up and out of the house (sorry, no shower or make-up– welcome to real parenting), come home, lunch, nap (now you brush teeth and internet). And this could bring you to late afternoon. Then, go out and run an errand, come home, dinner and bed. Cake.
Yea, second naps are gone here too – makes me sad. Braxton turned 1 December 13th, so our boys aren’t far apart in ages, so we’re hitting the same milestones, lol. Now, back to that damn nap. It’s awful when it’s gone. I wasn’t as lucky as you on getting Brax into a sleep routine as early, there for a while he’d only take 30 minute naps – seriously, the the damn T on 30 minutes, it was an awful gift – three times a day and it was torture. No, having to hold him 2 out of 3 naps was awful, I never got a damn thing done. Now that he’s inching his way to 14 months I can let him play by himself in our living room, or the front room which use to be a dining room, which is now another play room. How many toys do babies need?!
Usually Brax goes down for hour to an hour and a half nap around before lunch, so during that time I do some cleaning (if it doesn’t make too much noise that is), and catch up on my DVR that only has 25% memory left to fill on it. After he eats breakfast and lunch, I sit him in the living room with the gate up, turn on the kid channel (have you seen “In the Night Garden” on the HUB channel? B is addicted to it.) and let him sit in there for an episode (30 minutes), I check on him, but I let him go. He usually does pretty well by himself that long playing, so I can get some internet time in.
As for pooping during his naps, we found an older tv at garage sale, put on of our dvd players in his room, plop him in his crib, turn it on and go poo with no distractions. Works like a charm for those needed minutes.
Play at Home Mom is good for inspiration. http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/ Also, as always–Pinterest. Really, variety is your friend. Switch it up as much as you can and it’ll hold his attention longer.
A lot of “learning” activities at this age are just about letting your toddler make a mess with his hands and calling it a “sensory” experience. Remember, the bathtub is your friend (not filled with water–just because you can hose it down when you’re done). Outside is your friend when the weather cooperates. These are places where you can give G a sensory learning experience without destroying your house.
Toddler “busy boxes” are your friend, especially for shower time, cooking time, etc. Pinterest it.
I had a “bean bucket” that both of my kids loved at G’s age, up until about 18 months–but only if you can trust him not to put dried beans in his mouth and choke. Fill a giant Rubbermaid bin with a few bags of dried pinto beans, plop him inside with some cups and spoons (it’s awesome because the lid of the bin has a “no babies inside” sticker), and enjoy maybe 11 minutes of (supervised) contentment. Maybe. My son was much more of a dramababy than my daughter, so while she’d stay in for an hour, he stayed maybe ten minutes (on the days he didn’t begin to scream immediately).
When all else fails, go for the Leap Frog learning videos. “Letter Factory” seems to be the biggest hit. Replay the same one every day for weeks on end while you’re busy taking care of life for 23 minutes, and people will think your 2-year-old is a genius when he knows all his letter sounds. Bye bye, guilt-about-letting-my-kid-watch-TV-so-I-can-use-the-bathroom-in-peace.
thank you this is all most helpful. I’m on it
I can’t help you with that kid problem, but I do have advice for your other problem. EAR CANDLES! Ask your hippie friends about them. You can only find them at hippie places like Earth Fare and Whole Foods and herbal shops. Seriously, they are the nastiest most amazing things ever. You put this candle like thing in your ear and light it on fire. It draws all the nastiness up out of your ear into the candle. Don’t worry, it is less gross than poop in the tub. Using ear candles will make you the ultimate hippie! Love and Sparkles!
dude, of course I’ve candled. And I loved the shit out of it
And pretty soon, he will take no nap a day like my 16 month old is trying to do. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours trying to get her to take a nap. It finally worked and she slept for 30 minutes. I need my Internet time. I can’t be with a 16 month old all day long with no Internet time.
Is his one nap longer now? Lucy transitioned to one nap after we started taking her to a babysitter’s, but she went from 2 1 1/2 hour naps to one 21/2 hour nap. If this isn’t the case, I’m sorry for you. Maybe he’ll stretch it out soon?
It’s hard to have a toddler now. I’m going to be adopting the term “spirited” for Lucy. My husband and I trade off days we’re home with her, and I know he has a harder time with her constant need for attention. Are you getting a break after B gets home?
This is how I get through my day: for me, it’s snuggling, then breakfast (where I sneak in some computer time), then showering while Lucy watches. I try to turn getting ready into play time, which may be my advantage with a girl. She likes to “do” her hair and makeup like mommy, which really means scream when I don’t give her the stuff I’m using. Then it’s a couple hours of play time, then lunch (sneak in more computer time). THEN I LIVE FOR HER NAP TIME. I’ve gotten to the point where I can almost clean the whole house in 2 hours. Wake up, snack, more playing, then she screams while I try to make dinner. Pacify her with food and toys in the kitchen. My big secret/parenting fail? Cartoons. She is happy to stay in her high chair longer if Powerpuff Girls are on. Which means I get to do dishes. I know, no screen time under two, but when there’s only 1 parent home at a time, it’s saving my sanity. Plus, she’s talking her head off now & still loves books, so I don’t think I’m making her too dumb. I don’t care if people judge me.
Thanks for reading my ramble. Your blog, it’s like my therapy.
Sad day!! Once my daughter went to one nap she started napping for four straight hours…..Maybe you will get one of those!
Eventually you will be glad the morning nap is gone. (A) You can actually do stuff. Go to a children’s museum, play outside, shop (SHOP!!!), have playdates, etc. etc. (B) No morning nap = longer afternoon nap. Actually playing and doing fun stuff all morning = even longer afternoon nap. I’m sure you won’t mind if G sleeps from 1-4 every afternoon, right?
everyone is all busy with the LONGER nap. This hasn’t happened to us
When my daughter stopped her morning nap is precisely when I discovered Baby Einstein and exersaucers. Conveniently set so that I could see her from the shower stall, yet she could also see Baby Crack (I mean Einstein). It gave me 20 minutes to shower. Also handy to know is that the shower fan almost drowns out the sounds of baby crying when the TV malfunctions or Baby crack isn’t entertaining enough.
Hey there….i weep with you. While I am not a mom, I was a nanny to a dramababy like yours. I started just as he was transitioning to the one nap a day thing so, it was my duty to “train” his new nap schedule….the thing that worked for me was keeping him occupied and moving from around when he woke up til right after lunch…which was 12:30…this in turn gave me a two-two and a half hour power nap in the afternoon. Make all things you do an activity, babies do not know the difference…they may take you longer…but it’ll save on screams…make it a game to throw laundry in the machiene/basket…or while youre getting ready, squirt some shaving creamn in a Ziploc bag and seal it up and let him sit there and mash it….(ive done all these thing) haha. Use your resources and do trial and error. Or you can tell me to be quiet. Hahahaha. Good luck.
its an adjustment at first for sure but they consolidate that time and take a 3-4 hour afternoon nap which is heavenly! once my son dropped his first nap we picked up going to a gym or music class to fill in that time and now i love the afternoon nap!
My Lil J gave up her morning nap almost two months ago, and while it sucked for a week or so while *I* got used to the new routine (note – she was totally fine, one day, just decided the first nap was for losers and that was that), now I’m much happier. I shower in the morning right before or right after she gets up, and do all those other things I used to do during her morning nap while she tags along. Then we have breakfast, play a little, and go run an errand or two. Or storytime at the library or something. Then we have lunch, she naps, and I put myself back together and pretend to do some cleaning before she gets up. Then we go out and do ANOTHER activity (yes we leave the house twice a day – sometimes it’s just a walk up and down the street though). Then it’s dinner time and play and bedtime. It works out. And she’s sleeping a little longer at night although the one nap isn’t especially long (90 min usually).
I like it because we can do multiple things in one day, and I have two stretches where we can actually go do something that’s kind of a big deal, like the zoo or the science center or something. I’m not limited to things within a ten-minute radius of my house.
Now we have #2 coming along shortly and I have no f’ing clue how I’m going to handle a newborn with this schedule, but that’s a whole different story.
The second one will ruin all schedules. You will cherish the new one’s morning nap once it’s established, but before long you will be so ready for it to disappear so that you can get back to leaving the house whenever you want in the morning.
OK, this actually is a GOOD THING. Move his nap to midday and chances are, he’s going to start napping for like 3 hours! So that means you can do stuff in the morning AND afternoon AND get a huge space in the middle of the day all for YOU. Just work on pushing his nap later, it can take a while, but it will be awesome!
this has yet to happen.
That never happened to me. My daughter will be three in March and she will sleep for two hours max right now. Even when she’s sick or woke up early or had a busy morning… When she first dropped the morning nap her afternoon nap hovered around 1-1.5 hours for awhile. Two hours is better than one, but three would be amazing.
Oh honey! Thank you for the laugh today. I remember the torture of losing the third and seconds naps very well. My best advice to you is to tweak that afternoon nap into as gloriously long as he will take it! I am in lockdown at home from 12:30-3:30/4 every day. Nap time is sacred around here. If you can get him to sleep longer then, you’ll still get your free time. Use it wisely ♥
More stroller time, that’s what I did with my no-second-nap-crap.
I didn’t even have a MacLaren and soldiered through. It was a new era of
fresh air, one freedom lost, another gained. What’evs, they’re 13 and 17 now, don’t blink.
Try the library or a bookstore that has kid tables or kid friendly area? Avoid any mall playgrounds if you want to stay healthy. The summer will be so much better when you can turn on the sprinkler and it is instant baby fun.
We have a routine here. My son is 2 and watches Leap Frog cartoons for and hour or so in the morning. He’s been watching those since he was about one and he knows his letters, numbers, sounds, shapes and colors. It’s good for him. Before that he must entertain himself some how, like listening to music or just playing with toys. After cartoons we go to the park. No matter the weather. We just go. It takes up a lot of time and he loves it. Good luck girl! I have been there!
I felt the same way when my daughter dropped the afternoon nap. Initially, it sucked. For a couple of weeks, she only took one, hour and a half long, nap. But then something magical happened. She started napping for up to three hours. All at once!!! Predictably and consistently. It’s glorious. You can do a lot of stuff in two and a half to three hours. Like, read all the blogs and buy all the stuff online. Once you get used to the new schedule, I swear, it’s better. For the record, though, I might try to insist on naps until she goes to college. None of this giving up the nap at age three-ish business. Good luck!!!
Serves you right. Ha ha…my baby can’t tell the difference between night and day, and is on no schedule whatsoever and I have bags the size of ping pong balls under my eyes. The only reason why I am even able to write a response right now is because we had a 10am appt for his vaccines this morning, and he missed his a.m. snooze – so he might give me a half hour. Here’s hoping!
All joking aside, what worked best for me – eons ago when my now 13 yr old was in the toddler stage, was making a point to get out of the house for activities and have a schedule printed out, that I could loosely keep to. Loosely. Mommy and Me groups, storytime at the Library, at least once a week. On the off days, (I am a longtime preschool teacher of ages 1.5 to 5) Use your schedule as a sort of sanity saver. Breakfast – free active play – snack – parent/child activity/reading/music/movement/ whatever floats your boat. (Something to help little man focus) – then free active play for a half hour or so – then lunch – then snooze for a noonie. When he wakes up; wash, rinse and repeat. Substituting the later active play for quiet time stuff and a bath of course.
Goodluck! I love your posts
OH do I feel ya! the girl child, now 12, never napped. I mean NEVER. Not as a newborn, a toddler, a preschool age kid…I doubt she even napped in utero LOL! So I have nothing useful to offer you outside of my deepest sympathy and
I remember that day – and it was horrible. But the awesome thing is that my son started taking a 3 hour nap. So I hope that G-man will do that for you. My favorite thing to do that keeps him preoccupied in his high chair is Cool Whip finger painting (cool whip + food coloring + paper – nice clothes = excitement). And I don’t have to be concerned if he puts it in his mouth.
Oh MODG…I feel ya girlfriend. The girl child, now 12 (sometimes referred to as “THAT GIRL” in a stern tone) never napped. Not as a newborn, nothing. It was the Holly show from 7:30am to 11:00pm daily. Trust me, my life sucked. So I have nothing to offer you other than my undying sympathy on that.
Here’s what I gained though. I’m a MASTER multitasker. It was tough when the kids were small (the boy child is 3 years younger than that girl) but I tell you what, I can now rock the multitasking. And now that they are a little older and more self sufficient, I can get some serious shit done. Maybe not useful shit, like cleaning or cooking, but I did manage to work full time, raise two fairly decent children, and finish two master’s degrees (almost…will be done with #2 in a couple months). So not all bad.
Oddly, that girl sleeps more now LOL…so perhaps there is a glimmer of hope, when he is a preteen and growing like a weed and eating you out of house and home, baby G will sleep too?
hang in there!!!
Saddle up! It’s time for mommy & me classes, mother’s day out, zoo passes and the park. Word. Mother’s Day Out and preschool classes register in FEB for the next school year. So get after that. It’s okay to admit that teachers do a great job of you know, teaching and you still need your work out time.
WAIT. I have to put a 2 year old in preschool?
All I can say is EXACTLY. This has been the theme of my house the past two weeks with my 17 month old. Clearly I am in denial, because the clock hits 9:30am and I’m all, “NAPTIME!” and he sits in his crib for an hour while I pray pray pray to Jesus he will take just one more morning nap again. Then I berate myself for being a bad mom because I should really be interacting with him and not hoping he’ll bore himself to sleep. I repeat this process again in the afternoons, sometimes with luck, sometimes not so much. Then I put on Sprout and call it a day.
It is time for a mothers day out program!!! Get him socialized- a few days a week- it’s usually inexpensive- sometimes local churches do them- he can go 2-3 days a week from 9-1!!! Do it!
Yep….we “old” mom’s saw this coming….just didn’t want to burst your rainbow glitter/unicorn world! My trick back-in-the-day was to feed the kiddo a monster breakfast, have a short playtime or educational dvd, and then go to the park or outside to WEAR HIS A** OUT so I would be assured of a LONG nap after lunch. Good luck!
Ahadfhksdvhasvhvds my 9.5 month old is in her crib chattering and kicking her mattress with her heels instead of napping. And this baby used to love sleep MORE THAN AIR. I guess I used up all her good naps already? Anyway my mom says to put her down for “quiet time.” Even if it is “suck your thumb and moan” time. She needs to learn to rest on her own. Agree with PP too! “stimulation” isn’t all cramming SAT vocal down their throats. It can be help mommy sort laundry or help mommy bake bread or here are some pots to bang while mommy posts about your no nap on facebook. If you figure this all out please post about it, you are a baby ninja and the world needs your wisdom.
My daughter (also a G, also born Dec 2010) gave her two naps up a long time ago, the good news is she now sleeps at least 2 hours sometimes 3!!! Yippie!
I feel for you. I feel we’re on the verge of dropping nap #3 and I’m not sure what to do with myself. And I work part-time!
Get out of the house! Go get coffee with G in his stroller; see if your library does a storytime for toddlers; go to Trader Joes just to buy a snack; meet some other moms at a park; go to the zoo, aquarium, or botanical gardens. If I didn’t leave the house once… okay, twice… a day, I would go insane. (I have a chronic catnapper = no breaks for mama longer than 30 minutes.)
I totally agree with going to the park trick. I did this with all 3 baddlers. (Baddler = baby/toddler.) Made the afternoon nap a teensy longer. Please excuse the disgusting language I am about to spew, but I also had to start waking up an hour earlier if I wanted to get out of my Pjs, brush my hair, exercise etc. I did warn you it was disgusting! Sorry.
Ahhh, I think I am going to have to start getting up an hour earlier…but my fear is that he will sense me and start waking up earlier, too!
Pandora has a childrens station and that lets me fake music and me for at least 45min.
testing
MODG, Susan is right. We saw it coming. And we are still sad for you. HOwever, she is also right that you now have the glorious potential of a LONGER afternoon nap! Instead of two, one-hour naps – you MAY (results can vary, don’t file suit against us) in face have one two-hour long nap! Working out, brushing hair AND blogging might all happen at once! Also, she is right about the getting out. Activity is key for toddlers. Otherwise they get bored. And you know how adults are when they get bored – so it doesn’t have to be much more than running an errand or heading out for a playdate. They just want to see some different stuff. Also – your schedule frees up in an unexpected way every time a nap goes away. It’s not all bad. Check back with us in a few weeks and let us know how you feel about one nap after some adjustment time…
Get a sand/water table this summer. That =primo outside playtime. Go to parks, get a kiddie pool. Since it is winter, and I hear there is this substance that is called “snow” (says the woman in a t-shirt and shorts in January) you can set up an obstacle course in your house and “run” it with him. Get a spare laundry basket and put his stuff in it while you fold clothes, so he can pull it all out and put it back. Most libraries have a pre-lunch time story hour once a week. It is a godsend. They roam and play, and look at books, and they are so beat after lunch. Let G dance with you during your workout. (yeah, I get a lot of M sitting on the floor moaning, but my SIL has some luck with that). Good luck, and I am so sorry for your loss.
It’s still frowned upon to give kids benadryl right? I mean unless they have allergic reactions? Lord help me when I have kids. Sorry girl.
Amanda. He is your first child, so the guilt is especially crazy with the first one. I did flash cards. I did interactive baby Einstein videos, I joined the MOMS Club, I joined a play group, I drug him all over hill and dale to the library and the rec and the gym, to “do things” with him. It made the days go faster, it eased the guilt, and it gave us both something to look forward to. Child #2. We joined nothing, I did nothing, she got one on one time with Sesame Street. Why, Because I already had another kid, who had school and basketball and soccer, and I had my own stuff. Everything wasn’t about her, because, believe it or not, it isn’t always all about them. They are part of an entire family, an entire family that has needs and commitments and stuff that’s got to get done. And how did she turn out? At 3 years old she recognizes the entire alphabet, knows her phonics, knows her numbers (visually and can count them) up to twenty. She can sing virtually any commercial on TV. She takes dance class, she goes to pre-school five days a week every morning so I can work. She is happy and beautiful and wonderful and a huge part of our family, and I never one time did flashcards with her and she never watched a Baby Einstein video and we were never in the MOMS Club. So I guess what I am saying is: do what you want. As long as you are happy, and he is happy, nothing else matters. And no matter WHAT you do… he’ll end up just fine. xoxo Kelly@SFTC
thank you.
I was totally feeling Mama-Guilt like MODG. I don’t know how to *teach* my 1 year old things… (Phonics?? Is that a new phone??? Like iPhonics??) But I do my best. We read/chew on lots of books. He plays in the laundry. He plays in bathroom (our closet is attached. He hangs in there, but can see me while I brush my teeth). He pats the dog. We try to go to the park, but usually end up at Target instead because I have magical squeeze pouches to buy. But he plays… a lot. With me bc I can’t leave him to his own devices for more than 60 seconds without him breaking into crazy. We don’t do the baby gyms bc they’re pricey. I enrolled in a music program at our community center (cheapest one I could find), but he HATES it. I don’t speak 5 languages to him. We have playdates, where I try to teach him not to “pat” (aka hit) other babies. It’s nice to know I’m doing ok. Thanks, Kelly!!
I have to comment. I have a baby boy who 1st birthday happens to be today. I realized this 20 minutes after I woke him up this morning. Awesome mom-ness, right? (Don’t hate me, we’re throwing a huge party Saturday and I’ve been too busy making sports themed decorations to look at the calendar, not to mention chasing his “spirited” 3.5 year old sister around everywhere). We still fortunately live in 2-Nap land which is the best place ever. But, when his sister dropped her morning nap she magically however many years ago, I fought it like the plague, but then realized after we did it no matter how much or how little stuff we did to wear her out, she slept anywhere from 2-4 hours every afternoon. Sometimes there are sad days when it’s only 45 minutes, but that’s usually just a phase that lasts for a couple days. The main reason I had to comment was because I loved Kelly’s beautifully logical post and because I have never been a flashcard, educational movie, mommy-and-me group kind of mom. I’m just not. I love my kids, I play with them when I can, I read to them as much as possible(even if it’s just the storybook Bible at night before bed), and I show affection all the time. But, you know what, you just can’t always do things for them. I work from home, and most of the day both my kids play by themselves or together while I work. My 3 year old is a beautiful, smart, energetic little girl who loves preschool, can count, sing the alphabet, and speak better than a lot of the other kids we know her age. And, I know my little boy will turn out just as well because we love him and are doing the very best we can. You just have to the best you can. Some people are blessed to be the kind of mom who can sit on the floor all day playing, reading, flashcarding, etc. That’s not me and I’m fine with it. And so are my kids. MODG, I have been faithfully reading your blog for 2 years, there have been times where I am crying reading sometimes in sympathy, more often from laughing so hard. You are an amazing mother, and you’re doing your very best and that’s all anyone can expect. Don’t feel pressured to be supermom, you already are.
Kaelin, thank you!!! I WANT to be the Mommy who plays on the floor all day and is full of magic, but I’m just not. This post made me feel that it’s ok to be the Mama that I am
Kelly, thank you for that comment. I have my little guy in every class you can imagine, we have playdates almost every day, go outside to play/walk anytime it hits above 40 degrees and I play with him/entertain him all day long. If I don’t do these things I have horrible first time mom guilt. Recently he started crawling then cruising which basically means he falls. Constantly! His new found mobility also means I can not get anything done and I was literally going crazy! My in-laws suggested putting the pack n’ play in the living room and turning on his favorite video (baby Einstein sign language, of course) just so I could get things done. I refused and said I would never be the kind of mom who just “dumps her kid in a playpen”. One day while we were visiting the in-laws grandma put Liam in the playpen and you know what? He absolutely LOVED it!! I think he enjoyed the freedom of mommy not hovering over him constantly. Lol So now we use the playpen when I need to get stuff done and we are BOTH enjoying the freedom. I am learning to let go a little bit and let him have some time alone to play or watch a video or even a tv show. GASP!
it’s hard as a first timer but I’m trying to chill a little bit. Reading comments like yours help me to realize that he will be GREAT even if I don’t spend every waking moment of my life entertaining him. So thank you!! 
As many of the pp said, though the transition was tough for my little guy (guess not so for G), I actually prefer the 1 nap/day. I was also worried about the gym/childcare issue but at a year I went for it and am glad I did. It gives me some much-needed mom time and he does get to interact with other kiddos. One hour in a childcare a few times a week while you are in the same building won’t hurt him, as long as you can find somewhere you’re comfortable with. Of course it has taken a few months for my son to be okay in there without crying but he is getting better. Now he just poops every time I go so they have to come into the exercise class and ask for Eli’s mom so I can go change his diaper- joy… Then we run an errand or come home and take a walk/do some cleaning- he loves the vacuum. Lunch time then nap. I shower do some housework and usually get a few minutes to myself. He only naps 1 1/2 hrs so I don’t get 2-3 hours like some other moms do, but it’s do-able. Then we have a snack, play time and usually go out again or take a long walk/play outside. He definitely goes down easier for his one nap and goes to bed earlier 7:30ish and easier than with 2 naps. You’ll figure out it before long. Also story time at the library is a good morning activity as other moms have said or just run errands like grocery shopping. I take snacks wherever we go-even to the gym childcare.
Don’t kill yourself, you’ll both be fine if he’s not reading before he’s 3, or you dump his ass in front of Curious George (maybe not that, CG is kind of an idiot) for a little too long. And also, thank you for validating my feeling about Goodnight Moon. I really thought I was alone.
Oh no, embrace the one nap! My son is 17 months, and he dropped the second nap about 2 months ago. For the first few weeks, it was one, 1-hour nap and a cranky afternoon. But now it’s a glorious 3-hour nap! I love it. Really, really love it.
The only way I can get ready with my 2 year old near is to put him in the playpen with a small bowl of cereal, a sippy of milk, a bunch of toys and the TV on to the Wiggles or some other annoying program. If I let him roam while I am getting ready it takes me 10x as long, TV is my hero in the morning. My guy wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30, will only take an hour long nap, and goes to bed at 8. Never experienced the super long naps and am terrified when they stop completely.
I, too, dreaded the transition to one nap. But it turned out to be the best thing ever. Megan Jr.’s one afternoon nap is longer and more reliable than her two separate naps ever were. Three hours is not uncommon. And three hours is enough time to do a lot of stuff, or a lot of nothing (usually the later
) Its promise gives me the strength I need to get through the 7:30am-1:30pm marathon. It has gotten SO much easier in the past 6 months or so (Megan Jr. is 18 months) as she gets better and better at entertaining herself with a pile of tupperware or hiding in the curtains or whatever. As far as organized activities, we just do swim class once a week, which is awesome and I highly recommend.
Okay, there’s no way to sugar coat it, ny reduction in naps sucks. However, it does free you up to be out of the house for more than an hour. If he will still happily ride in a stroller/wrap take advantage and wander the mall, spend way too long checking out the snack aisle at TJ’s, you get the idea. Please take advantage of extended stroller happy errand running, because after the loss of the nap comes the hating of errands and that one really sucks! Good luck and god speed.
This does suck in the moment, but you will soon learn after the transition that single naps ROCK. Why do they so rock? Because they last forever. FOREVER! Like, two 90-minute naps per day (although with me it was more like a 40-minute and a 2-hour) somehow become a 3.5 hour OR EVEN LONGER nap! At least when they are under about two and a half, then the naps do shorten somewhat, but ARE STILL NECESSARY FOR THE CHILD. Whatever you do, though, when G is nearing 3, don’t fall victim to the “oh, he skipped his nap a few times, I guess he is ready to give up the nap”. NO HE IS NOT. It’s a test, or a blip.
Of course, by then, there will be more littles, and you’ll have to do it all again, only juggling naptimes this go-round! Best of luck to you. One of my greatest accomplishments as a mom has been to get a 1yo, 3yo, and 4yo napping at the same time. (Well, with the 4yo it is half napping, half “quiet time”, but STILL.) IT CAN BE DONE!
I know this is way off topic, and I would have posted to the Operation Wana post but I noticed noone has commented on it since Dec. so I’m afraid this post wouldn’t even be read. But I am the proud mom of a 7 month old (who has just started teething..eek) annnnndd have just found out I’m pregnant again! My husband and I are VERY excited but very scared outta of our minds at the same time! What are we going to do with TWO!? We are living with my parents for the mean time because he just graduated and I am still in the process of getting my degree and we are still trying to get on our feet. We are in a TON of school debt, and trying to save for a house so if anyone has any cute maternity clothes they would like to donate it would be a tremendous help!!! My first pregnancy the bulk part of me being big was in the winter so I got away with just wearing jackets and big sweaters but now I moved to the very tip of Texas (by South Padre Island) and it is H.O.T. here…like all the time hot. So I can’t get away with my same prego wardrobe. If anyone can help with anything please message me. Thanks so much!!!
I know this is waaay of topic and I would have posted it to the Operation WANA but I noticed no one has been active on that since Dec. So I am posting here to see if I can get some help.
Insert sob story here>
I am a proud mom of one of the world’s cutest 7 month old babies, and have just found out that I’m pregnant again! My husband and I are totally excited yet totally freaking out. We have to do it all AGAIN and so SOON! We are living with my parents and trying to save up for a house. He is a recent graduate and I’m still working on my degree (one more semester!) which means we are in a TON of school debt! So my question is does anyone have any cute maternity clothes they would like to donate. We moved down to the tip of Texas (Harlingen) since my first pregnancy and it is H.O.T. here, like no joke hot, and ALL the time hot. The bulk of my first pregnancy was in the winter so I got away with wearing jackets and sweaters but there is no way I can do that here. Not even in Feb!! We are lucky if it even rains here. So please if you can help please do, if not I understand, and I’m sorry for asking this in a random post but it was worth a shot to get some help.
THANKS! and good luck Modg with G pulling that bologna of eliminating that 2nd nap. I am not looking forward to the day it happens to me and hoping it’s only a G thang!
Playdough. It is crack for toddlers. If he isn’t interested, try again next month/week. One day you’ll see it, the obsession will begin.
Make your own, the store bought stuff stinks. It lasts forever if you put it away in a sealed container.
Also, the park. Get out. Enjoy yourselves and run him ragged.
MODG,
) But if I wait till 1 she only sleeps an hour. Of course all kiddos are different….
Just some bullet points for your survival:
-Sensory box (but no beans) something safer like corn starch (dry oatmeal) and measuring cups
-Full length mirror ($5 at target) and a can of shaving cream=ultimate sensory experience
-Bucket of baby food jar lids that makes a lot of clanking
-anything you feel comfortable with G “dumping” right now, it is all about cause and effect: making towers, knocking them down and dumping out boxes of toys (thinking outside the box on toys creates longer interest. You can only to do much with a toy phone but a toddler will use their imagination to make a simple block be anything they want it to be).
My Master’s and Bachelor’s are in Early Child Development and Education and I am here to tell you that you don’t have to do flash cards and all that crap with G right now. He would have more fun if you just gave him the damn box of cards and he shuffled through them. There is no need put such a huge emphasis on preparing him for college right now. They learn through every day experiences like a walk around the block and a trip to the grocery store. When he turns 3 then you can start to worry about that stuff.
Also, as an FYI, often times when the first nap is given up the afternoon nap remains short b/c it is still quite a transition. I started to put my daughter down between 10:30 and 11:00am and that seemed to be the time she would nap the longest (read 2+hours), even though she seemed like she could wait until 1pm sometimes, I would fall vicitim to the trap (you know, hoping she would sleep from 1 until dad came home
screw the bitches with their kid’s three hour naps. (I mean that with love and sunshine, of course.) my 22 month old went from three 38 minute naps, to two 38 minute naps, to one 1 1/2 hour nap. sometimes she’ll do 2 hours but that’s not the usual. we put her out in the backyard and let her run around, put her in the playroom and let her run around, open all the bedroom doors and let her run around, take her shopping, play dates, etc. even on run around like crazy day care days (twice a week), she still only naps an hour to 1 1/2 hours. all I can say is, do yourself a favor and get out of the house so you don’t go stir crazy. oh, and it took a solid month for her to understand that one nap was not ONE THIRTY EIGHT MINUTE NAP. if G is anything like my J (which he reeeeeeeeelly seems like it), it’s gonna be a crazeballs month. be strong, modg. be strong. (and read this. IT’S TRUE. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amber-dusick/parents-caffeine-wine_b_1192976.html) drink wine is what i’m saying.
word. how do all these people have babies napping 3 hours??? mine naps 1 hour a day if i’m lucky, and it’s been that way since he was 9 months. but i have recently learned that those baby einstein videos (and they are on youtube) are like baby (and even toddler) crack to my now 13 month old. and it even gets him to eat more b/c he’s distracted and will let me shovel food into his mouth. they obviously have no intellectual merit, but like everyone is saying, it doesn’t matter at this age – the hypnotic effect is magical. so don’t sweat teaching G stuff now – but do embrace the crack videos. trust me, i’m a doctor.
Gosh I have a lot of things to think about this. I remember this time very vividly. My monster child, the king of 45 minute naps, is also what we call spirited. It’s a nice way of calling a baby an asshole. Because when you just want to open the fridge and get the child was he is asking for (water/milk/yogurt/cheese) and it becomes a shitshow and then you take them away and they bite anything that gets close and/or headbutt your nose.
He gave up his 2nd nap before his 1st birthday, which was in August. By October, here’s what happened: he would sleep for like hours. 2.5, maybe 3 or more if something totally amazing happened earlier.
Trust in G that he is a person just like you are a person and eventually he will sleep longer in the day. The trick is you have to make them be like so glad you are putting them in the crib. Average time of this happening is at least four hours, but probably not more than six. Depending on what you guys do, is how quickly he’ll get worn out. Chasing, peekaboo, all the obvious interaction type things are easy. When it’s 65 outside like today then duh outside time doing whatev. Standing offer to meet up for playdate (Ft. Washington) on nice days, we wake around 8 and sleep around 12. But what you really want is how to get him to sit and do things by himself so you can do things.
The busy box and bean bucket are really good ideas. A good book, like with flaps and textures. You can get some with sound, like one sound per page. Many books also has appeal. Many of anything, actually. Nesting cups and balls and blocks are easy to have lots of. I know you didnt love the flashcard idea the first time, but our dude is obsessed with them.
Not like the fancy touch and feel kind (had some, i think we have two left?) but just generic pictures of things and animals mostly, we had US Presidents, International Landmarks but they were not interesting for him obviously…It only half matters what’s on the card because babies like to learn everything, although there is a kind of Sesame Street ones that slide open to show the letter, and are double sided.. Those got us through a 4 hour delay at the airport. Anyways we have a ton of them and they go into a little storage cube and he gets to sit and pluck them out one by one and say or ask what each of them are (he plays by himself a LOT with these) or he can dump them all out and put them in. or roll around in them like they’re hundred dollar bills. Anyway they are a big hit, and since that’s a pretty low key activity – ie I internet on my phone and answer/name things while he does all the work. By now he knows at least 100 of them, and I don’t mean that to sound boastful, I mean that to show that when they do it over and over again it really does stick so easily without it being all formal and schooly.
And no, you do NOT have to put G in school at 2. My friend just signed her son up at 2, and I don’t think that’s for us. These spirited kids I think will benefit from a little extra time practicing good manners/not running away into the street before school.
Anyway once G is acclimated to the new schedule, he will adjust his sleep. I know you don’t want to hear it, but the one nap will soon enough turn into a longer nap, and G will get the sleep he needs, and you will find a new form of time management to get The Project in, and also the rest of life like tv. Love and Sparkly Nap Wishes
I feel you, MODG. On the nap-time/mommy-time and the what-the-hell-do-I-do-with-my-child-guilt. I work full time, and just as much as I look forward to the weekend so I can see my baby for more than a few hours a day, I look forward to Monday’s because – DAYCARE. I feel guilty about it sometimes, but you do what you have to. My daughter is 8 months and has been taking only one nap for a while now, it’s about 2 hours long, and on the weekends she stays up until 9 or 10 (8 or 9 on the weekdays) and wakes up at 7. I miss the naps. I REALLY miss sleep. Most of the time I just sit on the floor with her, in total zombie mode, while she plays with whatever is in front of her since I have no energy for anything else. And then stupid shit like croup and the stomach flu hit us and WTF life?! At the moment, I’m just surviving, and that’s OK with me.
I love your website…I’m pretty much a lurker…but couldn’t help comment and mourn your loss of a second nap. Because I currently have a baby with 2 naps, I use 1 to get shit done and the other one to take a nap myself. Knowing that I might lose this take a nap myself makes me realize I should probably get my shit in gear OR maybe just nap more to take advantage of something I’ll never ever get back. In the meantime, I saw this video on shit natural mommys say and it felt like something you should really see! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVA-A0RqkhM
This blog rocks the kiddo activities!
http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/
I love your blog and read all the time but this is the first time I comment! I’m very sorry about your second nap! I have so much respect for moms- I truly don’t know how you do it.
It took my daughter 3 months to adjust dropping the morning nap. PURE HELL. It sucks at first but then you at least have way more free time to get stuff done out of the house in the morning.
whatever you do, DO NOT do anything that might wake him up during his only nap. I’ve learned the hard way. When you wake up a kid during his ONLY (sob) nap, then you have NO nap and you want to cry all afternoon.
And amen to the doing whatever you can to wear him out in the morning. It makes a world of difference . Run laps around the house with him if you have to. It’s worth it.
Oh the one nap switch. I reacted to this like I reacted to the end of swaddling: lots of whining and swearing and wine. But its actually really great to not be in the nap trap. Much more freedom to go out and do things together, which is really all kids need. My guy is 13 months too and he amused himself yesterday for an hour (would have gone more) with some cheap bowls and funnels I bought at walmart. He put things in the bowl…then took them out…then back in. Oh boy. Mind numbing to you and me but it’s THEMOSTEXCITINGTHINGEVER to toddlers. Also take a puff container, wash it out, punch holes in the top, and let G shove pipe cleaners in there. Pinterest has millions of pins about websites for activites with toddlers. I’m a go-to-work mom and am kinda scared to keep my kid by myself on the weekend so these places have kept me sane and confident. Good Luck!