need help w/schedule

I pick my LOs up from the sitter at 4:00. When we get home, I give them a bottle around 5:00 and then they want to take a nap around 6:00. They go to bed at 7:30 so this 6:00 nap is killing us! They're wanting to stay up later and then cry when we put them to bed. They used to go to bed w/no problem and STTN. I *hate* giving them a bottle at 5:00 but the sitter says they're not ready for lunch until 1:00 so that puts their next feeding at 5. This is getting confusing.....ok, here's our old schedule and our new schedule. Please offer suggestions!

Old schedule:
breakfast (bottle and oatmeal w/fruit) at 8:30 (this is the earliest we can do breakfast b/c of DH's work schedule)
nap around 10:00
lunch at 12:00 (bottle w/veggies)
nap around 2:00
bottle and snack at 4:00
nap around 5:00
dinner (bottle w/veggies) at 6:30
bed at 7:30

New schedule:
breakfast (bottle and oatmeal w/fruit) at 8:30
nap around 11:00
lunch at 1:00 (bottle w/veggies)
nap around 2:30
bottle and snack at 5:00
nap around 6:00
dinner (bottle w/veggies) at 7:00
bed at 8:00 (WITH LOTS OF CRYING!)

 

Could you put them down for their first nap earlier? It seems like 11 a.m. is sort of late for an 8 month old to be taking their first nap. Might that shift their whole schedule earlier? Do they nap well with their current schedule?

 

I have one that wants to nap earlier but Landon fights sleep like a champ. He amazes me in the mornings (when I'm home on the weekends) by staying up until 11am. I wonder if I should just tell the sitter to feed them at noon regardless of whether or not they seem hungry. That way our schedule is on track for the rest of the day.....

 

I'm wondering why you switched from the old schedule? But they are still getting their breakfast at the same time as the old schedule, so I would have her feed them at 12:00. From 8:30 until 1:00 seems like a long time for them to go without food at that age.

 

I preferred the old schedule but my sitter says they are not ready to eat their lunch until 1:00, which means they're not ready for their afternoon bottle until 5:00. If she would just feed them at noon then everything would work out fine. I guess I just need to grow some cahunas and tell her to stick w/the old schedule.

 

I agree - I would tell her to move the pm feeding back to noon and skip the third nap. I think most babies have outgrown the third nap by 8 months. Have you read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happpy Child? That book helped me a lot.

 

Mine didn't outgrow the 3rd nap until 9 months. They also went down for their first nap 2 hrs after they woke up. I suggest moving that morning nap back up to 10 instead of 11...was it the sitter that wanted to change it or you? I would go back to the original schedule if it was working well. When they are able to drop the third nap they'll give you signs such as being able to stay up longer in the mornings and between the morning/afternoon nap.