Naps and Going Out

After nearly nine months of being confined to my home, I am finally feeling the need to get out. For all you moms who are on the go a lot, how do you do it? My babies currently nap at approximately 9-10:30 or 11:00 and then are back down from 1:00-2:00 till 3:00-4:00. I find the 11:00 to 1:00 window when they are awake too narrow to get out, since they need to eat lunch, play, and have a bottle in that timeframe. Am I being silly worrying about their naps so much? I don't usually go out after their afternoon nap since my husband gets home from work at 5 and I like to have supper ready by then. I can hardly find time to go to the park and back with my current schedule - it takes me 20-30 minutes to get there(I live on the very edge of town). I'd love to hear what others do, or at least when their schedule makes it conducive to getting out a bit more.

 

I would do short trips at that age, so it did not affect the nap schedule. I don't think you are silly at all for worrying about their nap schedule, for me it was so hard for them to get on a nap schedule that when they finally did, I did not want to do anything to mess it up! Now, mine were still in the infant seats at that age and they would sleep pretty well in them and I could move them in and out of the car w/out them waking, so if I was taking a longer trip (which was rare at that age) and one that did not require them to come out of the infant seats right away, we would leave during nap time, they'd get their nap and when they woke up we were at our destination and could be there for a bit and then leave when the second nap rolled around.

 

AT that age- I totally go out between naps---I stayed to a strict schedule and we managed!

We tried to get out first thing for a walk or errand (out at 8 am or so) and then again I would pack up and feed them and leave for an hour if I could before the second nap.

Longer trips--I saved for the evening after they went to bed and went solo.

But that is just me---we still stay home from 12-2 for 'rest time' and it works for us. We all need the rest, break , and it provides a routine the girls have known for a long time.

KC

But do what works for you and your family!

 

I still find it hard to get out, but easier than before. My issue is naps and meals. I feel like if they aren't napping, it's time for lunch or dinner. They are starting to move their nap later in the morning, so I could do something in the morning or after lunch. They can take their 2nd nap in the car and be fine. Once we get down to one nap a day, it will be a lot easier to get out. It's so hard to get them off their schedule. They get so cranky and it's not worth it.

 

I think worrying about naps is totally normal. I know I worry about it. I've even gone so far as to keep a "nap journal" to try and learn their preferences. My babies are 6 months old and are still on a 3 hour eating schedule so before I feed I get everything ready to go including myself and then I feed, burp, change diapers and load up and head out. I've noticed that when we're out they can maybe go an extra half hour between feedings because they're so "entertained" and they usually take a good nap along the way too, either strolling or riding in the car. It was just recently that they started napping at the same time, before that one would wake up and the other would go down so I could never get anything done or go anywhere. The only thing we don't do now is take the babies out (unless we absolutely have to) after 6:30ish. Bedtime is now 7:30. My favorite time to get out with them though is the afternoon (anytime after 2pm) because they are getting tired and bored of being in the house. It really helps to break up the afternoon until DH gets home from work. It's just trial and error I guess.

 

Ugh, that stage of two or three naps is so confining isn't it? I would try to get out between naps & just kept my trips short because my two never did well with missing naps! :hug:

 

You´re not silly at all. I still prefer for mine to nap than try and go out and have a fight on my hands. We recently had to leave a restaurant we were going to have lunch in as neither baby had had their afternoon nap. The ILs wanted to go out and I just knew it was going to be a disaster! We went home, put them to bed and they passed out! :lol:

I agree with Nancy when she says to try short trips in-between naps. Maybe a walk around the block or neighbourhood. I used to take pots of food with me if we were going to be out at mealtimes and they´d eat quite happily.

Mine are now on 2 naps a day and we can normally get out late afternoon if we´re lucky. I can´t get out alone (I live on the top floor of a block of flats and the pram doesnt fit in the lift!) so mine don´t get out much! Once they walk it´ll be easier.

GL, it´ll be OK. Mine spent a lot of time indoors and sleeping but it will get easier! You´re not alone :hug:

 

Mine are alot younger, so it may be different, but they nap fine in car seats and I just move car seat to stroller, and we are out and about.

 

I planned my outings around naptimes at that age! It does get much easier to do things when they go down to one nap. For mine, that was in the first part of the 2nd year.

 

We typically don't go any where. I have three kiddos and their naps are indeed something I abide by. With that said, there are weekends when we all just go out as a family. They end up napping in their carseat or stroller and typically are pretty happy. I think if it happens every now and then, they don't get thrown off schedule. If you make a habit out of skipping naps, then they may have a harder time getting back on schedule.

What time do they wake up in the morning? Anyway you could go before their 1st nap?

 

At that age I worked around naps. We went out EVERY day since since I could really only get one errand done at each outing. I'd leave as soon as they woke up from nap, then got home for lunch. Even now, just a quick trip to Walmart/Target are sanity savers for me!

 

I know what you mean! I'm far away from any parks, but sometimes we all just need to get out.

I try to plan small outings around their naps. As PPs have said, occasional deviations from the nap schedule are okay, but I don't like to disrupt them too much. Babies really thrive on routine.

On weekends, I either take them on a walk down the street or go to the Coney just after feeding them breakfast. This serves as their recreation time before their first nap of the day. For me it's easier not to get too ambitious and just do little outings. Sometimes it's just to the grocery store, or to go get some ice cream.

 

I'm so glad someone posted this question, I was just thinking the same thing the other day. I have such a hard time trying to get out and time everything perfectly. I am hesitating on giving them lunch because I feel like it's just one more thing to add to the day to confine us to the house. It's been raining for weeks where we live and we are all going a little stir crazy. We can't even go out for a short walk. Does anyone have a problem with taking them out for walks messing up their naps. Mine both seem to fall asleep everytime we walk and they usually only sleep for a short amount of time. Just enough to mess up their nap...of course!!!

 

we go out a lot.. at least 1x everyday. park, shopping, music classes, etc.

the only nap that i fully protect is the first morning nap which is like 7:30/8 to 9:30/10

after they wake from that nap i either feed them their bottle and go out until lunch at 12:30 or i take the bottles with us and feed the bottles while they are in their stroller at the park or wherever i strolled to.

i live downtown so i don't have to worry about a car or travel times.

if i'm home the second nap is after lunch.

if i'm out, they'll nap in the stroller or the nap just gets delayed until we get home. i have to make sure they get an afternoon nap (or sometimes 2!) but i can jimmy around with the timing of it.

sometimes my manipulations make the "monkey madness" hours of 5-7pm really rough, but i'd rather us have a life. they STTN regardless.

in a perfect world i'd protect both of their naps, and for a while when the weather was yucky i really did have them on a tight schedule of 2-2hr naps every day. ... however we go to the family summer home every weekend which totally destroys my scheduling anyway.

despite the nap chaos, the eating schedule is strictly adhered to.

 

Mine always fell asleep in the stroller too. So I always planned walks for right after nap so I wouldn't have a problem with messing up naptime!

 

This last month i have been rubbish at getting them out!! I used to go for a walk after the 1st nap and return for there 2nd bottle and then put down for nap2. We have since thrown solids into the mix so it gives us less time to eat and get out. I'm finding that the girls are really fighting off the 3rd nap around 3.30/4pmish, they used to nap for an hr but they just don't take it anymore so the last few days i have taken them for a short walk then and brought bedtime a little earlier. It is nice getting them out during this timeframe but by the time we return for bathtime they are super pooped and not in the best of moods, i think they could do with this nap still, they will not snooze when were out they are far to nosy so i'm not sure what to do really. There is always after the 1st bottle but before 1st nap as we don't give solids then, not sure. Sorry i'm not much help am i lol just wanted to add that i feel the need to get out to but am finding the timing of it difficult and YES i stress bigtime over the nap schedule..my babies missing naps = two :grr: :grr: Hope you can manage to work it around your nap schedule as a shortwalk can really break your day up abit! Good luck