This transition to one nap has been a challenge. For both of us. Charlotte usually does great in the morning, until about 11. I can't put her down for a nap then, because it's likely she'll wake by 1:00, and then will be a wreck by 5. When she napped twice a day, she'd take two 2+hour naps, now it's one 2 hour nap. I know that's probably sort of normal for a lot of kids. But dropping the morning nap has only meant that she can stay up a little longer in the morning, but remains whiny later.
She's just been extra crabby and I can't figure it out. She's become extra clingy to me, uses me as her personal jungle gym, and her new favorite activity is dropping things down my shirt and searching for them. It's like she's a teenage boy in disguise.
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| "UPFF!!" |
Also, today she woke up a little earlier than normal, so I put her down for a quiet time around 9:45 (her previous morning nap time). She wasn't crabby when I put her down, but I just thought we're going to try this whole "quiet time" thing. She immediately zonked out, and I went in to wake her at 11:45. I was able to get SO MUCH DONE during that time because I wasn't completely worn out from her hanging on me all day. I'm sure she'll be ready to take another nap by 2. And we'll all be much happier.
Last night I felt extraordinarily guilty about my attitude. I was so, so tired of being tugged on, the tantrums, and trying to find distractions for whiny behavior. Marcus came to the rescue and took her for a walk while I prepared dinner. When they came back, Charlotte had her hands full.
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| One leaf for every tree they passed. |
We're both doing much, much better today. And perhaps this one nap thing is just a bunch of BS.
I know it must be normal to feel the way I've felt this week. It just hasn't happened to me since I left my job. And I hope that it doesn't become a way of life!
What is your solution for feeling burned out?
When Faith went to one nap, she would go down at 10:30am and sleep for 2 hours, but stretched it out to 3 hours after a few days. Eventually I started to shift it later and later and now she goes down at 1pm. The biggest thing is that she started sleeping in until 7am instead of 6am on the dot. That's what it made it all possible.
ReplyDeleteThe B's transition to the one nap started because she stopped sleeping during her morning nap. So the morning nap became later and later until it just merged with the afternoon nap. I think feeling annoyed with the whining is normal. At least I hope it's normal, because if it is not, I'm a terrible mom. My solution for the burn out is a nice long run. I come back feeling happy to see her whiny face. Maybe a walk in your preggers state? Glass of decaf ice tea in hand. ;)
ReplyDeleteThere were days that Charlotte wouldn't nap in the morning, and she'd do fine later with her second nap. But today, she successfully took a two hour morning nap and a two hour afternoon nap. Which meant I cleaned this morning, and napped this afternoon, and had energy for a nice 2 mile walk this evening. FINALLY a good day.
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