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Starting nap routine for baby when you have a toddler. Advice please...

3 replies

Spatchy · 20/08/2013 09:18

I have a 6 wk old and am already thinking to the 12 week mark to start a nap routine (that's about the right time to start, right?) I just can't work out how I start to settle DS for naps while I have a very lively 3 year old DD. She won't sit and watch tv for more than 10 mins and wants to help with everything I do with DS. I seem to recall with her it took a long while of trying at nap times to get her to self settle. How on earth do I do that with him while she is around?? She is pretty bright and her language is good so am wondering if I could use some sort of incentive/reward chart thing to get her to give me some time to do it? Or is that unrealistic? Any advice appreciated!

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Catnap26 · 20/08/2013 09:32

I am watching waiting for someone wiser to come along with advise.i have a 14 month old and an 11 week old.i am trying very hard to promote nap times.i have to put ds2 in his cot otherwise he won't nap at all because he is too distracted by ds1 but when I do put him down for a nap he only lasts 30 minutes.yesterday he had a total of 4 half hour naps.is this enough???if not how on earth do I get him to nap for longer.he goes to be by 7 if not earlier,has a dream feed at 11pm and then sleeps until 7am.ds1 has started to get very clingy and jealous which is proving very difficult to try to (bottle) feed ds2.i need help too...

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NoComet · 20/08/2013 09:49

DD2 just didn't have naps.

She wanted to fall asleep at 11.25am and we left the house for pre school pick up at 11.33am.

She was, and 12 years later, still is very sociable.

As soon as DD1 was home she wanted to be awake, not necessarily playing with her, just enjoying more people being about. She loved toddlers and her day at nursery too.

In fact nursery was the one place she did nap, because everyone in the 1-2 room did.

Not napping never seemed to do her any harm. She was so used to it she didn't generally fall asleep in the car or pushchair either, which DD1 always did.

She did BF until long after she started school and, I wonder if she learnt to relax and chill out while doing so.

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Amyksays · 20/08/2013 11:17

I have a 19 month age gap and dd napped in the sling/on the move until about 5 months. After was established in cot in own room, started day naps in there - she just had to learn to get to sleep quickly, a kind of sleep training I guess - as just can't leave a toddler alone that long!

Did think about putting travel cot downstairs for naps, but our house is fairly open plan and didn't think would work, but is an option if have a quiet space.

Ds1 just had to get over a bit of jealousy, he's fine now. I say 'just putting baby to bed' or 'just giving baby juice' he's fine mostly, but will tell him off if any snatching/Pinching etc and he knows I won't have it. He just got used to me disappearing for 5 mins, sure all will be ok once you start. Once baby is established in nap routine, I have taken ds1 upstairs with me - baby can take a bit of disruption, used to big brother running around!

Like everything else, best advice I have is to be consistent, and go with whatever works - toddler will adapt, and come to know tht baby sleep time means they have you all to themselves! X

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