napping on a day out

[puffling]

I'm really starting to feel like my life is on hold until dd is old enough to drop her naps. She currently has a morning nap and a 2 hr lunch one. We never have a day out shopping or anywhere anymore, just rush out to the Trafford Centre for 3 and home for her tea.
Does anyone else feel like this? Is there any way she could have a good sleep in her pushchair? Does it matter if she doesn't?

[hairymclary]

how old is she? I can't see any reason why she shouldn't just sleep in her pushchair while you're out.
she may not sleep for as long but i'm sure she'll be fine

[hunkermunker]

Your life may be on hold until your DD is four then.

Just go out. I have found with both mine that if they're tired, they'll sleep in the pushchair (DS2 will even sleep with his head on my shoulder in the sling).

It doesn't matter if she doesn't have a good sleep or a sleep at all. She may be a bit grumpy in the evening, but you will go utterly bonkers if you stay within napping distance of her cot.

I do make sure that the boys get one "down" day a week where we just potter about at home for most of it, so they can sleep in their own beds. And often there are other days where we're only out in the morning or the afternoon. DS2 is 2.6 now and can go without a nap some days (but often has 2.5 hours).

[housemum]

Believe me, napping in the pushchair is GOOD. (OK, I'm sure someone will tell me how wrong it is for her spine or something, but I mean good in a selfish sense!)
When DD2 was under one, I would often try to be home for the big nap, bu to be honest once she'd got the hang of sleeping in the pushchair it's a great way to shop, or go to a museum or something, without any guilt that you're dragging them round somewhere they don't want to be or, worse, the tantrum! And you can stuff your shopping in the buggy...

[misdee]

dd3 falls asleep on the lunchtime nursery run, in her pushchair, lying flat. i leave her in there, put the pushchair in the girls bedroom, shut the door and let her sleep. or if i am out and about (wednesday afternoons only) she will nap in her car seat then i transfer her to the buggy, where she will often carry on napping for the afternoon.

[colditz]

Of course it is ok, what do you think subsequant children do?

YOu can't stay in the house forever, bung her in the pushchair and go out! ds1 didn't drop his nap until he is nearly 3.

[Twohootsandapumpkin]

I know how you feel. My DD is 18 mo and will NOT sleep in her pushchair - hasn't since she was 8 months!!! . I have tried everything but she just will not do it! Even in the car she screams and screams before eventually nodding off if we are on a long journey. She is fine in the house in her cot for daytime naps (although she didn't really start with those properly until she started walking ).

Clearly I am doing something wrong But short of giving her sleeping pills (am joking!) I can't do much to get her to sleep in her pushchair!

It can be a nightmare but most of the things we do she can nap around. We have odd 'full' days out and she just gets so wound up, screams and cries it can be v unpleasant to say the least

[bramblina]

I had the opposite opinion of you, puffling, if I needed to go anmywhere I would try to time it so that I did so in ds's nap time, be it in the car or town. He would always fall asleep in the car anyway so if he wasn't due a nap it would upset everything, so if we went out when he was tired I would be sure everything would be hunkydory. And as for town, well ds is 15 months now and I don't think it's fair for him to be sitting in a buggy, bored stupid and expected to be content so I try to time things around when he'll be tired so will be happy to sleep or just look around in a bit of a daze. I did think the same regarding quality of sleep though, but what he lacks in the day will make up for at night. And try to have a few days per week where he definitely gets a nap in his own bed. And btw I like an hour and a half from a supermarket and town centre, now that's difficult!