Not planning a full day out because of baby's nap!!!

[Ori38]

AIBU in not planning a full day out with my eldest son due to the younger one not being able to get his lunchtime nap???? I really want to do some days out over the holidays - i.e. local farms/attractions etc but the issue is my little one (19 months) has a nap from 12 noon - 2pm.

If he doesn't get it he's a screaming, tantrumy mess by 3.30 and then it's just a horrendous struggle to try and edge him anywhere close to a normal bedtime (7pm.) No-one enjoys themselves in these situations!!!

With the both of them I'd usually try and do park in the morning, or just let them play in the garden followed by lunch, then home (if we've gone out) for the babies' nap. Usually put a film on for the older one (he's 6) over the 2 hr naptime.

Interested to hear from other mums how you plan the day outings if you've got baby/naptimes to consider?

Thanks

My DD was really tricky with naps when she was little. We got a silver cross pop, it lowers pretty much flat and the hood almost completely covers any view when its reclined so comfy with minimal distractions. I definitely recommend it

Mine by the age of 18 months would only fall asleep during the day in a car.

If they did have a nap then they wouldn’t go to bed at night so if we went anywhere it was always for the full day and at the end I would put them in pyjamas and they would fall asleep in the car and we would then transfer them to their cot/bed when we got home.

It worked 50% of the time.
Sometimes they woke up and were running round the house till gone midnight.

Even a 10 minute nap would renew their energy

Dd slept in the parm or had a sleep in the car at that age (luckily she slept through most noise), I never planned around naps or had set nap times actually thinking back (she’s four now)

*pram

I’ve always been relaxed about routine and I’m quite sure this is why ds could nap anywhere at anytime

I went away for a few days with a friend (ds 3) she had to return to the room in the afternoon for her son to nap and bed by 8 she was horrified ds was still up at 10

I enjoyed my holiday she spent the time faffing about routines

Children have to fit around other people’s lives and at times they fuss about it but the more it’s done the better for all

Mine always napped n the buggy or car on the way home.

I was never one to work my life around nap schedules. They just had to fit in with us and whatever was happening.

It must depend on the child. I only have DS so not an issue with siblings missing out, but sometimes there were things we wanted to do that meant DS missed his nap, and it always led to him falling asleep between 5 & 6 for two hours (waking him before he was ready led to hysterical crying and screaming until he fell asleep again) and then not sleeping again until 11pm, then waking at his usual time the next morning and being grumpy for half the day. We didn't choose that option lightly!

Then he changed overnight and it wasn't a problem anymore. These things often seem to be relatively short lived, even though it doesn't feel like it at the time.

Never had a fixed nap time with any of my 3 dc, and dc2/3 had to fit around what I did with dc1 and so on. I think you're making a rod for your own back, let your DC nap in the car/buggy etc