help with 16mo and tantrums

[mouseymummy]

My 16mo dd2 is getting stressed out and spent 3/4 of an hour screaming earlier when I put her down for her nap. This is happening almost daily, shes had one nap since Thursday...

Could you look at her routine and see if you can see any triggers or anything to help me. Im on my own with her and dd1 plus 12 week old ds.

She wakes between 630 and 7am, she's quite happy in her cot until 7 though so we all get up then.

Nappy changing and a little TV til half 7 while I feed ds and dd1 makes breakfast. Usually 730 when breakfast is in front of her.

Then we get dressed this is usually done by half 8.

Dd1 sets off to school with her friend and we head into the village to get some fresh air (obviously depends on the weather, if its bad then she spends her morning playing)

When we get back I feed ds while she has a snack

Then she plays on the floor til lunch

Lunch time is at around 1130 then its nap time. She takes a bottle up with her (she has to have a formula milk as she is so small and she won't take a cup)

She usually goes down for an hour.

Then its up and she has an afternoon snack, usually a Nana or other fruit and some water.

Then I do her half hour of walking around and physio then it's play Time or time for her class at the local play gym and then home for half 3 to meet dd1.

She then plays with her sister while I feed ds and make tea then we all sit and eat.

Then bath time starts at 6 and I usually get her in bed for around 7ish. She is usually settles for half 7 and stays asleep all night.

She's teething atm and grumpy because of that, ds arriving hasn't changed her routine and I make sure that ds is asleep when we do her physio so its our special time.

Even though I've tried really hard to not disrupt anything with ds's arrival but she's started biting me when we are playing and throwing almighty tantrums.. As I said it took me 3/4 of an hour to try and get her to nap but she wasn't having any of it, I gave in and brought her down which was probably the wrong thing to do but she was so worked up and I was getting stressed too :(

She is usually such a happy little thing that this sudden shift in the last few days is really worrying me.

I know its probably a phase but does anyone have any ideas??

Bumping

Is she just ready to drop her nap? What happened on the days she didn't have one - did it affect the rest of the afternoon/bedtime?

I don't think she is ready to drop her nap, as she does need. It. On the days she doesn't have it by 3pm she is a nightmare, she's whiny and either glued to me for cuddles or her sister.

It also doesn't help meal times as she doesn't entertain food well when tired so she usually ends up having some pasta with veg because its all I can get in her.

I had to move my DS2's nap time from late morning to early afternoon when he was around that age. Could be worth trying it, maybe pushing her nap time an hour or 1.5hours later than it currently is? The tantrums and biting are unfortunately also something I encountered with both kids, it was a phase that thankfully petered out quite soon. The arrival of a new baby may well also unsettle her but I'd have thought that would manifest itself as clinginess?

Its worth a shot right now, after the weekend I'm willing to try anything! She's been a nightmare this afternoon. Feel for dd1 as she needs help with her homework and I feel like I've not had 5 mins to get it done, hopefully ds will sleep this evening so we can do it.

This parenting lark is a bugger!!

I shall ride out the biting and hope she doesn't do it at her play group!

It's hard isn't it! Hope they cooperate tonight OP and that your dd is happier tomorrow

Well, moving the nap back worked today. She had an hour, she refused to go back down though (sometimes she will go back down for another half hour or so) she is now happily toddling around the room with her walker and laughing at nothing.

Last night she went up to. Bed at 6 and was not having any of it until about 7 and woke at 7 this morning (she sort of woke up at 8 and 11 but she went straight back down once she had her dummy).

Ds was ok last night too, although he's pretty good on anight so ccan't complain.

I'm having the same problem re lunchtime nap. What time did she happily go down when u pushes it back?

It was half 1 yesterday and I tries at 2pm today but she was having none of it. :(

We had been shopping and she is shattered but she refuses to go to sleep so I've brought tea forward and I'm settling her now as she is just knackered.