Baby's naps ruined by school runs

[joge81]

Hello,

I've never posted on here before but need some advice on what I can do about my baby's routine (if anything!)

I have a 5 month old and two older children at school and nursery. It used to work ok as we lived near the school and could get there and back quickly but we have recently moved and now have a 10 minute drive. I have to go to school 3 times a day for drop off, nursery collection and school collection so am out of the house from 8.30-9.15, 11.15-12.00 and 3.00-4.00.

My baby will inevitably fall asleep on each school run but is a light sleeper and wakes usually after 20 minutes either when getting in and out of car or waiting outside a classroom (I do use a chassis for car seat) and then won't go back to sleep. I try to get him back to sleep at home as otherwise he is miserable but because he has had that 20 minutes he fights it and I often end up feeding him to sleep or spending my entire morning/ afternoon consoling him.

When I do eventually get him to sleep in his cot I end up having to wake him to go back out again!

When my husband can work at home once a week and I can leave him he can sleep for an hour in the morning and up to 2 hours in the afternoon so I know that's what he wants and needs.

Anyone done anything similar?!

Thanks!

DD2 just never had a nap as preschool pick up was just as she would have dropped off.

Wouldn't nap once DD1 was home.

Never seemed to bother her, didn't make her grumpy or want her evening feed any earlier.

Tricky. Not had this experience myself (still on DC1) but here are a few suggestions (all of which I appreciate have their downsides!)

1. walk (with baby in the buggy) for at least one of the school runs. For example if you walk there and back to do the nursery pick up, that's probably a good hour in the buggy if not more, and then you can park the buggy when you get home and baby can carry on sleeping. Appreciate that could make you a bit late home for your middle child's lunch so you might need to bring something they can munch on while you walk to keep them going till you get home. On wet days then car and put up with the short naps...

2. Don't try getting him back to sleep after the first 20 minute nap. So he sleeps say 8.40-9.00, then is awake till 11.15. He'll be more tired at 11.15 if you do this, and so less likely to wake up after 20 minutes, so at least you might get a decent nap into him in the middle of the day.

3. Leave a bit earlier (easier said than done I know) and drive around until you're past the 20 minute mark, then hopefully he'll have settled into a new sleep cycle before you stop the car, and will be less likely to wake when the car stops/other DC get out.

Yes I would walk at least one journey. With baby in proper part of pram and snug will probably get an hour outside as mentioned. You calould always walk a long route there to collect from nursery as quick route back. Might carry on sleeping if in pram laid flat rather than car seat.
Feed milk before leaving for nursery so doesn't wake as hungry

Thanks for suggestions! It's 4 miles each way down country lanes so can't really walk and no way my 3 year old would make it back! I will try to keep him going on what he's had in the morning and then leave early for first pick up as can drive around for a while if just me in the car to see if can get a longer stretch then.

How about trying to keep away on morning run? Put in car seat at last minute and take out car seat and carry into school in a sling. Get home and put down for a nap then?

Music in car/ older kids playing peekaboo with baby should keep awake those 10 mins

Great idea, will try that too! If can keep him awake on the way there with help of the other kids I may be able to transfer to cot if only slept on way home.

Just so you're aware, sleep times will adjust. The second two times would be just after a nap for my 6.5 mo.

Yes, I second the idea of keeping him awake on the way to school with the help of your older children. I get ds to tickle dd's feet and generally make her laugh so she stays awake. If he falls asleep on the way home would you be be able to stay in the car for a while to let him have his nap? It's 15-20 mins to my ds's school, so more time for dd to fall asleep, but I have been known to pull in somewhere if she falls asleep and have a little nap myself
Other than that can you give him something to play with on the way home - 4 miles shouldn't take too long? I find Sophie the Giraffe distracts dd enough to get her home sometimes!

I have similar issues, but not as many runs as you! Have a nearly 5 mo DS and 2yo DD, who's in nursery in the mornings. Same issue with DS falling asleep, but not staying asleep once the car is stopped and then not wanting to go down in his cot.

I don't try to put him down straight away after waking from being in the car. I'll wait 45 mins or so and then try putting him down - sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't!

I think I've just accepted that his "routine", such as it is, is not going to be particularly structured and has to fit around DD and his tiredness/grumpiness levels. In a few months time his nap requirements will change anyway and he'll be needing naps at different times, which hopefully will fit around nursery runs a bit better, so I figured it's not worth stressing about for the short time til that happens really.

I had almost exactly the same with my DC3, same timed school runs too. It actually ended up working out really well once I managed to keep him awake during the morning drop off. You might find you can start to accomplish this, the other two keep him awake on the way and maybe on the way home from school put his car seat in the front so you can give him the occasional gentle prod if he is dropping off. Once I had managed to get my DS in the habit of NOT falling asleep on the morning run I would get him back to bed on my return and he would often sleep a full two hours until I needed to leave 11.30 ish to pick up DD2. This was excellent for me as having a couple of hours at home with him sleeping and the girls at school meant I could really get stuff done (or just collapse myself!) After having had a good 2 hour morning nap he would then make it through lunch v happily and then have a short nap in the afternoon 3pm ish on the DD1 pick up.

Once we were in that routine it was excellent and lasted until he was about 14 months and we moved house (and schools and timings!)

We managed to keep him awake this morning and I was able to transfer him as he'd only just fallen asleep when I got home. He had an hour which set him up for the rest of the day. Hopefully can get him to continue that next week! Thanks again.