Anyone found the solution to car naps?

[F1nit0]

Just hoping someone found a solution to keep their DC awake in the car or a way of getting them out and putting them back to sleep?
Basically DS 9 months had a 10 minute car nap and has since refused to nap all afternoon. I'm not going to let him nap now because bedtime will be midnight. So I'm in for a few shouty whiney hours until I can put him to bed early at 6. But what's worrying me is I'm back at work next week. I finish at 6pm and will have to go and pick him up from my parents. It's likely I'll get home around 7:30-8. I just now he's going to treat the 40 min car journey as a nap and then be awake for another 3 hours. When I have work the next day it's going to be exhausting. Any ideas?

I used to have this problem. My DD was so tired from being up early and going to the childminder. When I picked her up at 4pm and drove 10mins home she would power nap and then wouldn’t go to bed until 10-11pm. But would have to be up the next morning and do it again. Such a nightmare. I did everything to keep them awake. Loud music, windows wide open, sweets and juice in the car and talking to them constantly on the way home. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t.

Could you get him ready for bed at your parents, then transfer him to the cot when you get home? That's what we tend to do if we're leaving somewhere just before bedtime, she wakes up, but I take her straight upstairs, stick her sleeping bag in and have a quick cuddle, then straight into the cot?

What time does he normally go to bed? For us, car naps cause problems with naps but never with bedtime.

At that age, I didn't find anything that worked apart from getting ready for bed before leaving and then attempting the transition straight to bed. Sometimes worked, sometimes didn't!

There is no solution I'm afraid, get him in his pyjamas / ready for bed before he gets in the car and then transfer to his cot hopefully without waking him.

Keep everything dark as you go in the house, make sure nursery is set up for bed in the morning (Curtains closed etc).

We solved this - I begrudge doing it but if I REALLY need him not to fall asleep, I have a car phone holder that clips onto the head rest and let him watch youtube.
We really limit screen time but it was just worth it to let him watch if it meant he wasnt snoozing

I'd get your parents to get him ready for bed and try and transfer him when he gets in.or does a parent drive could they drop him home earlier in the day ?

And wait with him obviously 😃

I'd agree with others - get him bed-ready before you leave so you can just transfer to cot, or can your parents drop him back some days and put him to bed, and wait with him until you get back?

Thank you all! So appreciated. I think I'm just deflecting my sadness at going back to work onto worrying about car naps 😔 My poor parents are going to pick him up in the morning so I'm not late for work so I really don't want them to have to drop him off as well if I can help it. But sounds like getting him ready for bed before he leaves my parents is the answer and then just hope and pray he doesn't wake up.
The YouTube suggestion could work. He won't have any screen time at my parents and I limit to when I wash his bottles so it's not as if he will be having alot.
His bedtime is usually around 7 so before I'll be home with him.

I'm going to be having my grandson soon..his dad will be picking him up from us.. it's a 25min drive home..
We're going to try letting him have an afternoon nap quite late here with me.. hopefully then he'll stay awake on the journey home..we might have to tweek it until it works..
I feel your pain

How many days will the later trip home be? Might your folks prefer to just stay based at your house on the days they have him? All his usual stuff around and able to be put to bed by them at 7

Ohh that could be worth trying!
I hope it works well for you guys

Two days and then a day at my mother in laws. However her house is only a 5 minute drive so I'm less worried about that one affecting bedtime.
They have said some days they will stay here but it's such a long day Im already eternally grateful for the free childcare I would feel bad making them stay away from home all day.

Is he still in the carry car seat? If so I would bring in in the seat and when he stirs, take him to his bed and resettle as you normally would.

Not the point of the thread but I'll never understand the idea of placing work so highly that you literally won't get to spend any time with your child on a work day. You don't say how many times a week this will happen but this isn't a permanent solution and be prepared for it to impact you greatly. Look at shortening your working day if you can

Well, then you are privileged not to have to do this.

Do you normally shit on other mothers from a great height ?

Don't get me wrong, I used to do this. Went through the experience of it draining my mental health and children not reacting well to it and made the decision to massively cut back for the sake of our well being.

No having a roof over his head is my priority actually 💀

Again, it comes from a place of privilege that you had this option. Not everyone can cut (from what already sounds like a 3 day week) and not end up in financial difficulty.

I'm already eternally grateful for the free childcare I would feel bad making them stay away from home all day.

I feel the same way, my parents are also kind enough to provide free childcare and it's much nicer for them to be in their own home and able to bring my son along while doing their own jobs and errands.

Hopefully your thread won't be derailed by irrelevant judgement from one poster. Your child will be perfectly happy being cared by family who love and adore him. I love the close bond my child has with his grandparents.

Thank you so much for your kind post 💛
You sum up exactly how I feel and he already loves his nan and grandad so much I know he's going to have a great time.

Thank you 😊

And yes I'm cutting down to a 3 day week. So I'll have more days off with him than I spend at work. But obviously that's still not good enough and open to judgement (not from you so again thank you)

The rule is, as long as you transfer them before 10/15 mins they should be able to be gently plucked from the car, onto shoulder and into bedroom and stay asleep. Or even if they do wake up, they're still tired enough to go back off (provided they can normally self settle). Any longer than 15 mins and yeah, you're fecked.