Baby not getting any easier.. what to do in evenings?!

[testy1997]

I've posted before about my fussy little girl. She's now 5 months and it's just constant grizzle grizzle grizzle. She's fine for about two minutes and then just fussing. She feeds well, sleeps well and is stimulated but I honestly just want to go back to work with how hard work she is. Is there anything I can do to help? Or just at least make evenings less chaotic? 5pm onwards is just a nightmare. She won't even go to anyone but her dad so any offers of help are quickly rescinded after about 5 mins

Also she might be hungry… 5 months they are gearing up for weaning and growing a lot so maybe some extra milk

How old is the toddler? My 7m old and 3yo go to bed at the same time, have done since day 1.

Youngest transitioned to 2 naps when they were 5m, too: first nap 930/10 - 11/1130, then second nap 2/230-4. Winding down/tidy up and stories starts between 6/630, bedtime routine then both in bed by 7.

@KCSIE she's 2. I just don't know how to extend wake windows to make two naps work!

@minipie won't that cause a disrupted night if she's overtired?

@bowiesmum I have and find she wakes after one sleep cycle but does settle back down

@Arthursmom I think I might just try letting her go longer for both naps and see what happens b

if you want a 7 pm bedtime I don’t see how else you can do this. A 30 minute nap is obviously making her grumpy. I think if you stop waking her from her other 2 naps the time of them/space between them will be later so that takes you later in the day then you just need to make it to 7…

Do you wake baby from naps or just let them wake when they're ready?

I'd let baby wake when they're ready after the first nap, and then put them down for 2nd nap when they show signs of tiredness, probably around 2.5 hours later and again let them wake when ready, then push on through until bedtime which will by then probably be about 3hrs of awake time. In that 3hrs at the end of the day will be a little play time, tea/dinner time, tidy up toys time, story bath milk/bedtime routine and then actually in bed for 7pm or thereabouts.

@KCSIE exactly 🙏