JUULE, JUULE are you there?

[phdlife]

I've always liked your approach to parenting - got a quick WWYD question:

ds is 18m. Always naps 1.5-2hrs, usually around 11am.

We had a very crap night last night (dunno why, he just woke crying lots) so he is purple-eyed though chirpt this morning. But refusing to nap.

Usually I lie down with him, bf, pat, and he goes right off. Today he kept sitting up to play, even though he was so tired he had the stares. So i did what we usually do - wait a bit, give him a snack, try again. Same deal.

Have now resorted to putting him in his cot, going in for pat/cuddle. If he wants to go down I'll cuddle him but so far he keeps trying to go play. I feel absolutely horrid letting him cry, a thing I've never done, but otoh I can't stand seeing him absolutely knackered, knowing he needs the sleep, and is keeping himself awake.

I've got plans to be out and about this afternoon, he never naps in his stroller, do I just let him up and on with it? Or insist?

don't suppose you'll see this while the issue is still hot but would feel better armed in future if I knew what you would do...

going to cuddle him again now

balls well I got him out of the cot as I couldn't bear letting him get himself in this state

now he is alternately trying to get on my computer, playing, and sitting on my feet carrying on sobbing.

Hi phdlife, I've just seen this.

Hope he finally fell asleep for you.

I'd have done what you did. If he really wasn't settling (which it sounds like he wasn't) then I'd have let him get up and would have grit my teeth knowing I was in for a whingey hour/day.

Sometimes mine would eventually nod off if I sat with them while reading to them or maybe watching one of their videos/dvd/tv programmes. Sometimes I'd get away with watching something I wanted to watch but still with them being close. Sometimes, I'd go out. Even the ones who were reluctant to sleep in their pushchair would usually fall asleep on a walk out if they were overtired.
When they get like this I found that all I could do was try various things. If they worked, great, if they didn't well at least it passed the time during the day and brought night-time and hopefully a good night's sleep a little closer.

If it was obvious that my child wasn't going to settle then, like you, I'd have let him get up and would try to get on with the rest of the day on the understanding that I had a whingey child and might have to let some less important things fall by the wayside (not necessarilly your out and about plans for pm.)

They don't stay awake forever and once he conks out he should be out for a while. Just hope it's not too near to bedtime and then he wakes up for the night.

Not sure if that helps at all, just how it's been for me mostly.

no, thanks, it did help. it's daft, not knowing how to handle something and only having in your head the popular media options you disagree with

he did the playing/sobbing thing for about a quarter of an hour after my last post - then he went in the other room and was banging his head on the floor and sobbing. So I scooped him up and he accepted a cuddle, a comfort suckle (which I NEVER let him do, it tends to hurt me) and passed out in my arms. Slept 1hr40mins. Woke up and gave me some kisses so that helped.

After lunch (which started at, you know, 2:30!) we went to the park, which he wandered around for 5 minutes, then climbed back in his chair. Spent the afternoon sucking his fingers and staring dozily round - he's still tired! Went down a bit better tonight thankfully.

Guess the tough part of toddlerdom is finally kicking off...