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I am being held hostage by my children's naps

29 replies

HuffwardlyRudge · 04/07/2009 12:33

I don't know if I want advice or just a bit of a moan. I'm fed up.

Dd is 3.
Ds is 1.

We have no routine whatsoever, I just let the children sleep when they need to.

We all wake up between 5 and 6.
By 9.00 ds is starting to get tired and cranky. He goes to sleep between 9 and 10 and is generally down for 2 hours.
So, he wakes between 11 and 12, by which time dd is getting tired and cranky.
We squeeze in lunch and then dd goes down for a nap between 12 and 1.
She sleeps for about 3 hours or sometimes more.
So, she wakes some time between 3 and 5, by which time ds is tired and cranky and ready for his second nap.
He sleeps for about an hour, or a bit more, by which time it is time for supper and baths and bed and we've done nothing all day but have naps.

Obviously we do go out, but only by cutting short a nap (usually ds's because he is less vile when tired than dd is). I feel guilty because he is 1 and he needs his naps and should be able to have a nice sleep in his cot during the day, but more often than not he gets both his naps in his car seat en route to somewhere. Sometimes he only gets 20 minutes in the morning and nothing else for the rest of the day. He sleeps dreadfully at night and this is probably why.

So, we are home waiting for one or other of them to wake up, or out and about with at least one grumpy and overtired child.

Once they are tired and cranky there is no point going out because they always fall asleep in the car and are furious if they are woken up too soon.

Another factor is that it is quite an effort to get either of them to sleep. I know that sounds contradictory to the above, but when they need to sleep (and I mean need to sleep) it often takes me over an hour to get them down.

It doesn't help that ds is going through a really clingy phase and while he's awake he has to be touchingmeeverysinglemomentoftheday. And pinching me. And biting me. I am covered in bruises. And hanging off my clothes. Dd does this too. I want to shout at everyone to fucking get off me PLEASE sometimes. But obviously I don't [pollyanna emoticon]. And dd is, well, she's 3 with everything that entails. And she's jealous of her little brother.

I'm not really talking about sleep and napping any more. I just feel if I could get naps sorted so they napped together or dd dropped her nap, other things would be easier.

OP posts:
bloss · 04/07/2009 19:12

Message withdrawn

puffylovett · 04/07/2009 19:15

cargirl he has 45 mins to an hour tops - but when I wake him , if he's shattered he can take up to another 45 mins to wake up properly grrr..

although I'm hppy with our routine at the mo

sorry huff, slight hijack there !

CarGirl · 04/07/2009 19:16

I did the wake grumpy dd up, straight into pushchair with cup of milk - I would be going to do the school run. It did work though she came around more quickly and was less grumpy.

ches · 04/07/2009 19:19

Soon enough your DS will drop down to one nap and it will be closer to the middle of the day. Right now you have a deal most SAHMs to two toddlers would dream of: plenty of time to give your children individual attention. Enjoy it while it lasts!

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