play groups and nap times

[mmom]

I have seen posts on this before, so I know many women struggle with this.  I am looking to sign my LO up for a structured play group where they do all kinds of age appropriate activities.  I think he needs socialization and we need to do something fun together, rather than being stuck in the house with me all the time.  The group for his age is from 11-12:15.  Unfortunately, my LO wakes at the crack of dawn and goes down for a nap between 11/11:30.  DH thinks it is just one day per week and we could push through.  However, I wonder if it would even be worth it - as in would he have a meltdown in the middle due to exhaustion?  Are there moms who do things like this and do them successfully?

[anna*]

I have come to the conclusion that EVERY activity one wants to do is ALWAYS smack dab in the middle of nap time.

Would your LO do a 20 mins early catnap just to get him through to the other side of playgroup? If not, I think the only strategy is to try it out and see. I definitely DON'T advocate being stuck at home all day every day for naps.

[Mashi]

One thing that has always bothered me about toddler groups is that they NEVER take into account sleep times!  Ever! There is a toddler's swimming class for LOs aged 12-24 months that I wanted to take DS to this winter and the pool time is 600-700pm!  So your 18 month old eats dinner when? And then out of the pool at 700....get home, and into bed at what time? Baffling.

I only do one play group with DS and it is 930-1130 and it is for age 6months to 3yo (big gap, I know!) There are many meltdowns!  The last mtg before Christmas break there were two 8ish month olds in tears and throwing total fits at about 1100 and the mothers couldn't understand why, were trying to blame one of the toddlers for taking a toy...and I'm sitting there thinking "OMG your child is TIRED!!!"

As it is, with it being 930-1130 I used to leave a bit early, usually by 1115 at the latest in order to get home and get DS into bed by 1145, that was when he was normally napping at 1130. I'd give him something to eat on the way home to keep him awake.  

I think that you may find that with the activities going on, after a couple of weeks he will be able to last until 1215 without a total meltdown...but I would also be prepared for him to fall asleep in the car on the way home, if that is something you can live with?

With all that is going on with his naps, I think I am inclined to agree with your DH...it's one day a week and things aren't going well nap wise at the moment, so why toss aside a good activity because of naps, kwim?

[mmom]

I was thinking the same thing about the timing of the class.  I looked at the schedule and the 2yo class is at 9 and the 18-24 month old class later.    Why wouldn't they flop them around?  That just doesn't make sense to me.

I guess I would have to experiment and see how he would do.  I don't see me getting a cat nap, unless he falls asleep on the way there, which is a possibility given it is 20 minutes away and we would be in the car during his nap time.  It is $$$ though and i don't want to spend the money and have him in pieces during every class kwim?  He probably would fall asleep in the way home, which is fine if I can transfer him to his crib.  Sometimes he is so OS that he doesn't fall asleep right after that stuff, because he is unwinding.

Mashi, you are right - his naps are a mess anyway, so why not?

[Shiv52]

I'd give it a go too.  The benefits of getting out always far outweighed the lack of sleep/OT that resulted.  Hopefully he'll fall asleep on the way there even for a quick catnap and that should revive him for the class and then all the excitement and socialising will exhaust him for a nice long nap after lunch!  (In an ideal world obviously!!!)