What about leaving the house?

[JamesFrancisMama]

I love the idea of EASY, but I don't totally understand how to make it work with necessary comings and goings. For example, we're going to a reunion today from 1 to 4 ish, but he's supposed to nap at 2. Is napping in his car seat considered good sleep? Should we try not to bring him? How do you experienced mamas make it work if you aren't home all day?

Thanks!! 

[michaeljacknnugg]

Well, we did pretty much every first nap and many others too out of the house, and we managed EASY! I would just go ahead with your plans and see if he naps - otherwise you might need to allow him to catch up later.

[theu.s.lees]

You can't always stay in the house, so some naps will have to be on the go. I just had baby#3, so while I'm still getting into a routine, many of the morning naps are in the carrier/car while I take the kids out and about. Since S naps at 2, Im always home for that, so H gets at least one or two naps at home in her crib. The idea is that you are at least following the EAS pattern even if you're out. And that you might have to spend a couple days at home to catch up if LO doesn't nap well on the go!

[JamesFrancisMama]

Thanks you guys. That's a good point about following the pattern even if you're out and the timing itself might be off. I guess maybe I was overthinking it? We'll see how it goes today!

[Katet]

The key to motherhood is actually not keeping the routine, but being able to deal with the bumps & turns when they routine doesn't go to plan. The routines & rituals are the road map, but as children don't run to clock work & increasingly they have their own agenda, its more about learning to work with it rather than stress over keeping to the routine. 

As an example, he's due for a nap, you might need to take him for a walk to settle him & then he might only sleep 30mins where he'd normally do 1.5hours, so you try to work out a way to tweak the rest of the day & you learn from that for the next time.

I found with both my boys it was the 'ritual' that happened before a nap that was more a key than where the nap happened. With DS2 he rarely napped at home unless Ds1 was napping also because we were out doing things to keep DS1 busy... for that reason even as a 9yo if DS2 is tired enough he will still fall asleep in the car LOL

[newkidontheblock]

This might help you out
EASY - Getting Out and About

[JamesFrancisMama]

The key to motherhood is actually not keeping the routine, but being able to deal with the bumps & turns when they routine doesn't go to plan.

That's a great point -- when does life go so smoothly that you can follow a plan down to the minutes, right? Funny I didn't think of that. So following the pattern of EASY, watching the baby, and I guess just learning to ride the crazy daily wave is the way to go. I feel like this is easier said than done... but I'll try!!!

[JamesFrancisMama]

This might help you out
EASY - Getting Out and About

SUPER helpful!!! Thank you

[newkidontheblock]

 

[Katet]

I feel like this is easier said than done... but I'll try!!!

I think learning to take your own temperament into account is part of it, realising that you are parenting your child & the uniqueness of that isn't going to be from a routine in a book or what other people do to the minute, it is going to be what works best for you.

I know a Mum who had a child that slept through the night from 6 weeks, best sleeper in the world, until he was 4yo & then he was up so many times in the night it drove them mad, even as an 8 yo he sometimes ends up sleeping on the floor of their bedroom because a noise woke him & he won't go back to sleep on his own in the quiet dark house... just because you get things working like clockwork at one age, doesn't mean they will later on, so it's more about being able to work with it than hope for it.

[JamesFrancisMama]

Those are good points too. After reading all these tips, I wonder if it actually matters whether you follow the routine at specific times at all. Does a fixed wake-up time really matter? Do set nap times (when you're home) really matter? If you're going based on baby's cues rather than the clock, then I guess there would be big variation in timing from one day to the next. Is that what you've all found?

[newkidontheblock]

It's not so much about specific times as about knowing how long your baby can comfortably stay up without becoming over tired.I found that a fixed wake up time and bedtime worked wonders to set my DD's body clock. In fact, we had one NF at around 5 which immediately stopped when I began waking her at 7 as I think she then knew food would be coming soon. Even if she woke earlier, she would happily play and chat until I got her up. Same with BT - she was a truly awful napper but no matter how terrible day sleep was, she was asleep by 7 and I could finally have some 'me' time. Although I took her cues into account, with my DD, going by the clock and assessing nap length worked best to figure out the right A. If I waited for the first yawn, I was already too late.
HTH!