activity time for an almost 8 month old....how long??

[luvmykidsjaj]

Our ds will be 8 months old on the 31st, and I was just curious what a normal amount of awake time is at this age. Most days we do about 2.5 hours, but at times that is too long and he gets overtired, and other times it seems too short and he isn't ready for his nap.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[skibbit]

my ds is 8 months old and can only go between 45 min to 1.5 hours at the most of awake time! it sucks! but i just like playing peekaboo and let him play with toys on a play mat independantly or let him play in his play yard. of course we play with him too though. our ds likes us pretending to eat his hand! : ) and he likes if i sit and put him on my foot and bounce "1" "two" and on "three" i raise him up high! hope this hepls!

[luvmykidsjaj]

Thanks so much for the reply! What a challenge for your lo to only have 45 to 1.5 hours of awake time. It must be so difficult to get errands done.

We let our ds play on his mat independently or my older kids will play with him too, although sometimes that is less than helpful!!  I just wish there was a set amount of time to do A time for that would always work.

Anyway, thanks again.

[GG]

Honestly, "A" times can vary at any age and even on different days for 1 individual baby. If you're going by his cues rather than the clock (which it sounds that you're doing), you're doing fine.

If you concentrate on activities that don't tire him out too much, that will most likely keep the "A" time more consistent. However, the following things will definitely make "A" time fluctuate, and you can't really do anything about them:

• milestones (like rolling, crawling, cruising)
• growth spurt
• teething
• how much sleep he got the night before or earlier in the day
• if he's ill

HTH

[EMC2]

I too have an 8 month old but she will be 9 months on the 28th.  Our problem lies in the late afternoon for activity time.

She LOVES to climb, cruise etc.  It makes her REALLY happy.  It exhausts us trying to keep up with her. 

My concern is her EASY in the afternoon.

On an average, she afternoon naps ends around 3pm, bottle within 20 minutes of waking up, STARTS GETTING FUSSY AROUND 4 PM, will also yawn.  I have taken this cue and tried simmering down her activity.  She won't have it.  Talk about making a baby cranky.  I have even tried to put her down for a nap.  This will often take 40 minutes just for a 40 minute nap.  Which the nap really does not help her fussiness.  Then we have a meal between 4:30 and 5 depending on when she took her bottle.  So then we have the time after 5 for Activity again.  She will play off and on and then get fussy once more.  Snack around 5:30 or depending on when I can get dinner started.  Our bedtime routine starts around 6:15.  Bath, (WRESTLE PUTTING ON HER DIAPER AND NIGHTIME CLOTHES), then bottle, story, pray and then bed.  This takes us to about 7pm.  She used to go to sleep at 7:30 pm but we have had to move up bedtime because she is sooooooo cranky. 

I just can't seem to figure this part of our day out and I need help!!!!!!!!!

Oh she also wakes once or twice in the middle of the night.  All I usually have to do is lay her back down and put her pacifer in her mouth.  Any clue as to why we have to this repeatidly every night.  Most of the time, when she wakes, it is random..

[Missy Lou]

i believe the average A time for 7 months until a bit older is 2.75 to 3 hours.  there are days though since we've dropped the catnap that lo is up for 3.25 to 3.5 (not a great thing though because she's just about 7 months and i think that's a little too long for her). 

for an 8 month old, i'm thinking 3 hours or so.

EMC2 - if she wakes at 3 and goes to bed at 7, she's up for 4 hours and that may be a bit too long.  could bedtime be moved up to either 6 or 6:30?  is she sleeping about 3 hours for naps?  if not, could you use wake to sleep maybe to extend any short naps and then the p.m. nap would be later in day?
melissa