Preparing for a potential nap disaster!

[Lulu m]

Hi moms and moderators. Question -

Just one day a week, starting next week I will be bringing my DD to a healthclub daycare as I have an opportunity to teach a class there. She will be one week short of 10 months when I start bringing her.

The potential problem being is that we might get home a bit later than her nap usually starts, so the OT monster could set in and we could get one of those 30 min naps.

We have not had one of those days in a while (Thank God!) so how do you salvage such a day? How long of an A time should she get before her next nap? Obviously she'll be tired as it is, so her cues will be all over the place.

At least it is only one day a week.

I just want to be prepared. Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[jess, lukeys_mom]

Lulu,
Just wondering a few things. first of all, what is your nap routine like and which nap is it? and how is your lo to get to sleep - go down easily, quickly overstimulated, etc? 

One thing I was thinking was to catch the nap on time and just not at home. I don't know what kind of a set-up you have an how you will get to and from the gym. Is it a possibility to walk there so she can nap in the stroller on the way back for that one nap and you can stay out for the length of her nap? Or could you drive there with stroller in the car and then walk her around once you leave the gym and before you go home? If this isn't a possibility, i don't suppose there is anywhere to sleep at the gym day care?

[Lulu m]

Hi there. Thanks for the response.

It is her first nap of the day. Her second nap is in the stroller - it is a catnap. She is doing the 2-1 nap switch early, but she is sleeping 12 hours a night, so I am not complaining.
I suppose I could do this nap in the stroller or the car - not a problem, BUT I don't know how to get the second nap going. How much A time, etc. as we usually don't have the second nap at home.

DD goes down VERY easily as long as the timing is right. She babbles for 5 minutes and is out like a light.

There is no sleeping at the gym daycare - it is basically an indoor playground. 

[jess, lukeys_mom]

I think I would try to switch that am nap into the catnap on those days, and then do a longer nap in the afternoon in her bed so she can really rest. i don't think i would do 2 stroller naps as it might make her ot. our general rule with an am catnap was about 2.5 hrs A time and then +/- 2 hour nap but it depends on your lo.
Depending on the length of your drive you can try nap in the car - if it is her naptime she will prob sleep anyway so you may not have a choice. but if it is less than 45 min then maybe you are better off doing stroller and letting her wake up naturally kwim?

[Lulu m]

Thanks so much! I feel better knowing I have some sort of plan in place.

[jess, lukeys_mom]

no prob, i hope it works out for you 

[Lulu m]

Hi again.
Well the day care thing did not go so well.
She cried til she fell asleep. She slept about 40 min, and I then put her down for a nap 2.75 hrs later and she slept for 2 hours. I woke her after 2 hours because it was 3:15pm, and she goes to bed around 6:30-7, and I wanted to save bedtime. She went to bed at 7pm, woke up at 10pm screaming, and it took an hour to put her back to bed.
She woke before 6am this morning, and I put her down at her usual nap time, and she only slept 30 min.
UGH.
I will aim for a second nap today, but I guess I should not wake her?
How can 90 min of day care ruin 2 days???
Can I EVER leave the house?

[jess, lukeys_mom]

  that is too bad. What do you think happened? Was the day care maybe too stimulating for her?

I don't know what your usual routine is, and when the class usually is.  (maybe post your normal routine, plus the gym day routine) But wondering if it would be possible to put her down for a catnap before the gym so she has had a little rest, and then doing an earlier big nap after that?

You will be able to leave the house again...before you know it she will be 3 and won't need naps, and you will be mourning her naps again   

[Lulu m]

I think she is going through SA  - BIG time. She is also not feeling well - a bit of a cold. The daycare people were good with her - rocked her in her stroller til she fell asleep. I just might have them do that next time too so she'll sleep. She does take a second nap at home with only an am catnap, and once she is feeling better and gets more used to the daycare I think it will be fine? 

[jess, lukeys_mom]

SA is pretty common at her age so wouldn't be surprised if she feels that. Being put to sleep by the day carers is probably so different for her that she was thinking what in the world is going on with my routine?

I just want to mention one thing though, not to get you too down about this but it could be that since it is only 90 min 1x a week, that it takes her quite a long time to get used to the day care  especially as it is a gym day care so probably not the same group every time, she will have new faces and impressions to get used to each time. 

My ds goes to day care (3 days/week) and they always suggest during the induction period to come often, otherwise too much time passes between times for your lo, kwim?

Is it a possibilty for you to look into other options such as someone watching her in your home while you do the class? Or perhaps 1) going more regularly and 2) going much earlier so you can sit with her and hang out with her in there?

[Lulu m]

Yeah, my husband mentioned that too. I am going to go with her 3 times a week from now on. I will sit with her for a while, and then workout for a short time and go home. The one day a week will have to be for the full 90 min is all. We are going back tomorrow - since she is not feeling so well today and see what happens.
If it ends up still being a huge problem maybe someone will have to come to my home instead. I am hoping she gets used to it! 

[jess, lukeys_mom]

well if she is not feeling well then that can definitely increase the SA and her overall not feeling like being at day care, so I would definitely consider that as part of the reason.

by the way, just wanted to mention that the day care providers always used to rock my ds to sleep. i pretty much never did, and he always seemed to know the difference. so if you can get her to sleep during that time at the day care, that sounds like a pretty good plan. 

hope tonight goes well for you and her nw's were a one-off. x

[Lulu m]

Thanks so much!