EASY on weekends

[amycyt]

Hi I am new to EASY.  I would like to ask people who have successfully implemented EASY to share your experiences.

How is it possible to maintain EASY on weekends but at the same time you want to enjoy your weekends out side the house?  Whether do fun things with friends and families or have special occasions to attend.  Things that you can't avoid to do without bringing your LO with you.  You might be able to keep the feeding schedule no matter where you go, but what about naps? 

Also for example, you dine out on weekends and can't come home by 7pm for your LO's bedtime.  Is it ok to let the LO to sleep late for one or two nights per week?  Would it throw off the next day routine? 

For me, the hardest part to understand EASY is to be consistent but be flexible at the same time.  What does it mean and how do you do it?

[Buttonbobs]

Hi there, so the first thing about the flexible routine is it isn't really flexibility from day to day but the flexibility comes from following your child's lead rather than following the clock. So while you might broadly follow a three or four hour EASY (or longer with older LOs) you don't rigidly stick to the 3/4 hours and if your LO seems particularly tired on any particular day would wait for sleepy cues & go for an earlier nap.

The consistency comes from following the same EAS pattern in the same way each cycle using the same wind down routine and your LO knows what to expect next. This usually helps with the routine and also hps you to understand your child's cues.

As for days out, you can give your LO the opportunity to sleep in a sling/buggy perhaps covering the buggy with a dark blanket if that helps. Sometimes my DD would sleep when out, and sometimes she wouldn't. i have always needed to keep my social life going to stay sane. As such I used to go with the flow a bit and offer her sleep at her tired times but if she didn't sleep I'd try not to worry and then would let her have a bit more of a catch up the next day.

As my DD has got older she's become better at napping and more likely to nap when we're out, but still takes a slightly shorter nap. She can cope with this with an earlier BT and a nap at home the following day.

I hope this helps x

[Mama2Athena]

I think some of it depends on your LO's personality.  My DS was a fairly portable baby which makes outings very easy.  We just have to time it so that he gets a nap in the car or stroller at some point around his usual nap time.  And amazingly his naps were of decent lengths, so long that you don't transfer him. 

My DD on the other hand is not as portable and naps are always shorter out and about.  She is now 17 months old and has a very good routine at daycare/home during the week.  On weekends, I love being out and about (mainly for my sanity) so at least one of the two days we go out and I know her sleep schedule will be off, but luckily she gets right back on track after a day or so.  Yesterday we were out the entire day and during our long drive to our destination she fell asleep for 20 minutes, which then threw off her nap around noon time.  Later in the afternoon, I had to APOP'd a nap in the stroller (by pushing the stroller back and forth) and she did manage an hour nap.  Of course she was tired on the drive home so had another cat nap around 6 PM, which threw off bedtime.  She ended up sleeping in this morning but then resumed her normal schedule at daycare.

Sometimes friends want to meet for lunch during DD's naptime.  I can usually APOP a car nap before lunch, enjoy lunch and then she'll nap again in the car on the way home.  Probably not the most ideal in terms of EASY but sometimes you just have to go out and have a social life in order to keep your sanity.  Also, I keep reminding myself that naps are only temporary, they will soon outgrow the need for one and life will get easier.  And don't be afraid to APOP a nap out and about.