With my baby turning into a toddler several parts of our day is changing. I put her on the toddler eating schedule about four months ago.
Breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
Snack at 10 a.m.
Lunch at 11:30 a.m.
Snack at 2 p.m. (this one varies based on napping schedule)
Dinner at 4:30 p.m.
Snack at 5:30 p.m. (when we eat dinner)
That has flowed into her day really well. It has created predictability even if she barely eats anything for snack. Napping on the other hand has always been a challenge. She used to take 3 to 4 naps a day when she was nursing. We are finally down to two naps. I bet that sounds great. It would be if they were predictable in time and length. Every day is different. So in my attempt to find some time to actually get something done, I am pushing for just one long nap in the afternoon.
I have a couple of strategies to do this. First, I am waking up before her to shower and get mostly ready for the day. I am finally getting real sleep again, so instead of waking up when she does and trying to find time to shower, I decided to get up a little earlier. This is working good for me. Second, I then have a new option for our day. I found that doing the grocery shopping or other errands right away in the morning is great. Few people are out, I still feel energized, it gives my daughter a new place to be and keeps her awake. Last week we were out a couple of days in the morning. She still took a little cat nap on the way home, but it wasn't too long. One day it worked, she napped for 2 1/2 hours. The next day, it didn't. She only napped an hour. Guess we still need to work on it. I have a feeling this napping business is always going to challenge us. But I really can't complain. She goes to bed around 7 p.m. and normally doesn't wake up until 7 a.m.
I normally work on cleaning the kitchen when she snacks, during a nap and once I start supper. That is usually the messiest place in the house. I do laundry in between things and try to stick to this. I get the rest done when I can. I believe taking care of my daughter is the first priority and then everything else. I am slowly realizing that no matter how hard I try, I am never going to feel caught up.
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2 comments:
Rhianna's napping sounds a lot like Ally's. She was always a good sleeper at night, but her naps were so unpredictable. Around a year she started taking only one nap after lunch, so she slept a little longer. At first it was a struggle to keep her awake until lunch time, but it worked out.
Even now though I still never feel caught up, I 'm still learning to let go and the kids come first before housework. :)
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