Reply to Tips for "quiet time" for 2.5 year old...

Forum Index » General Discussion

Reply to "Tips for "quiet time" for 2.5 year old..."

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]Wonder if watching a fairly boring video would help, as he sits in your lap and snuggles with his favorite blanket?  Also, I might try to have him go down later than a typical nap - like at 2:00 - because he might not be tired enough to settle down when he's down earlier, at 1pm.  That is actually counter-intuitive to typical sleep suggestions, which say that if a child is yawning, he's OVER tired and should have been put to sleep much earlier.  So you either try putting him to sleep at 12noon, or 2 or 2:30pm, and I doubt any 21/2 yr old needs to go down at 12noon, unless he's been up since 3am continuously.  (He's not been, right??? Please god!)

I'm sure you've tried putting him down and rubbing his back - he's in a crib still?  If he's in a bed, then perhaps you have him lie and you read (in a very monotonous tone, do NOT use all those fabulous voices you normally do) a very.long.and.involved.book.  He might be soothed to sleep by this - you are there, he's not fighting the nap, and your monotonous voice reading a book (not showing him the pictures of course).  Try that Madeline book with the girls all lined up in rows - that'll put me to sleep, LOL (I know, that's every other woman's favorite book but I can actually read that book and NOT LISTEN to myself read it - no lie, I get to the end and I have no idea what I just read.

Perhaps those long and horrible Curious George books, that go on and on.  Or Babar - also goes on for freakin' forever.  (opinonated much?  LOL)

I hear you, because it's frustrating, but perhaps you just give up the ghost, because  all it's really doing is frustrating you and he's not really getting any rest if he's bellowing and singing.  I'd do the video as the last resort because watching tv can also jazz a super active child up.  And make sure it's not a singalong or active video.

Also, how's the morning routine?  Do you go outside for at least 1 hour, no matter what the weather (except for pouring rain?) And I'm serious, he needs to go out and RUN RUN RUN and gets lot of exercise, not sit nicely in a stroller for an hour or so.  Walk to a playground, play for an hour, then walk back.  Uphill both ways.  (think of this as your exercise, chase him until you are both winded).  Then come back at 11:30am, read a book or two, then have a nice quiet lunch at 12pm with quiet music playing in the background, then do a quieter activity (puzzles, table toys with legos or markers or playdough - sensory things are great for active kids to help them get centered) and then at 2pm go to his room and read your nice boring (in a boring voice) book.  And that will get him 1 hour, tops.  It won't be a break for you but you won't be frustrated.  And then when he comes downstairs and has a snack, then he can sit quietly and look through books whlie you take a little break - you're not reading to him, he can sit and page through books for 15 minutes.

And at his age, he ought to be able to play in the livingroom for a few minutes without destroying the house while you go to the bathroom.

Then by 4pm, back outside for 1 more hour of outside time before it gets dark at 5pm - in his backyard this time if he has one, otherwise you can go for a walk in the neighborhood (uphill both ways).

Good luck.  I think I'd just roll with it and get over it, I know he needs to rest but I'd just do the reading with him vs trying to get him to rest, because he's just not gonna.  And you're going to be so frustrated!

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics