That is what my Fuss has said the last 3 weeks. She has apparently decided that she's "too big" to have naps now that she's passed the 18 month mark. I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, I no longer have to work my daily schedule around when she's going to be ready for a nap. However, I have had to deal with a VERY cranky Fuss lately. She gets to the point at around 1-2 p.m. (her normal nap time) where she is so tired she's completely out of control. Jumping, screaming defiance ensues and Mommy is ready to pull her hair out by the handfuls.
The worst part of this isn't the defiance or the crankiness...it's the fact that Daddy is on night shift. That means he needs to sleep during the day. This is not an easy feat when you have a screaming Fuss in your home. *If you don't believe me about the screaming Fuss, just ask my mom.* Fuss has one scream we like to call "the Banshee". It is a high-pitched shriek that could nearly shatter glass and it is done as loud as humanly possible. Seriously, if she does it right by your ear you may have permanent hearing damage. At least you usually have a warning before hitting "Banshee" and complete meltdown.
This week has been better because during the mid-afternoon, we have been visiting my friends' house to babysit their little ones: a spunky 4-year-old girl (Princess) and a laid-back 16-month-old boy (Charlie Brown). One might think having 2 kids nearly the same age and a third, older child would be more complicated. In some ways it is. Overall, though, it is easier since they entertain each other. The entertainment alone is enough to satisfy my Fuss and keep her from being, well, fussy! It also gets us out of the house for a while allowing Daddy some much needed time for sleep.
The biggest thing that has helped with Fuss, by far, is an earlier bed time. With a 1- to 2-hour nap in the afternoon, she often stayed up until 9 or 9:30 p.m. Since we are now negating naps, Fuss goes to bed closer to 8-8:30 p.m. That gives me more time for school work and just time to relax. The only drawback is that she likes to try to sneak in cat naps in the car. If that happens, we can expect an extra hour of fighting before bed. Fuss will scream like no other! She cries like we have beaten the living daylights out of her and then begs to get back up. Some nights Mommy gives in. I do know that her teeth are also part of the issue. The few nights she didn't sleep well, she actually took a couple of good naps for me! LOL. I am not sure which I would rather have. The nap or a full night of uninterrupted sleep...scratch that! I want the uninterrupted sleep!!
What was the hardest part of nap transitions for you? Any advice to try to make this one easier on all parties (especially poor Daddy)?
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