No Nap + No Rest = No Peace . . . Advice Needed!
I recently came to a sad realization: Lucy is done napping. She used to fall asleep once or twice a week during rest time, but it's been weeks without a wink of sleep and I'm finally accepting that she's outgrown the nap. (I'm not accepting it gracefully, but I'm accepting it as truth.)
I love my kids. (How many times have I made a disclaimer like this?) I love reading books and doing crafts and laughing with them. But I'm realizing more and more how much I need a little down time during the day. So Lucy is still having an hour of rest time. I let her pick 5 books to take upstairs, put a CD on for her, and tell her she can read and play, but she needs to stay in her bed. Great idea, right? Ugh.
She screams "Mommy!!!!" down the stairs pretty much every five minutes to tell me, "I need a new CD. I want to play when I get up. Is it time to get up yet? I don't want to stay in my bed anymore. I think I heard Lena. I see a bird out the window."
So I put a clock in her room and showed her that the big hand has to make it all the way back around before she can get up. I told her that every time she calls for me, she'll add 5 minutes to her rest time. It doesn't deter her. She keeps calling for me, and it makes me SO ANGRY!!! I've tried ignoring her, but she just screams incrementally louder. Of course, Lena is sleeping in the room right next to her, so I can't let her screaming get out of control.
I've spanked her and scolded her and done everything else I can think of to stop the madness, but nothing works!! I can't really shift the sleeping arrangements. My parents room is not heated, so I can't stick either of the girls in there. Luke's room is so full of gadgets and gizmos and temptations that I don't dare put Lucy in there. And his room is directly below Lucy's, so even if I put Lena in there, she'll still hear Lucy's screaming.
I am at my wit's end. Any suggestions to stop the yelling and create more truly restful rest time???
I love my kids. (How many times have I made a disclaimer like this?) I love reading books and doing crafts and laughing with them. But I'm realizing more and more how much I need a little down time during the day. So Lucy is still having an hour of rest time. I let her pick 5 books to take upstairs, put a CD on for her, and tell her she can read and play, but she needs to stay in her bed. Great idea, right? Ugh.
She screams "Mommy!!!!" down the stairs pretty much every five minutes to tell me, "I need a new CD. I want to play when I get up. Is it time to get up yet? I don't want to stay in my bed anymore. I think I heard Lena. I see a bird out the window."
So I put a clock in her room and showed her that the big hand has to make it all the way back around before she can get up. I told her that every time she calls for me, she'll add 5 minutes to her rest time. It doesn't deter her. She keeps calling for me, and it makes me SO ANGRY!!! I've tried ignoring her, but she just screams incrementally louder. Of course, Lena is sleeping in the room right next to her, so I can't let her screaming get out of control.
I've spanked her and scolded her and done everything else I can think of to stop the madness, but nothing works!! I can't really shift the sleeping arrangements. My parents room is not heated, so I can't stick either of the girls in there. Luke's room is so full of gadgets and gizmos and temptations that I don't dare put Lucy in there. And his room is directly below Lucy's, so even if I put Lena in there, she'll still hear Lucy's screaming.
I am at my wit's end. Any suggestions to stop the yelling and create more truly restful rest time???
When Jovie used to do that, we used to take one toy away every time she screamed- and eventually she had no toys and knocked it off because she realized how bored she was without toys. We gradually gave them back for good behavior, but it worked for a time period.
ReplyDeleteThe only other thing we have done is let her scream and scream and scream- it might mean a cranky Lena for a couple of days, but she will eventually get over it (and I am NOT a proponent of COI...but when they are just intentionally misbehaving, I let them scream).
Good luck Sadie!
now I know this isn't alone "you" time but I'll sometimes put a movie on with the kids who don't nap and snuggle with them...every once in a while they will sleep...giving me some alone time and other times it just constant... "this is quiet time we cannot play right now, we need to be quiet"...constant. I don't think I'll ever take "quiet time" away :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have any brilliant advice for you... when Des goes down for his nap, I do Cubbies and a couple school activities with Orion and then let him play on the Kindle or watch TV so we can all chill.
ReplyDelete