what do u do when your baby needs nap's & your invited somewhere the entire day ?

[TraciG]

You'd think I'd be used to this by now, Sydney is over a year & I still stress about it ! We have a party in NJ tomorrow, have to leave the apartment early Sydney will miss her first nap, hopefully she sleep in the car, it's a little over an hour ride but this baby NEEDS her nap's, what does eevryone else do, we travel with a pack N play but it's rare the we use it anymore, doesn't work, she screams.


found out a little while ago we are going to my husbands relatives on Christmas also in NJ, AM DREADING it, IT'S A miracle i'm not divorced yet over this, my husband tells me she can handle it she's older now, not true she still needs her nap, then he said she's good when i'm not around, last night I didn't feel good so he went with her for the usual Fiday night dinner with relatives, of course she was good, always seem's better when i'm not around, but to hear him tell me that & that she takes advantage of me because she know's how I am, I am so hurt, just had to share

[C99]

It depends on how important the event is and whether or not I think having a cranky baby there will ruin someone else's evening or not. Would I take him to a restaurant after a missed nap? No. Would I take him to my ILs' house for dinner after a missed nap? Not all the time, but for a holiday or special occasion, sure.

[LD92599]

Can you bring a stroller and take Sydney for a walk if she gets cranky? We were on vacation over thanksgiving and naps were pretty much non-existant. DS will sleep alot in the car though so when we'd want to just drive around and explore we did that at nap time.

Don't take your hubbies comments personally....you're not doing anything wrong!

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030305/0/7/0/-5/.png[/url]

[new_mommy25]

Oh Traci, I am so sorry you have to be stressed out about all of this. I don't think that is fair of your DH to say such low things to you. I would be be hurt too. Hopefully he did not mean it that way.

Is there a way you can skip the party or just show up late? When I go to all day family events I usually ask the host if I can go lay down in a quiet bedroom to nurse DS down to his nap. Then I leave him on the bed surrounded with pillows. Since you have the pack n play maybe you can try putting it in a quiet area of the house. It might be helpful to bring a baby monitor with you.

Also does she have any special music? We have a mix CD that my dad made and it never fails to put DS to sleep in the car. Maybe you could bring a CD with relaxing lullabies to help Sydney nap in the car.

Big hugs to you mama. I hope it works out ok. Is there a chance your DH's relatives could come to your house for Christmas instead?

[egoldber]

Its actually really common for kids to be little angels for other people. They tend to act out around the people they feel the safest with. Other people also let them get away with and do things that mommy usually doesn't, LOL! But I think my response to your question would echo Caroline's. I wouldn't do it every day, but I would for a special, occasional holiday celebration. Even though it means I will have a particularly crappy day/evening.

But I know this happens to you all the time. I wouldn't fight it for the holidays, but for the every day stuff, I would.

HTH,

[TraciG]

ok thanks everyone, actually we hardly go out anymore except Friday night's & once in a while another night during the week.

Sydney does sleep to music, good idea for the car i'll bring it.

[deborah_r]

This may be a silly additional comment, but I'll throw it out there. If you want her to nap in the car, I have found my son is more likely to fall asleep if I don't sit in the back with him. It is tempting for long drives to want to sit back there in case he needs anything, but I find that makes him want to play, so that even when he gets tired, he still doesn't doze off without me singing endlessly, whereas if I'm in the front he usually just falls asleep.

Just something I thought might help.

[ellies mom]

I have to agree with Deborah on this and add my reasoning. If I sit in backseat with DD she can see me and my breasts and can't figure why I'm not nursing her to sleep as usual. She gets so angry and may or may not fall asleep. If I'm in the front, she falls asleep no problem.

[kristine_elen]

I don't really have any advice, but you asked what we do: I don't plan things that interfere w/Jack's nap. (He only takes one at this point.) The only traveling we've done is to my mom's house, and she has a nursery set up where he feels comfortable. Otherwise, at home, I have declined many lunches and events simply b/c of the nap. I probably should have trained him to sleep in a playpen, but I didn't and now I think it's too late.

[ppshah]

I don't mess with naptime! If it's for an entire day I either find a babysitter ( if it were really improtant) or either DH or I will go- ( we alternate ) or we don't go at all. If DS doesn't nap then he's cranky and fussy and it's no fun for me!

[LD92599]

Wondering how Sydney did today!

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030305/0/7/0/-5/.png[/url]