Is This A Bad Plan?

[randomkid]

We were just invited to a birthday party this coming Sunday. Of course, it is at 2:00 - right in the middle of DD's nap time. I usually try to have her home for naps since she just sleeps so much better in her crib. The party is at our local zoo and I've really been wanting to take DD to the zoo.

Here's my plan: The zoo is about an hour drive, so I thought we could leave a little early and hope that DD falls asleep in the car on the way there. She usually naps about 1 1/2 hours, sometimes 2 hours, but does well if she only naps 1 hour 15 minutes. If we leave around 12:30 and she is asleep by 12:45, she can nap on the way there, then I can sit in the car with her until she wakes up while DH goes on in to the party (it's for his friend's DS). Give her a snack and milk in the car, then head in.

I usually don't approach things like this since we usually plan around her nap times. However, now that she is two and we are being invited to more activities, I want to be more flexible. However, I don't want to mess with her napping too much since sleeping was a *huge* issue for us until she was about 14 months old. Do you think this will work? Any thoughts or suggestions?

TIA,

[SnuggleBuggles]

I think it would be fine. But, I wouldn't stay in the car to feef her. Just head right in and enjoy the party. She can have her snack there. :)

I think it is OK to do things like this now and then. Having flexibility is a good thing. I would hope that just one time it won't cause a ripple effect on future sleep.

Just a word of caution- sometimes we have planned on ds napping in the car or on a plane and he doesn't fall asleep when he "should" thus a shorter nap than planned.

You could plan to leave even earlier and have some built in driving around time if you are worried she will wake up when the car stops moving- also a help so she can get a slightly longer, more normal nap.

Beth

[kedss]

I would give it a try, you won't know how flexible she is til you give it a try, maybe now that she's a bit older it will work.

[randomkid]

Thanks, I know I can push her nap later if we are out, but I've never done it the other way around. I also thought about the fact that she might not fall asleep, which is why I said "hope that DD falls asleep in the car on the way there" - lol!

Oh, I will have to feed her in the car because once we are at the party, she won't eat a thing! On her birthday, she ate two little pretzel sticks the whole time. After everyone left she ate like a little piggy.;-) She's just too busy to eat even when nothing is going on - that's another post in itself.

I think we'll give it a try, that is if my stepdaughters decide they want to go to the zoo since they are with us this weekend.

Thanks again,