In Summer Holiday Limbo

[Tealady]

Lost my Mojo today and in a lazy mood.

DD is at school and finishes at lunchtime tomorrow whereas DS finished Pre-school last Friday.

I have a holiday child in today as his pre-school finished too. I am now on shorter weeks as my Thursday girls are TTO so they finished last week and Fridays are my day off anyway.

I feel in summer holiday mode but as DD and my schoolie haven't finished yet obviously it's not. Plus I have my Mon-Wed LO's coming as usual.

Such a weird feeling. I'm kind of in summer holiday mode as some have finished but yet School's still running.

The LO's are having free play at the moment (and having fun) and I'm just watching, whilst on here having a cuppa.

Oh well, it's nearly snack time. Now I have to go and do something useful LOL

[Maza]

I know exactly what you mean! My DD finished a couple of weeks ago and we went abroad last week so that's my annual 'get away' done, but a lot of local schools don't break up until this Wednesday. At least that means our local playgroup is still open (TTO) and so we're going to every session this week because that's where I get most of my adult company from! It's a long Summer with no playgroups I'm also going to try and squeeze in a museum trip before the official 'Summer holiday crowds' begin. It was odd when mindee's mum dropped him off after dropping off her older one at school - I'm enjoying not doing those right now in this heat! (We use public transport to get to DD's school).

[teacake2]

I only have one little one aged 2 at the moment so it makes no difference to me when the holidays are, loving it at the moment we are enjoying ourselves so much just going with the flow, he has decided himself to have a little nap at the moment, he said I could have a cup of coffee and cake while he is asleep lol, he knows me so well.
Teacake2

[littlebears1009]

I have a schoolie who broke up last week an 8 month old who finishes to go back to his family carer next wed and my own 2 break up tomorrow. So next Wednesday will be my last day for the whole summer apart from 6 odd days with my schoolie but she is a family friend and sleeps over etc with my DD and is a dream to look after so will probably still feel like I've finished IYSWIM! And then new ventures hopefully await me in September!

[Maza]

Sigh, mindees dad told me today that they don't want him to nap anymore. He probably could start dropping his nap but a very selfish part of me is gutted! He's lovely but is a whirlwind and the thought of having him awake for ten hours a day without a little break is not something I will look forward to. I have others who don't sleep but they don't exhaust me as much as this one does - and do they have to do it in the Summer holidays when I have schoolies too? Don't mean to sound so selfish but I am feeling rather sorry for myself.

[loocyloo]

Sigh, mindees dad told me today that they don't want him to nap anymore. He probably could start dropping his nap but a very selfish part of me is gutted! He's lovely but is a whirlwind and the thought of having him awake for ten hours a day without a little break is not something I will look forward to. I have others who don't sleep but they don't exhaust me as much as this one does - and do they have to do it in the Summer holidays when I have schoolies too? Don't mean to sound so selfish but I am feeling rather sorry for myself.

I'd be introducing 'quiet time' where mindee sits quietly somewhere quiet and comfy and reads books. On his own. If he is tired he may then nod off! I have one who does this and sometimes I suggest that he tries closing his eyes!
Good luck xx

[sing-low]

Sigh, mindees dad told me today that they don't want him to nap anymore. He probably could start dropping his nap but a very selfish part of me is gutted! He's lovely but is a whirlwind and the thought of having him awake for ten hours a day without a little break is not something I will look forward to. I have others who don't sleep but they don't exhaust me as much as this one does - and do they have to do it in the Summer holidays when I have schoolies too? Don't mean to sound so selfish but I am feeling rather sorry for myself.

Oh, I know what you mean, nap-time is when I recharge my batteries, particularly with children who never stop. I agree with Loocyloo, def introduce 'quiet time'. Maybe talk with parents about how you'll implement this. They are probably just as concerned about losing the nap time and might welcome some ideas for down-time ( for everyone!).

[Maza]

Bless him, after we had tidied away lunch he started taking himself off to bed! I told him he was staying up and he was very confused! Fell asleep at 4pm in the pushchair on a trip back from the park. x

[loocyloo]

first day of the holidays; we've been out all day and had a fab time.
tomorrow have friends coming round for the day

and meeting up with friends again on Friday ...

that's my summer hols sorted ... hardly any planning, just going with the flow and having fun! I 'might' do an observation if I see something amazing ( Like LO today working out how to make a big digger work in the sandpit ) but that is it for the next 6 weeks! ( ok, I've got 2 weeks off in the middle ) but I am definitely feeling like I am on holiday ESPECIALLY with this gorgeous weather!

xx

[FloraDora]

Bless him, after we had tidied away lunch he started taking himself off to bed! I told him he was staying up and he was very confused! Fell asleep at 4pm in the pushchair on a trip back from the park. x

I have a 2 year old who is exercising her independence at home and playing up at bedtime and mum is hinting that if we dropped pm nap she might go off through exhaustion later. So I am reducing nap time, she is fine with me but in her tired state she is being a little challenging at home....so all the time before bedtime is no longer nice...I think we will be back to normal when I start again in Sept! For children who need a nap a short one mid afternoon means they are all bright and fresh just when tired parents are picking them up...much the better way. If she dropped sleep altogether I would have to reduce my diary and observations as I do most in the sleep time.

[littlebears1009]

Could you not suggest reducing nap time as I suppose napping at 4pm will be worse as it's nearer bed time? If he is still tired and still wants to go maybe reducing it is better than cutting it out completely? But, if parents say no and he's tired and falls asleep at 4, then is difficult getting to sleep, is there look out as you can't force lo to stay awake! I have a lo that sleeps a few hours in the day here (only 8 month) and doesn't sleep well for his mum at night. I used to put up with the tired screams as felt bad for mum until one day she was telling me how she gets up in the night with him and watches cartoons if he wakes. At that point I refused to have a hard day with lo just because mum wanted to make a rod for her own back at night time, so if he's tired he sleeps!

[Maza]

I agree littlebears1009, 4pm is a dreadful time to nap! I did mention sleeping at the usual time but just for one hour and Dad said he will mention it to mum at home.

[sing-low]

I agree littlebears1009, 4pm is a dreadful time to nap! I did mention sleeping at the usual time but just for one hour and Dad said he will mention it to mum at home.

How much has he been sleeping if it's going to be reduced to one hour?! Bless him, if he's used to a long nap, no wonder he dozed off at 4 and that will definitely make things worse at nighttime.

[Maza]

How much has he been sleeping if it's going to be reduced to one hour?! Bless him, if he's used to a long nap, no wonder he dozed off at 4 and that will definitely make things worse at nighttime.

I usually have to wake him up after two hours to go on the school run and sometimes he will just carry on sleeping in the buggy on the way to school. If I don't have to do the school run for some reason he can sleep for three hours or just over 3! I have mentioned to mum recently whether she wants me to start cutting down his nap but she was really chilled and said that he obviously needs a big sleep. He must have started to really play up these last few days for her to go from one extreme to the other! Maybe it's the heat that was making it difficult for him to sleep.

[smurfette]

I have one who mum has asked me to reduce the nap .. However she makes a rod for her own back, the kids bed hop all night. Neither sleeps in own bed or own room, all in with pregnant mum who is still breastfeeding this Lo .. I am happy to work with parents who want a proper bedtime and will work on it but can't see the point if they get away with all sorts.. Then are over tired with me... Let them sleep!

On the other hand have one who can sleep like that for 2-3 hours, mum lets him bounce around Til all hours and often gets him up again if he doesn't sleep! But she happy to do this and let him have whatever nap he needs. Just easygoing!

[line6]

My little mindee used to sleep for 2 hours every afternoon but since Easter has been really erratic with his napping. Mum would rather he didn't nap at all I think but has suggested letting him have half an hour if he does fall asleep. The trouble is he won't now lie down for a nap unless he's really exhausted and en inevitably falls asleep on the school run. I go to two schools and sometimes a preschool so he can be asleep for up to an hour between 2.45 and 3.45 making bedtime hard for parents but there is nothing I can do. He won't walk that far - especially in the heat so I have to use the pushchair. Trouble is he often wakes up really early too so is generally in need of a nap but I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place with making him lie down or going with the flow. I guess it'll be different now we are done with school runs. I too miss those nap times when I could take a break or do some housework or something as he's usually here on his own.

[Maza]

Yeah, my school run can take over an hour and he definitely can't walk all that way. The pushchair I use is rubbish for sleeping in as it is just a stroller which doesn't really recline (downsized as much as I could for school run as we get on a very packed bus) and so I would much rather he had a good quality sleep in his travel cot. I don't have him now until Tuesday and so we'll see if they have had a change of heart.