As a parent of 3 children, I’ve seen many instances in which one of my kids has a case of FOMO when they see their older siblings doing something they want to be a part of. But nothing has quite been like the naptime FOMO my youngest has been exhibiting since school ended back in December.
It goes without saying that the last year has been hard on everyone, and on parents of young children in particular. As if those struggles weren’t enough, add in a child who wants to stay awake while everyone is home and buzzing about, and you’re going to end up with naptime battles and likely, an overtired baby come bedtime.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So – how do you get things back on track? Here are my tips for naptime survival during a lockdown:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1️⃣𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Before you try to ‘fix’ the problem and drive youself even crazier than you are probably already feeling during a lockdown, know that only so much is within your control and naps are likely going to be affected for a while⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2️⃣𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞: Children are connection seekers. If they are fighting naps because they are missing out, adding extra connection time before nap (with parents or siblings) can help make the separation for naptime easier.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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3️⃣𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦: If your child is fighting to even go to their room (like mine is), bring the action with! Having a sibling help “set up” for naps makes baby feel less like they are missing out, and has the added benefit of making a sibling feel special for being involved. Be sure to validate your older child later by telling them how helpful they are. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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4️⃣𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: If daytime sleep is being affected by a change at home, be sure to adjust bedtime accordingly. An overtired child can quickly become overstimulated, which can lead to bedtime battles as well as (new) night wakings.
