Today I had a friend over for coffee and our usual sort of routine went out the window, I tried to stick to it but my little one wouldn't go to bed (he is 21/2mths)
My Q is do others have this problem and what can I do to combat it for next time???
I think as long as it doesn't bother you that nap time is getting thrown to the wind when people stop by, then it is okay. We are horribly schedulers but I have noticed that my kids do better with more routine. So I am trying to keep things going at the same time every day but we just go with the flow on the days that people show up. I also know a girl that has to be home at a specific time so her children can nap in their own beds. Grant it, she can guarantee peace and quiet at a specific time every day but it does seem slightly over the top for me. LOL
I was always a go with the flow type of person. If bub was awake, he was awake, if someone came to visit and he was still up, I wouldn't try to put him down unless he was grumpy as or falling asleep. Occassionally it won't hurt them. You will not always be able to do everything around bub, so a little flexibility is a good thing. Leisa
I suppose it depends entirely on how often you have visitors at his normal sleep time. If you have visitor every day at the time of day when you are attempting to put your child to bed then you will need to find a new routine to work around the visitors or whatever suits your needs. If it is a rarity for you to have visitors at that time of day or they are visitors you don't often see then perhaps you need to be a little more flexible with your expectations. After all, if you had not seen a person in a while would you not stay up and talk well into the night?
Maybe I'm "swimming against the tide" here but I wouldn't be overly concerned. Routines are great - luv "em - but I also think an occasional break in routine doesn't hurt either. It should be a guide rather than a strait jacket.
As long as you can get back on track the next day or so then I think it does little real damage and may even be a positive thing. It probably takes us a little more than visitors to hype us up or change our routine but then we're not two years or so old.
Sorry if this is contrary to other advice, but I honestly wouldn't fret too much.
Cor i would not want to beetle to bed either,if there was something different in the air. Maybe bub was inquisitive and sensed your excitement at having your friend over. Bubs no matter how young,still want to join the party,they might learn or see something new. I agree with FD, if your having mummy time,tire bub out before friends come. Lots of fresh air and interaction usually sends them off to the land of nod.Good luck.
Are you a smack-on-the-butt person? You are the parent, lay down the law - put him to bed, if he refuses & gets up, smack his butt. If he cries, let him cry. He has to learn that what you say goes & he can't change that.
Are you for real? Sorry but in this house, there is give and take. Yes there are bed times, but if something happens to vary that such as visitors then we take it in our stride! My little person's grandmother was in town through the week and the only time she could visit was on her way back out of town, meaning she turned up at 8:45pm when her usual bedtime is 7:30pm. I kept her up by playing in the lounge with her and yes she was cranky the next morning, was to be expected, and she was in bed by 6:45 last night because of it, but it's not every day her grandmother visits us as she lives out of town. NO WAY would she have been made to go to bed and miss out. Even though we'll see her next weekend, she hasn't seen her grandmother for a while before that.
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