We're TubaDad (laid-back taco-eating tuba-player from Texas) and M3 (excitable, artsy chocoholic from California). We adopted our beautiful twin girls from Hubei, China in Oct 2006 and this blog is about our lives with the twinados, Ro and Ree. Cheers!
1. What the heck do you do when your three-year stops napping? Do you just figure she needs two hours less sleep a day, or do you move bedtime a little earlier, or do you wake her up in the morning even if she's sleeping in, or if she skips nap and then falls asleep in the car or on the sofa in the evening do you just let her sleep? Argh. And if her twin sister still loves her nap, does that change any of your answers?
2. This video ends with yet another head injury (so typical in this house that we have an entire drawer of icepacks in the freezer). So that's nothing out of the ordinary. What's really surprising is that there was only one injury during this rigorous jumping session.
Sigh... She's okay, by the way. I can't believe we've made it two years already without stitches. And yes, I am tempting fate just by saying that. If my next set of pictures is from the emergency room, someone please slap me.
3. Here are a few more pics from the week. My mom is traveling and I know she needs her Ro and Ree fix.
(thumbnails, detail, or slideshow).
4. Shoot, I almost forgot to include #4. I was going to try out that new Blogger polling tool, so here it is. We took the girls to the mall to say hello to the big fellow in red. They had fun boasting in the car about who was going to actually SIT on his lap this year. Then they abruptly misplaced their bravado once they were in line. Anyhow, everyone remembers the classic 2006 and 2007 Santa pictures, right? Cast your vote in the sidebar at right, what do you think happened this year?
Ugh...I have the SAME nap time problem. We have virtual twin 4 year olds. One is napper...the other is not. One likes to sleep in...the napper does not. SO...I put down the napper and I confine our NON napper to another room to play quietly. Works pretty well. It's hard though because they share a room. I have reduced the time of sleep for the napper from 2 hours to one and still put them down at the same time for nighty night time. It's just our system...works pretty well. Usually. :) Good luck!
Oh dear M3--that video gave me scary flashbacks. Hop over to my blog and see the "fun" we had at my house with my nearly 4 v-twins yesterday. Yack...we did end up in urgent care and with stitches. It was kid vs. wall, probably similar to your video. I wish you never have to deal with that. It's NOT fun. Jumping around like crazy monkey jumping beans = fun. Running into walls and hurting head = SO NOT fun.
While watching the video I was thinking how can they hurt their head by just jumping so cute when suddenly ReeRee trips and then Ro. That last fall of Ro sure made me touch my head, poor baby! It’s sad to see it end this way when they were both having such a great time. About naps I will try to write you if not we can try to get together and talk while the girls play.
I feel like suddenly my 3+ yo's naps are replacing sleep. She's now up until 10pm! Yikes. thing is, she can't make it through the day without one. Any car trip - she's out - regardless of what time of day. Now we're totally off - she's not getting up until 8am because she's so tire.
I THINK I have to start waking her up early just to get us back on a schedule, and get a little cruel about not letting her nap. (?) I'll be watching other comments for tips.
Here is my advice from the trenches: Sydney stopped taking a napat about 3.5, but we continued to make her lay in her bed during nap time. She could read books, but had to be quiet. Often she would fall asleep and then she went back to napping for quite a while. Now she is almost 4 and takes a nap about 75% of the time. Claire at age 2 still power naps for about 2.5 hours a day! She's my kind of girl!
Our girls are 2 and I thought a few weeks ago we might have lost naps forever. They went through a time where neither one would nap. My ped. said some children stop napping at 2. By golly, I need them to nap:) A friend who has 5 yr old twin b/g suggested just putting them down for a nap anyway even if they didn't sleep just so they could get rest. She said eventually they'll get that they're suppose to be sleeping. A week later it started working. One started napping again, the other would just read. Now they are both back to napping. We take shorter later naps. Their bedtime has changed by a 1/2 hour now, but all is good. Best of luck!
Jazzie stopped taking a nap when she was 2 1/2! I was not happy about it, but she was ready to give it up (I wasn't).
I ended up putting her to bed just a bit earlier and she was fine with that. I know it is hard to accept that they might be ready to give up their naps! Your girls are growing up :-)
well, you said it and now i'm worried i am going to have to slap you. good thing i live on the other side of the states, that might save you from the ER.
i swear woman... these girls MAKE MY DAY everytime i visit you. if i'm even in the least bit blue, i only have to come here, and it just turns my whole day around.
Nap time...no personal experience but here's what my friend did and it worked well for them. Rather than call it 'nap time' when her son reached around 3 years of age they called it 'quiet time.' In the afternoon he would still spend 1-2 hours in his room but with no expectation to nap. He could read or play with quiet toys on the bed. It was a good 'down time' for both of them and my friend found that on the days when he was really tired he did end up napping anyway. Hope this helps. It's extra tough for you as one loves to nap and the other is done with napping. Hmmm.... Going to bookmark this page as I'm sure your other friends will have great ideas that I'll be looking for in a couple of years.
Adorable pics for sure! Looks like Cafrin should come equipped with recipes this trip. Will get on that so as not to disappoint!
Ahh, bumps on da noggin. Glad your Ro was ok after her little mishap. I love it that you get to cuddle the injured while sister runs for ice!
One of my SAHM friends had her little girl nap every other day. She had to have quiet time every day (coloring, etc in her room), but every other day the lights went out, shades drawn and fan on...it was sleep time). Eliza is (thankfully) still napping. I know it's not really an option at her school. The kids have to be in their beds/cots from 12:45 - 2:00ish. I suppose you can't make a child sleep, but even the 4 and 5 year olds usually get a nap in.
Charla has decided she's done her nap already as well and she just turned TWO in October!!!
She has a cold this week so she did nap twice I think but she's really not into napping at all. The funny thing is...by suppertime she's still going strong and happy as can be!! That's the part I don't get cause usually when they are at the point of JUST starting to give up their naps...by 5 they are eiather asleep at the kitchen table or we WISH they were asleep at the kitchen table cause they are so crabby! lol
When your three year old decides she doesn't need to nap any more, you institute the two hour "quiet time" in her room. One lady goes to her bed, one lady goes in to her room, to play quietly, in her room for the two hour nap time. Has to stay in her room. Has to be quiet. Them's the rules. Even if she doesn't feel the need to nap, she still needs the down time without any big outside stimulation ( music, TV, sister, conversation, etc.) and YOU still need YOUR down time. Good luck!
Sorry not experience here, but lots of advise... Take it for what it is worth.
Napping.... still needs to have the quiet time in her room whether she sleeps or quietly reads in her bed. If you let her stay up and the other sleeps you are rewarding her the private alone time making not napping a reward. You need the down time as much as they do.
Like I said, not experienced other than growing up we had "rest time" in the summer break even as 10yrolds.
I’m a long time lurker, coming out of the woodwork to comment. I agree with everyone who mentioned "quiet time." My three-year-old fights naps, but she desperately needs them. We instituted "quiet time" and it works. She knows that she has to stay on her bed until the big hand gets to the 12 and the little hand gets to the 3. She can read books or play with her classical music boxes, but no stimulating toys. As a school psychologist, I'm a big fan of "quiet time," even for older children. It gives the brain time to assimilate the flood of information entering the mind of a developing child. Too much "on the go" overwhelms the brains of most children, leaving them scattered and disorganized. Good luck!
I know so many people who phase out nap at this age but I think it is still critical. Have you tried lying down with her to help her get into a relaxed state? I still have to do it with my 3 year old to get her to relax enough to fall asleep. If I leave her alone on occasion she will fall asleep but more often than she will just play... hope that helps- its not the easiest solution for you- but it works for us.
From what I've read on sleep issues (we've had several at our house), if they are falling asleep everywhere, they are not getting enough sleep. I would suggest either rest time (in lieu of nap, she thinks anyways!) where she may fall asleep (maybe watch a movie if that's relaxing enough) or earlier bedtime. Whatever works the best.
Good luck! You may want to check out "The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Toddlers & Preschoolers" by Elizabeth Pentley. It's sure been a help at our house.
My daughter, LiLi, stopped napping REALLY early too. The rule was that she still had to lay down (maybe read books if she was really good). Sometimes it was just enough of a break for her that would cause her to fall asleep other times not. If she didn't fall asleep by 30-45 minutes, then she could get up. If Ro is not sleeping during the day, she might need to go to bed a little earlier at bed time. That might be a great time to spend just one on one time with each girl. One during the day for 30 minutes and the other at night for 30 minutes. Maybe a special story or craft?
I hope that helps. By the way, LiLi really never napped so she would go to bed at 7:00
The picture with one of the girls asleep in the booth made me laugh because that was us last night. My inlaws are here and on the way to dinner Kailee fell asleep, and slept in the booth and then all the way home! She refuses to take naps any longer and will only fall asleep if she is absolutely exhausted or in a car. When she doesn't nap, we do put her to bed earlier. She needs it even if she doesn't think so.
My 3 year old still naps daily, so I have no advise... That said, his school has quiet time for grades pre-pre K through K for an hour a day, so its helped us maintain the habit.
Hope there have been no more run-ins with the wall :)
Don't know what to tell you about naps. We are in the same boat as you. I am kinda doing the when they fall asleep, let them stay that way. I can't believe how long they can jump. They must have some serious leg muscles! Hope the head is okay....as you know, won't be the last. We made two trips to the ER for stitches within weeks. Nice.
Nap - keep her up as much as possible during the day for at least 5 days a week. Allow for some catchup napping on the other 2 days - avoid all napping once she turns 4 - do the same for sis once she is 4.
OOOOpppps.. commented before seeing the cute stuff... pictures and video.
Wella needing a Ro and Re fix?? What about me??? I need a fix as much as Wella does, I really must say.
Cute Mesa sidenote. While watching the video and the head injury scene. As soon as Mesa heard the voices of the gals she perked right up. When Ro hit the wall and started crying she hopped up and came runnig to the computerall concerned. She know that a gal need some puppy loving when crying out in pain.
ok, I'm going to go with a mix of number 3 and number 4 on your poll. By the way, the girls look like they are only crying and not trying to get off of Santa. Do they even try to get off or they just sit and cry until you carry them to safety?
I had to use TubaDad's idea for Emma this year. She was excited but kind of changed her mind when the time was getting closer. I will be posting her photo soon.
I love who the girls are "panting" from exerting so much jumping energy!! (that is til the screaming started!) Glad to hear all is well. When Ro said where's the ice? And you said Are you ice skating - I thought Ro must've been referring to "Where's the ice pack", since the girls had just fallenover each other!!
Napping: When Mikayla stopped napping I started putting her to bed earlier. Worked well.
M & K stopped napping at 27 months. I tried the "you still need to go to your crib and rest even if you're not going to sleep" thing and all they did was jump like crazy girls in their crib. After Kenna caught her chin on the crib, put her teeth through her lip and landed us in the ER, I gave up. They stopped napping, went to bed earlier and they haven't napped since.
DD1 gave up naps at just-turned-2 and DD2 just gave up naps at just-turned-2 1/2. DD1 slept for 20 minutes when she catnapped. DD2 gave me 2 glorious hours!!
My only thought is "how happy is your dd on the sleep that she gets?"
If she's falling asleep before regular bedtime, or in the car, then institute a "quiet time" in the afternoon, so she can rest. That's what I do with DD2...a one hour quiet time (as much for her as for me!)
DD2 goes down at 7:15 to 7:30 pm. She's 2 1/2 now and sleeps thru to 7:30 or 8 o'clock. Best, Snick :)
I have no nap advice, my guys were great nappers. But I can sympathize with the injuries. My one had brocken both arms by the time he was five. And at the age of 3 he had a terrible twirling incident where he got dizzy and fell face first into the coffee table, no stitches, but nerve damage. The left side of his mouth finally moves again, unless he is really tire, then it still droops.(they just turned 7) So, watch out for the twirling.
About naps, Shayna stopped (when not in school so only weekends) napping. I am so sad! I noticed she needs/wants to go to bed earlier on those days. I am sad not to get me time, but now I get me time just later. Good luck!
M3- Can't believe how big the girls are getting. Has it really been three Christmas photos since they came home? That is amazing! They are so stinking cute! Thank you for sharing your life with us as they grow. Jenny V
Want to make a big difference in the world? Give one small child the benefit of Foster Care. Ro and Ree were in foster care and it changed their lives. Read more about it or read about other charities that help children.
2. This video ends with yet another head injury (so typical in this house that we have an entire drawer of icepacks in the freezer). So that's nothing out of the ordinary. What's really surprising is that there was only one injury during this rigorous jumping session.
Sigh... She's okay, by the way. I can't believe we've made it two years already without stitches. And yes, I am tempting fate just by saying that. If my next set of pictures is from the emergency room, someone please slap me.
3. Here are a few more pics from the week. My mom is traveling and I know she needs her Ro and Ree fix.
(thumbnails, detail, or slideshow).
4. Shoot, I almost forgot to include #4. I was going to try out that new Blogger polling tool, so here it is. We took the girls to the mall to say hello to the big fellow in red. They had fun boasting in the car about who was going to actually SIT on his lap this year. Then they abruptly misplaced their bravado once they were in line. Anyhow, everyone remembers the classic 2006 and 2007 Santa pictures, right? Cast your vote in the sidebar at right, what do you think happened this year?
Posts
Ugh...I have the SAME nap time problem. We have virtual twin 4 year olds. One is napper...the other is not. One likes to sleep in...the napper does not. SO...I put down the napper and I confine our NON napper to another room to play quietly. Works pretty well. It's hard though because they share a room. I have reduced the time of sleep for the napper from 2 hours to one and still put them down at the same time for nighty night time. It's just our system...works pretty well. Usually. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Oh dear M3--that video gave me scary flashbacks. Hop over to my blog and see the "fun" we had at my house with my nearly 4 v-twins yesterday. Yack...we did end up in urgent care and with stitches. It was kid vs. wall, probably similar to your video. I wish you never have to deal with that. It's NOT fun. Jumping around like crazy monkey jumping beans = fun. Running into walls and hurting head = SO NOT fun.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the video I was thinking how can they hurt their head by just jumping so cute when suddenly ReeRee trips and then Ro. That last fall of Ro sure made me touch my head, poor baby! It’s sad to see it end this way when they were both having such a great time.
ReplyDeleteAbout naps I will try to write you if not we can try to get together and talk while the girls play.
poor roro
ReplyDeleteI feel like suddenly my 3+ yo's naps are replacing sleep. She's now up until 10pm! Yikes. thing is, she can't make it through the day without one. Any car trip - she's out - regardless of what time of day. Now we're totally off - she's not getting up until 8am because she's so tire.
ReplyDeleteI THINK I have to start waking her up early just to get us back on a schedule, and get a little cruel about not letting her nap. (?) I'll be watching other comments for tips.
Here is my advice from the trenches: Sydney stopped taking a napat about 3.5, but we continued to make her lay in her bed during nap time. She could read books, but had to be quiet. Often she would fall asleep and then she went back to napping for quite a while. Now she is almost 4 and takes a nap about 75% of the time. Claire at age 2 still power naps for about 2.5 hours a day! She's my kind of girl!
ReplyDeleteOur girls are 2 and I thought a few weeks ago we might have lost naps forever. They went through a time where neither one would nap. My ped. said some children stop napping at 2. By golly, I need them to nap:) A friend who has 5 yr old twin b/g suggested just putting them down for a nap anyway even if they didn't sleep just so they could get rest. She said eventually they'll get that they're suppose to be sleeping.
ReplyDeleteA week later it started working. One started napping again, the other would just read. Now they are both back to napping. We take shorter later naps. Their bedtime has changed by a 1/2 hour now, but all is good. Best of luck!
Jazzie stopped taking a nap when she was 2 1/2! I was not happy about it, but she was ready to give it up (I wasn't).
ReplyDeleteI ended up putting her to bed just a bit earlier and she was fine with that. I know it is hard to accept that they might be ready to give up their naps! Your girls are growing up :-)
well, you said it and now i'm worried i am going to have to slap you. good thing i live on the other side of the states, that might save you from the ER.
ReplyDeletei swear woman... these girls MAKE MY DAY everytime i visit you. if i'm even in the least bit blue, i only have to come here, and it just turns my whole day around.
Nap time...no personal experience but here's what my friend did and it worked well for them. Rather than call it 'nap time' when her son reached around 3 years of age they called it 'quiet time.' In the afternoon he would still spend 1-2 hours in his room but with no expectation to nap. He could read or play with quiet toys on the bed. It was a good 'down time' for both of them and my friend found that on the days when he was really tired he did end up napping anyway. Hope this helps. It's extra tough for you as one loves to nap and the other is done with napping. Hmmm.... Going to bookmark this page as I'm sure your other friends will have great ideas that I'll be looking for in a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteAdorable pics for sure! Looks like Cafrin should come equipped with recipes this trip. Will get on that so as not to disappoint!
Ahh, bumps on da noggin. Glad your Ro was ok after her little mishap. I love it that you get to cuddle the injured while sister runs for ice!
(((hugs))) sweetie. Miss you bunches! xo
One of my SAHM friends had her little girl nap every other day. She had to have quiet time every day (coloring, etc in her room), but every other day the lights went out, shades drawn and fan on...it was sleep time). Eliza is (thankfully) still napping. I know it's not really an option at her school. The kids have to be in their beds/cots from 12:45 - 2:00ish. I suppose you can't make a child sleep, but even the 4 and 5 year olds usually get a nap in.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Tiffany
Charla has decided she's done her nap already as well and she just turned TWO in October!!!
ReplyDeleteShe has a cold this week so she did nap twice I think but she's really not into napping at all. The funny thing is...by suppertime she's still going strong and happy as can be!! That's the part I don't get cause usually when they are at the point of JUST starting to give up their naps...by 5 they are eiather asleep at the kitchen table or we WISH they were asleep at the kitchen table cause they are so crabby! lol
When your three year old decides she doesn't need to nap any more, you institute the two hour "quiet time" in her room. One lady goes to her bed, one lady goes in to her room, to play quietly, in her room for the two hour nap time. Has to stay in her room. Has to be quiet. Them's the rules. Even if she doesn't feel the need to nap, she still needs the down time without any big outside stimulation ( music, TV, sister, conversation, etc.) and YOU still need YOUR down time. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSorry not experience here, but lots of advise... Take it for what it is worth.
ReplyDeleteNapping.... still needs to have the quiet time in her room whether she sleeps or quietly reads in her bed. If you let her stay up and the other sleeps you are rewarding her the private alone time making not napping a reward. You need the down time as much as they do.
Like I said, not experienced other than growing up we had "rest time" in the summer break even as 10yrolds.
I’m a long time lurker, coming out of the woodwork to comment. I agree with everyone who mentioned "quiet time." My three-year-old fights naps, but she desperately needs them. We instituted "quiet time" and it works. She knows that she has to stay on her bed until the big hand gets to the 12 and the little hand gets to the 3. She can read books or play with her classical music boxes, but no stimulating toys. As a school psychologist, I'm a big fan of "quiet time," even for older children. It gives the brain time to assimilate the flood of information entering the mind of a developing child. Too much "on the go" overwhelms the brains of most children, leaving them scattered and disorganized. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI know so many people who phase out nap at this age but I think it is still critical.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried lying down with her to help her get into a relaxed state? I still have to do it with my 3 year old to get her to relax enough to fall asleep. If I leave her alone on occasion she will fall asleep but more often than she will just play...
hope that helps- its not the easiest solution for you- but it works for us.
From what I've read on sleep issues (we've had several at our house), if they are falling asleep everywhere, they are not getting enough sleep. I would suggest either rest time (in lieu of nap, she thinks anyways!) where she may fall asleep (maybe watch a movie if that's relaxing enough) or earlier bedtime. Whatever works the best.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! You may want to check out "The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Toddlers & Preschoolers" by Elizabeth Pentley. It's sure been a help at our house.
My daughter, LiLi, stopped napping REALLY early too. The rule was that she still had to lay down (maybe read books if she was really good). Sometimes it was just enough of a break for her that would cause her to fall asleep other times not. If she didn't fall asleep by 30-45 minutes, then she could get up. If Ro is not sleeping during the day, she might need to go to bed a little earlier at bed time. That might be a great time to spend just one on one time with each girl. One during the day for 30 minutes and the other at night for 30 minutes. Maybe a special story or craft?
ReplyDeleteI hope that helps. By the way, LiLi really never napped so she would go to bed at 7:00
Sharyn
The picture with one of the girls asleep in the booth made me laugh because that was us last night. My inlaws are here and on the way to dinner Kailee fell asleep, and slept in the booth and then all the way home! She refuses to take naps any longer and will only fall asleep if she is absolutely exhausted or in a car. When she doesn't nap, we do put her to bed earlier. She needs it even if she doesn't think so.
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year old still naps daily, so I have no advise... That said, his school has quiet time for grades pre-pre K through K for an hour a day, so its helped us maintain the habit.
ReplyDeleteHope there have been no more run-ins with the wall :)
Don't know what to tell you about naps. We are in the same boat as you. I am kinda doing the when they fall asleep, let them stay that way. I can't believe how long they can jump. They must have some serious leg muscles! Hope the head is okay....as you know, won't be the last. We made two trips to the ER for stitches within weeks. Nice.
ReplyDeleteNap - keep her up as much as possible during the day for at least 5 days a week. Allow for some catchup napping on the other 2 days - avoid all napping once she turns 4 - do the same for sis once she is 4.
ReplyDeleteOOOOpppps.. commented before seeing the cute stuff... pictures and video.
ReplyDeleteWella needing a Ro and Re fix?? What about me??? I need a fix as much as Wella does, I really must say.
Cute Mesa sidenote. While watching the video and the head injury scene. As soon as Mesa heard the voices of the gals she perked right up. When Ro hit the wall and started crying she hopped up and came runnig to the computerall concerned. She know that a gal need some puppy loving when crying out in pain.
Licks to Ro from Mesa.
That video made me tired just watching it. I think I need to go lie down now.................... :)
ReplyDeletePoor Ro. Ouch. Darn walls. They're forever getting it the way.
ok, I'm going to go with a mix of number 3 and number 4 on your poll. By the way, the girls look like they are only crying and not trying to get off of Santa. Do they even try to get off or they just sit and cry until you carry them to safety?
ReplyDeleteI had to use TubaDad's idea for Emma this year. She was excited but kind of changed her mind when the time was getting closer. I will be posting her photo soon.
I love who the girls are "panting" from exerting so much jumping energy!! (that is til the screaming started!) Glad to hear all is well. When Ro said where's the ice? And you said Are you ice skating - I thought Ro must've been referring to "Where's the ice pack", since the girls had just fallenover each other!!
ReplyDeleteNapping: When Mikayla stopped napping I started putting her to bed earlier. Worked well.
M & K stopped napping at 27 months. I tried the "you still need to go to your crib and rest even if you're not going to sleep" thing and all they did was jump like crazy girls in their crib. After Kenna caught her chin on the crib, put her teeth through her lip and landed us in the ER, I gave up. They stopped napping, went to bed earlier and they haven't napped since.
ReplyDeleteI think when they're done they are simply done.
DD1 gave up naps at just-turned-2 and DD2 just gave up naps at just-turned-2 1/2. DD1 slept for 20 minutes when she catnapped. DD2 gave me 2 glorious hours!!
ReplyDeleteMy only thought is "how happy is your dd on the sleep that she gets?"
If she's falling asleep before regular bedtime, or in the car, then institute a "quiet time" in the afternoon, so she can rest. That's what I do with DD2...a one hour quiet time (as much for her as for me!)
DD2 goes down at 7:15 to 7:30 pm. She's 2 1/2 now and sleeps thru to 7:30 or 8 o'clock.
Best,
Snick :)
I have no nap advice, my guys were great nappers. But I can sympathize with the injuries. My one had brocken both arms by the time he was five. And at the age of 3 he had a terrible twirling incident where he got dizzy and fell face first into the coffee table, no stitches, but nerve damage. The left side of his mouth finally moves again, unless he is really tire, then it still droops.(they just turned 7) So, watch out for the twirling.
ReplyDeleteAbout naps, Shayna stopped (when not in school so only weekends) napping. I am so sad! I noticed she needs/wants to go to bed earlier on those days. I am sad not to get me time, but now I get me time just later. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteM3- Can't believe how big the girls are getting. Has it really been three Christmas photos since they came home? That is amazing! They are so stinking cute! Thank you for sharing your life with us as they grow.
ReplyDeleteJenny V