1 year olds nap schedule?

[AuntTami]

I have a little boy who is 13 months old. He's pretty heavy, at about 33 pounds, so it seems he's hungry often, and I think it's affecting his sleep.

Our current routine

Drop off at 6:30am awake
Snack upon arrival
Breakfast at 8:00
Morning nap at 9:30
Snack at 10:30
Lunch at 11:45
Nap at 12:15

Snack as soon as he wakes

Nap iS SUPPOSED to be until 2:30ish. But this kid is awake after an hour, no matter if he gets a morning nap or not. If he doesn't, he's miserable and whiny. The problem with him only taking an hour long nap at nap time, other than the obvious of a 1 year old being awake at nap time, is that he then needs an ADDITIONAL nap at 4:15 until mom arrives at 5:30! If he would just take a longer afternoon nap he wouldn't need that third nap!

I wonder if he's waking up hungry, but I don't know. He's always eating. He LITERALLY can and will eat an entire container of the gerber puff pick ups! And he will cry and scream until he gets them. I haven't given him any for two days and he's been a monster!



My other naughty child is a teachers child and she's done with school so this is the other ones replacement. Gosh, he's almost worse!

[laundrymom]

I can offer our schedule here?
At 13 mo he would no longer be on an infant routine but he'd be one of the big kids.
@6:30 he would lay back down. No snack. If he is that hungry that early mom can feed him at home.
@7 all children wake and we do diaper/potty then general play until our snack (which is some kids breakfast) at 9:15.

We do activities or go outside until 10:45/1145 when we clean up for lunch at 11/12 depending on their mood.
We nap from 12-230/3 then do the diaper/ potty routine again.
We have a large snack at 4.
He would be on the same schedule
As every other child from 12 mo and up.

[Heidi]

What time is he getting up in the morning if he arrives at 6:30?

I would ask mom to give him breakfast before she brings him. Then, lay him down earlier...like 815-8:3030, and get him up for snack, and feed everyone snack at 9:15ish. I would not do 4 meals in a day, and I would not let him sleep more than 45 minutes in the morning. It's supposed to hold him over until the "real" nap time.

Then, lunch at 11:45 or so, and nap, and snack at 3:15. If he's awake early, he can lay in his bed with a book or toy until nap is over. Either way, snack is at 3:15, not immediately after waking.

As far as those puffs, I don't EVER serve them. I think they're flavored air. :: I swear they'd just make him hungrier.

Protein, steamed veggies, and whole grains. Not baby food. Finger foods, a little at a time, and as much as he wants when it's meal time.

[AuntTami]

What time is he getting up in the morning if he arrives at 6:30?

I would ask mom to give him breakfast before she brings him. Then, lay him down earlier...like 815-8:3030, and get him up for snack, and feed everyone snack at 9:15ish. I would not do 4 meals in a day, and I would not let him sleep more than 45 minutes in the morning. It's supposed to hold him over until the "real" nap time.

Then, lunch at 11:45 or so, and nap, and snack at 3:15. If he's awake early, he can lay in his bed with a book or toy until nap is over. Either way, snack is at 3:15, not immediately after waking.

As far as those puffs, I don't EVER serve them. I think they're flavored air. :: I swear they'd just make him hungrier.

Protein, steamed veggies, and whole grains. Not baby food. Finger foods, a little at a time, and as much as he wants when it's meal time.

He is getting up around 6:00. Bedtime is 8:30pm.

They are flavored air. He isn't getting any nutrition from them, he just likes them! he will lay on the floor and cry and scream until you give him some, or until the next meal/snack.

I swear it's like he's always starving and he's not a happy child when he's hungry. But he doesn't get baby food, he gets real food just like the rest of the kiddos. But he will eat and eat and eat. I've gotten him to slow down, but he was eating so quickly he would choke and puke.

I've never understood how you guys have been able to get nap time to extend until after 3:00! If I make it until 2:00 most days, it's surprising. 2:30 is a miracle. 3:00 has only ever happened once. Lol.

Sorry, my mind is 17 places right now so i don't really make much sense.

[Heidi]

You made perfect sense.

A couple things:

When he wakes up, do you go right in, or do you wait and see? My 12 mo grandson (new dcb), wakes sometimes and hour in, cries for a few minutes, and then goes back to sleep.

Since he is over 1, I say you can safely wait 30 minutes before going in. If that's not going to work for your guilt complex, go in every 10, lay him down, say "still nap time", and walk back out.

When nap time is over, give some external cue BEFORE going in. Either an alarm clock, or a song you sing while walking towards the door, or maybe a radio. Let it "go off", wait 30 seconds, and then come in and brightly announce that the music is playing, so nap time is over. Roses and sunshine. When you tuck him in, tell him "Nap time is over when the music plays" or "I will come get you when nap is over". He will learn very quickly that THAT is the symbol for getting up, and that screaming to get out nets him nothing.

He is NOT a young infant crying for a need. He is a toddler crying for a WANT.

I usually also make them stop before I'll get them up. I've literally stood there, saying....Shhh...stopppp....with my hand up and waited. One breath, and they're out. Or, you can busy yourself in the room (make up work), spouting roses-and-sunshine until he stops. Message is....you don't need to scream your bloody head off to get out. You get out when you get out. :Sunny

I also give a very nice pre-nap speech (and song) about how lucky they are to get in their comfy bed, and here is a nice teddy to keep you company, and oh...look at that soft blanket to cuddle with. Night night....roses and sunshine...see you when the music plays!

Try that for a week, and he will most likely be SMILING when you lay him down, and smiling when you get him up.

As for the meals, let him eat when it's time, ignore the drama when it's not. He's used to using food as entertainment, and it'll cost him later in life. Either that, or he has a genuine medical problem, but I'm guessing by now that would be known. He just needs to learn the routine.