Unscheduled Sleep Positions X

Ok, so I'm a pushover. But he's our last kid, and how many more times will I get the chance to let a youngin sleep on my lap? Daily naps are beginning to fall by the wayside to the point that if E naps, it's most likely to be because he falls asleep in the car as we run daily errands.

Once we arrive back at the house, I can usually bring him in and transfer him right into his bed. Other times, that transfer doesn't go so smoothly. This just happened to be one of those times. Instead of staying asleep when I laid him down, he shot bolt upright and stuck his arms out for me again. Only when I picked him up, he cuddled right into my shoulder again. 

It's at that point that I can say "I tried", and then go recline in my La-Z-Boy, and let him rest until he wakes on his own. 

It's really not such a bad afternoon, cuddles with my second son. Maybe I can even catch up on an episode of The Walking Dead. I'm only a season behind...

Unscheduled Sleep Positions IX

Sometimes sleep comes when you need it most, but when you expect it least. E was all set to go for a walk today, but I wasn't ready to leave the house. Instead, we walked circles in the kitchen for about five minutes, and he passed out. I don't expect this to be a long nap, but even 20 minutes will get him back in shape to finish the day without excess meltdowns. This kid has been the best sleeper of the three so far, and I really hope the trend continues.

This particular trick, we learned with Nat, who flat out refused to take naps in her crib. Or sleep at night in her crib. Or sleep at night at all. And so, the stroller nap was invented to help us retain our sanity. Here's hoping this doesn't become a trend with E, as it did with Nat. 

Literally holding my breath...

USP - Unscheduled Sleep Positions V

An oldie but a goodie. I think I slept more in this chair the first two years of Nat's life than I did my own bed. She was such a hard one to get to sleep. Kate and I would spend hours at night or nap time with her on our lap, often asleep, just to get her to sleep as well. Of course, she's stubborn and would just yell for hours on end if left in her bed until she made herself sick. Then when we would hold her and she finally passed out, as soon as we tried to lay her down she would wake up, ready for round two.

Needless to say, I drank a lot of coffee and walked around in a haze everywhere I went those two years.

USP - Unscheduled Sleep Positions IV

If you take a toddler to the store, he'll be too tired to walk, so he'll ask to ride in the cart. And if he's riding in the cart because he's too tired to walk, he'll probably fall asleep. And if he falls asleep in the cart, you're likely to have a peaceful shopping trip.

USP - Unscheduled Sleep Positions III

At the table. Classic, right?

How is it that bedtime doesn't mean sleep, but dinnertime does? The number of pictures and videos we have of this guy falling asleep at the table is a little frightening. I guess it just means he's wearing himself out during the day. And if he's wearing himself out, that means I'm doing my job.


It also means I will probably fall asleep at the table too.

USP - Unscheduled Sleep Position II

Yes, that is a PEZ dispenser in his mouth.

From the time you bring your babies home from the hospital, the car can quickly become a favorite when its time to force a nap. When the kids were little, you could always count on a long car ride putting the kids to sleep. For long road trips, some parents even plan their trips at night to guarantee the kids get a nap and Dad has peace and quiet to drive. Somewhere along the line though, they stop sleeping but you don't stop expecting them to sleep. Those days are frustrating. Then you come to grips with the facts, and have to start planning activities for car rides. Once you hit that point, any sleep they get on a long trip is a welcome blessing.

From the day they stop sleeping in the car to the day they stop riding with you in the car, we plan ways to keep them happy and occupied for the length of the trip. In fact, we always have designated car backpacks for long trips which include coloring books (no sticker books, those stickers will rip every time a child tries to get them out), a movie for each of them (and their own travel DVD player), a selection of their favorite toys (no little accessories which would be guaranteed to get lost), my daughter's iPod and my son's LeapPad (with headphones), a few books each (she can read to him or to herself), and a snack (crackers, chex-mix, pretzels) that they are allowed to decide when to eat. Those things seem to cover all the bases, and keep them occupied regardless the length of the drive.

The one other item that will make the back seat for every single trip we take: pillows. Because you never know when they just might decide to take that nap you thought they had outgrown.

What are some of your favorite/best trip activities to keep them occupied when they don't want to sleep?