18 Month old routine

Amanda - posted on 11/10/2010

Diane my son wakes up at 7 in the morning but he is tired a couple hours from when he wakes up but he refuses to take a nap so I wait till after he eats lunch....When he's tired it gets frustrated on me cause he is into everything besides his toys & he's cranky & even if he takes a nap from 1-3 he still wakes up all tired

Diane - posted on 11/09/2010

my son dropped his morning nap a few months ago, he wakes around 7 am, naps from 1-3, & goes to bed around 8 pm. It's normal for them to go down to only one nap per day at this age, maybe focus on moving the one nap he does take to be more in the middle of the day so he doesn't get so tired between the nap & bedtime

Amanda - posted on 11/09/2010

My Son goes to bed every night at 8 clock same time every night he has no problems falling asleep at night but he has a hard time taking naps..When he does take a nap he can sleep for 2 hours wakes up screaming cause he is still tired he always acts like he is tired all the time even though he sleeps 12 hours at night after he wakes up in the morning he'll be cranky within an hour or 2 after he wakes up cause he's tired

In - posted on 11/07/2010

Amanda, my son is going through the same thing! This past week I thought I was going to lose my mine. I realize though that getting him back on a routine MUST be my priority. That is easier said than done because I am 8 1/2 months pregnant and exhaustion makes it difficult to stay on task, but without that I think he gets bored. Also with the weather change in Chicago, he has not been able to go outside as much (also due to my tiredness) and I read information that says that he shouldn't be getting a bath every night so we changed our night time bathtime routine that he;s had for about 16 months. It's a new week and I am planning on trying my best to get him back on a schedule where he has active play and quiet play, eats at a regular time, and goes down for nap at a regular time again. Good luck to you. I am just happy to know that I am not the only. Please keep me/us updated on what you do and how it works. Good luck to us both. (P.S. As I type this he is up in his crib making nose and he went to bed at his regular time.)

Orshi - posted on 11/07/2010

my son (18 mos) went form two naps to one, its ok, as they grow they won't need to take more than one nap during the day. The one nap he does take is usually 2 hours long. Tucker him out and set a good bedtime routinw with bath, story time and sleep. We've been doing the same routinge for all his life and it works great. Sometimes we deviate when something special is happening, but he bounces right back. Good luck!

Tina - posted on 11/06/2010

How about getting him to have 2 naps a day again, wake him up at 8 every morning let him play till about 8.30 then give him his breakfast, put him down for a nap at 9 then wake him up at 10, then take him to the park or a walk in a local field get home for about 12.30pm. Give him lunch at 1pm then put him down again at 1pm, get him up at about 2pm or 3pm then have some mummy and baby time until about 5pm and then give him his dinner for about 6.30pm and then give him a warm bath at about 7.30 (i use johnsons baby bedtime bath) then read him a story (calm down time) and put him to bed at about 9pm hope this helps

Nicki - posted on 11/03/2010

Well you're not alone thinking that your baby does better on a routine... everyone I know with kids, including myself, says a routine is a must! Try slowly adjusting him back to his routine he had previously so it's not such a big and sudden change. Also, I've heard that toddlers start switching to one nap at around this age, so he may just be ready to only have one. Try shifting the nap a little bit later than we he would normally have his first one. Hope this helps!

Stella - posted on 10/31/2010

have you been trying to discipline your son. my daughter is 18 months old, and is also very awkward with what she eats. she also puts her arms out to my husband and i for cuddles, but when we go to get her, she has a temper tantrum. i have been showing her discipline since she was about 9 months old. i think the earlier you start, the better. my daughter knows when mummy is cross and she soon quietens down. sometimes a gentle smack on the hand and a firm 'no' is all they need. but you have to stick to your guns and keep up with the discipline for it to work. it may take a while, but your son should get the message eventually. other than that, the only other thing i can suggest is speaking to your health visitor. i thought my daughter may have had behaviour issues recently but my doctor said it is too early (because of my daughters age) to tell if that is what it is. so i wouldn't worry too much about what your doctor said at the moment. your son could just be going through a phaze.

Amanda - posted on 10/30/2010

I noticed him being a fussy eater lately were he doesn't really want to eat a whole lot...I will put him in the high chair he acts like he doesn't want it so I will get him out & he will fight me cause he doesn't want out...I don't know why but my son acts like he is always tired he can have a 2 hour nap still wake up cranky cause he's still tired he's going back like when he was a baby cause when he was a baby he would have a hard time napping so he was always tired...If I showed him foods to pick out he would have a temper cause he would want it right then and there my son has a really bad temper

Stella - posted on 10/30/2010

have you tried giving him a choice of what to have for breakfast and lunch? get 2 different foods out, show them to him and he will hopefully point to the one he wants. then let him watch you prepare it for him. children of this age tend to become fussy eaters, so it helps to give them choices and variety. if he gets tired, give him an hours nap and let him play the rest of the day. hope this helps.

Amanda - posted on 10/27/2010

I really don't know what all they need at this age I do know is that he won't eat a whole lot never has he'll usually won't eat breakfast or he eats breakfast skips lunch but he always makes it up at night

Kara - posted on 10/27/2010

May I ask how his diet is? Does he get the protein & iron that a child his age needs? I wonder because if an adult has low iron we get tired & anemic.

Amanda - posted on 10/27/2010

I'm a stay at home mom my son gets up depends sometimes 6 something to 8 in the morning but at bedtime its the same everyday 8 clock but after a few hours he's up he gets tired again he always acts like hes tired I don't know what to do...The way my son acts the doctor just says its a behavior issue

Kara - posted on 10/27/2010

Is your son in daycare or at home? Does he get up at the same time and go to bed roughly at the same time every day?

My son (who is also 18 months) dropped the 2 naps at around a year. Now don't get me wrong, there are times when he needs an extra nap because he may have gotten up too early or has been extremely active. We find that we have to be consistent - up at 7am (give or take 30 minutes)...lunch at 12pm, nap around 1pm...and he cannot sleep past 3/3:30pm. Dinner around 5/5:30pm, bathtime between 7/7:30pm and bed around 8pm. There has to be flexibility with schedules, people visiting, or visiting others....but we do our best to stay on track. I must also add that my son is in part-time daycare, so we have to stay similar to what they do. He does not receive a bottle there, he sleeps in a cot and no highchair. All else fails, chat with your doctor :-)