Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Challenge: Working From Home

I absolutely LOVE that I am able to be my own boss and work from home every day, but it doesn't come without challenges.  Especially when my daughter doesn't take consistent naps every day. 


I have been struggling so much lately between being decent at lots of things but not EXCEPTIONAL at a single one.  I feel like sometimes I have my hands in too many things at once and it gets a bit overwhelming.  For starters, I don't know how to get Stella on a consistent nap schedule.  Frankly, the girl has a mind of her own. If she is not tired, she will wail and wail and never go to sleep.  In fact, she gets SO worked up that she starts coughing and it takes me awhile to settle her back down.  I have tried cry it out and it just doesn't seem to really work for her- It makes her MORE angry and MORE awake.  The approach I've taken is to wait for her cues- to rub her eyes - and then I put her down and she goes right to sleep.  The tough part about this is that some days she will take little cat naps on and off all day and on other days she will sleep for 2.5 hours!!! SO as far as planning my work schedule around her, I just have to wing it and for a Type A girl like myself, it is really difficult.  I don't want to feel like I am working on and off all day long.  I would much rather have a set 2-4 hours (during her naps) that I can count on to plug in and knock stuff out. 


I am really struggling because when she is awake I want to be engaged and involved, but not knowing how many or how long her naps are going to be that day, I find myself doing work while she swings or plays by herself.  I have looked into mother's day out programs but they were either already full for the year OR she is too little.  Seem strange that daycare can start at 6 weeks old but mother's day out they have to be 1! 

Does anyone have advice on "nap training" that doesn't involve crying it out? Or maybe a way to "cry it out" without her coughing and hyperventilating because she is so angry? 

4 comments:

  1. I feel your pain. Even at almost 11 months, nap time is still a daily battle. I have tried EVERYTHING! If I can get her to take ONE thirty minute nap a day, I consider it a victory. I don't really have any advice except to say keep trying and try not to beat yourself up over it. Maybe one day it will just click?? That's what I'm hoping for ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Abby- I totally understand your pain. I lived it with my oldest. She was not a napper - at all!! I went through much of the same thing you are doing...she just didn't...wasn't a great night sleeper either (when she woke - she only wanted to nurse herself back to sleep.) All I can say is hang in there - When my daughter started moving around...crawling, cruising etc...she tired herself out more. She was still never a consistent napper - but it got a bit better. I was told by my pediatrician that some kids are just not good nappers - they are better cap nappers...(Now as a teenager...she can sleep in the morning until noon if we let her!!) You are right to follow her cues..I know it's frustrating and often inconsistent..but it might allow you some productivity. Hang in there! It might just click also at some point..

    ReplyDelete
  3. Abby I have never felt that Emma was the best napper. I don't get it since she sleeps so well at night. In fact from 6-8 1/2 months were the worst. She would lay down for 45 minutes maybe in the morning and then I would CROSS MY FINGERS for the afternoon nap to last long. I don't know what it was. I tried to find the positive that she took naps, but they were not long. Some days I would get an hour and a half in the afternoon and others not even close to that. Since she has started crawling, sister naps for a good 2 hours every afternoon and usually 45 min to an hour in the morning. So maybe, hang in there...? I don't know, I don't work from home, but I understand the frustration of trying to get things done since I am the full time maid and cook around here. ;) Did you look into First Baptists Kids Day Out?? Emma is going and would love to meet Stella. :) However I know it fills up quick. I still get jealous of mommy's that say their babies nap for 3 hours every day. ;) I never figured out the magical way to get Emma to nap better, but maybe do a routine for every nap too..? I did that when Emma was tiny and it seemed to work. Who knows. Us rookie moms are learning every day, right? :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ugh. I have no advice just commiseration. I've never thought so much about sleep until having a kid!

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...