when you have to change your routine...

I have a big problem with this! I guess we don't get out much. We normally stay home pretty much during the week. The twins have a real nice routine and do very well with it. But of course there are those days when you know you will have to move or even (gasp!) skip a nap. This week has already been a little off (PT on tuesday morning, synagis shots this morning, well baby visit tomorrow morning, etc.) so morning nap has been affected. But what i am really stressing about is this Saturday. My niece's b-day party is a two hour drive away at 2:30, smack in the middle of naptime! Okay, so i figure they will probably sleep in the car. So now i am trying to figure out how to coordinate naptime, the two hour drive, the party, the drive home, when they will go to bed, when i will feed them....ugh!!!! See, this shouldn't be that big of a deal! But i am totally stressed about it! I don't want my kids to be cranky and miserable at the party! Why do i make such a big deal out of this? My sister brings all three of her kids to my place, whenever, and one is only 10 months, and she never seems to have problem. But i become terrified that all he!! will break loose if i change my kids schedule around on them! Seriously, this is my current nap schedule:
Wake 7:00
Nap 9:30-11
Nap 2- 4
Bed 7:30
So, right now, i am planning to try to skip the am nap, feed them at 11:30 (instead of 12), then throw them in the car and hope they sleep the entire two hours up. I figure that way they will be happy for a few hours at the party. What i am more concerned about is that they will alos sleep most of the way home (the party is over at 4:30, i will probably stay a little bit longer to feed them dinner) and then bedtime will be a bust!
I know, there are worse things to worry about, and i need to get a grip. Does anyone else stress like this??? Or am i just nuts? I often wonder if i have cursed myself by making my kids so schedule oriented! Do parents of singletons worry this much about schedules or is this more a twin mom thing???? They're babies, they adapt right?

-Candi

 

Hugs! I tend not to get tooo wound up about it (not to say I don't but...) because I've found that at least for the party or whatever is going to throw off our routine, the girls are so entertained by everything going on around them (and they're usually being held) that they wait for the melt down at home (and even then it's not too bad )

Depending on your kiddos though, I might not skip the am nap (I can't always guarantee that mine'll sleep in the car though!) So I make sure they get at least one good nap in. And the times we've had to do a long car trip back they're usually awake for a while and the little bit they do sleep hasn't ever affected bed time.

GL! And have fun!

 

I agree with the pp...don't skip the AM nap...you end up with extremely tired, fussy babies. They will probably sleep in the car, so it should be fine. I am big on routines/schedules with my two, and while I have relaxed about disruptions in the past few months, I was extremely reluctant to disrupt their schedule for the first 6-7 months. Do not feel like you are weird if you are stressing about this...you are the one who has to deal with the crazed, crying, overtived babies at the end of the day. Feed them dinner, put them in their pjs and hit the road coming home. That way you can put them straight to bed when you do get home. I do this alot with mine. Again...don't feel like you are abnornmal for protecting your babies schedule.

 

OMG................. I AM YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I might be worse tho. Mine will be six mos at the end of this month and people think i'm a basketcase cuz I won't leave the house or deviate from my routine much at all........

God forbid... we miss a nap! I know I'm nuts but seriously.. the few times I've "gone out" to mall or whatever (due to people harassing me into it..) I paid HEAVILY for it............ Like screamfest city for HOURS.. when if we just stay here.. no screaming and everyone is happy!!

Seriously.. I'm like you... I'd rather stay home and stay sane.. I often "THINK" about leaving.. but never go thru with it.. Too scary!!

 

QUOTE(ivfbound078 @ Mar 20 2008, 02:40 PM) [snapback]679534[/snapback]
Mine will be six mos at the end of this month and people think i'm a basketcase cuz I won't leave the house or deviate from my routine much at all........



I notice that the people who call me crazy for being devoted to a routine, are people who do not spend every day all day and night with my twins, they don't deal with them when they get off of their routine or miss a nap. They meet me for lunch, snuggle and smile with my girls and then they go on their merry way and I go home to deal with the aftermath of venturing out. I like to tell people that when they spend just one week 24/7 doing what I do and knowing my girls the way I do - they will have then earned the right to comment on my "routine".

 

I could have written your post!

We are going *GASP* out of town for a long weekend when the girls are almost 9 months old ... we went out of town for Thanksgiving and Christmas but these trips were before I had them on their perfect schedule and all my days were a crapshoot anyway ... but now, their schedule is GREAT ... it works for ALL of us ... and I am so stressed to deviate from it at all! I am worried that they won't nap in the PNP's ... in a strange room. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

We are going to the place I love most in the world and where we moved here from (for hubbys job) and where I want to move back to (when hubby is done training) and I am so excited to go and see my friends and all that ... my inlaws have a 3 BR beach house there so it isn't like we will all be in a hotel room or anything ... but I am SO SCARED that I will derail all of our progress.

Just wanted to give you ((hugs)) and tell you that you aren't alone ... I am crazy about the schedule too ... I think the word my husband uses is ... neurotic =)

 

I am with you guys. I do deviate from my routine all the time but ONLY when I am feeling SUPER and if I know DH will be home that evening.
As everyone else said - no one else has to deal with your TWO babies when you deviate from the routine. They dont understand. They also dont understand the guilt. If I do something for myself - go shopping etc it makes them cranky because they are out of their routine AND THEN I only have ONE set of arms to hold them when they BOTH get upset at the same time and all **** breaks loose. So I save everyone the hassle and stay home - more often than not,.....and I am not even a 'schedule' person.
Yet again, something only MOM's understand!

 

You are not alone! Naptimes and bedtimes are sacred in my world!

 

Oh I am exactly like you! I live by the scheduale because it just makes everyone happy. When we have to go somewhere and I plan it all out and think ok well they'll be hungary and eat at 1pm and then they'll sleep in the car, that will be the time the won't eat and don't want to sleep at all.............I swear they feel my stress!!

I don't think people with one baby are as crazy as me, my friend seems to be able to pop in whenever and go on day trips here and there without a thought.

We both need to relax a little but its hard.

Erica

 

Oh gosh, I am the same way! I freak out all the time over family parties, or even simple outings to a store...lol...Like for Easter, I am terrified of how I am going to manage without a total breakdown (myself, not only the babies!) I have to drive 2 hours to my parents house and back at night....I am shuddering at the thought of that. This won't be pretty

I agree with some of the previous posters about how mom's of one baby don't stress out as much - It's just easier to handle one baby of course, especially when it comes to these things. I think my family doesn't get this at all...All the planning that I have to go through. I'm sure you know what I mean! I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone here :hug99:

 

Another psycho here. I almost lost it this past weekend at my in-laws's house. We drove from Houston to San Antonio (3 hour trip) and I had planned it to where they would be fed and due for their nap as soon as we left. Well, they tricked me and skipped that nap AND the next one! For the first time in their little lives they went the whole day without napping. I was devastated. I'm running around telling everyone that this is a disaster and that they are going to turn into real life gremlins if they don't get two naps a day. I waited and waited for the gremlin transformation and guess what-it never came! They were pleasant and playful and I ended up looking like a fool So...I think it really helped me to be a LITTLE more laid back in terms of schedules. At least now I know they'll still be human without naps.