Just when you think you've gotten everything figured out with kids, something changes.
For example, Luke used to get up between 6 and 7, and then exactly 2 hours later he would be ready for his first nap. His second nap would vary (depending on if he got woken up before his preferred 2 hour nap was done) and then he'd be ready to go to bed at 7.
Now, Luke is not ready to go down for his first nap 2 hours after he wakes up. This is a problem because I need to leave to pick Amanda up from preschool at 11:30, and if Luke didn't go down before 9, he might still be sleeping when it's time to leave. The other problem is that I just don't know when to put him down, and so I am likely to either do it too early (so he cries in his room for a while) or too late (so he cries in his room for a while).
Amanda used to go to bed at about 7 and wake up at about 7. With Amanda you can't be sure that she slept that entire time (she enjoys playing alone in her room...although she usually talks as she plays, so you can hear her) but her schedule was set.
Now, she has been going to bed at 7:30 and actually getting to sleep (after going potty, and seeing what Eleanor is doing, and so forth) who knows when. Then she has been waking up very early. This morning I went in to her at 5:45 and convinced her to go back to sleep. It took a while, but she was actually asleep at 7, which is when she usually wakes up so she can go to preschool... Last night she got up after Eleanor's bedtime to complain, "I'm tired of sleeping," and "Well, actually, I do have time." The last may be in reference to our saying things like, "We don't have time to read another book."
There are a few possibilities I have thought of for Amanda's recent wakefulness. The first is that her bedtime of 7 is just too early, and she should stay up later. The second is that she has actually been getting to bed too late, and that makes her wake up early. As incredible as this sounds, we have found many times that if we move bedtime earlier, the kid wakes up later. Finally, it could be that environmental allergies are bothering her.
Or, it could be that she is just changing (like Luke) to keep us on our toes. We wouldn't want to get bored, now, would we?
For example, Luke used to get up between 6 and 7, and then exactly 2 hours later he would be ready for his first nap. His second nap would vary (depending on if he got woken up before his preferred 2 hour nap was done) and then he'd be ready to go to bed at 7.
Now, Luke is not ready to go down for his first nap 2 hours after he wakes up. This is a problem because I need to leave to pick Amanda up from preschool at 11:30, and if Luke didn't go down before 9, he might still be sleeping when it's time to leave. The other problem is that I just don't know when to put him down, and so I am likely to either do it too early (so he cries in his room for a while) or too late (so he cries in his room for a while).
Amanda used to go to bed at about 7 and wake up at about 7. With Amanda you can't be sure that she slept that entire time (she enjoys playing alone in her room...although she usually talks as she plays, so you can hear her) but her schedule was set.
Now, she has been going to bed at 7:30 and actually getting to sleep (after going potty, and seeing what Eleanor is doing, and so forth) who knows when. Then she has been waking up very early. This morning I went in to her at 5:45 and convinced her to go back to sleep. It took a while, but she was actually asleep at 7, which is when she usually wakes up so she can go to preschool... Last night she got up after Eleanor's bedtime to complain, "I'm tired of sleeping," and "Well, actually, I do have time." The last may be in reference to our saying things like, "We don't have time to read another book."
There are a few possibilities I have thought of for Amanda's recent wakefulness. The first is that her bedtime of 7 is just too early, and she should stay up later. The second is that she has actually been getting to bed too late, and that makes her wake up early. As incredible as this sounds, we have found many times that if we move bedtime earlier, the kid wakes up later. Finally, it could be that environmental allergies are bothering her.
Or, it could be that she is just changing (like Luke) to keep us on our toes. We wouldn't want to get bored, now, would we?
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Anyway, they change and you just have to roll with it, right? If you don't like one particular change, you can be assured that another one is on its way.
Love, FNDP
I'm just amazed that your boy will do puzzles. Eleanor and Amanda have never really been interested, although I might try some more on Amanda and see what she does. It seems like a good quiet activity for kids.