I have three doughters: 3yrs3mo, 20mo, and 2mo old.I love my girls and enjoy every moment with them. My question is for those who was ever in same situation: My two older girls have one nap and at the same time. They sleep in the same room. HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO PUT YOUR 3RD ONE TO SLEEP WHILE TWO OTHER ONES ARE AWAKE? This is my constant problem that they wake her up very often while she sleeps. It is very hard to keep them quiet so 3rd would sleep how much she needs to...
I appreciate all your responses.
How often does little one nap?
I have older kids go outside to play or watch a movie if wheather does not permit out door activities. We also color or do quiet activites so the younger one can sleep. The 2 mo must sleep often, that is tough!
Good Luck!
M.
Working From Home and loving it!
http://www.WorkingGreenMoms.com
Put you little one in a room where the others can't go.
We do home daycare with several children present, including a 6 mo. She naps in a playpen that we set up in our living room, while the others are playing in the family room/playroom. I pull the blinds to dim the light and put on quiet music, so that even though some of their play noise filters into the living room, she has her own sounds to sleep with. We have a child gate set up so that when it's closed the other children can't go into the living room and bother her.
I still have this problem and my kids are 6 1/2, 5 and 7 mos. We let the big kids play outside, watch a movie, play Wii in the basement, read, color or any "quiet time" activities. For us, the third is being dragged EVERYWHERE. It seems like just when I get him down for a nap, 30 mins later I'm waking him up and getting him back into a carseat to drive to preschool pickup, a girl scout meeting, etc.
Even tho your kids are so small they need to learn the meaning of "quiet time"...using sign language "shhh" finger to your lips.
Keep "noisy toys" in a box you can close up. When it's "quiet time" break out the coloring books, arts n crafts or play outside with a monitor nearby.
We have used a sound machine EVERY day since bringing home baby #3. We use the "static" sound. In the beginning it was VERY loud (just like the baby was in utero). Eventually we'd make it a bit quieter. At nights it was so loud we'd close the baby's door and listen on the monitor. It definitely helped drown out the other "house noises" during the day.
Also, the SWING! We had a bassinet style swing that cradled the baby. This was a Godsend to help the baby nap for more than a brief catnap.
Sound machine. Swing on. Swaddle the baby. Close the door. Get the monitor and play outside or in the basement with the big kids.
Good luck
At 3 months, babies were usually still in my room. Or, I'd take older kids to my room to watch a movie as they layed down (usually by age 3, naps are pretty much over).
If it's the youngest that you're putting to bed last and is getting the disrupted sleep, I would put the 2 month old in a portable pack n' play/cradle in another room for her naps. Your room, quiet corner of the living room etc away from the other two. That's what I did with my baby for months and months. It worked and the pack n' play had wheels. So did the cradle. Cradle worked better (was cheap at Babies R Us) because it was narrower and fit down the hallway and all doorways.
i didn't read all of your responses but my kids are 15 months apart and on different sleep schedules. i use my iPod with "white noise" on it to drown out the older kid's noise. the only time my daughter is allowed to watch tv is the 10 minutes it takes me to put her brother down. she knows when he goes down she gets to watch tv and stays on the couch and is good.
good luck, it is hard but gets easier.
Do you have any kind of white noise for where the 3rd sleeps? We are huge fans of sound soothers (i've gotten some at Target, in the pharmacy area where they keep other "spa" things like foot tubs) but even a fan could help keep her room humming to keep the other kids' noise out.
I have two-- one 3 years, 5 months and a 5 month old. Most of the time, I let the older one watch tv while I get the baby to sleep. The baby also sleeps in our room in a co-sleeper. Our room is right next to my 3 year-old's room so I try to keep the older one in another part of the house while baby is falling asleep. Hard to do when your house is 850 square feet, but I can usually make it work.
I also have a white noise machine (Sleep Sheep) for the baby and this helps a lot.
It's really hard, no doubt about it. Especially with a 2-year old who still needs you a lot and won't be entertained by TV for a long time.
I wish I had a better answer :)
BTW, I was reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child again this morning and came across an interesting factoid: Weissbluth says that daytime sleep and nighttime sleep involve different parts of the brain. So if you have your baby nap in one place and spend the night in another you're not confusing them or jeopardizing their nighttime sleep.
Best of luck. Hope you get a rest yourself soon.
i have 3 kids that are 3 yrs apart too (5, 4, 2).....i wish i had a resolution for you but something that works today may not work tomorrow....so here are some ideas to BRIBE them with til you get baby to sleep they will have to sit quietly & watch a movie (take them to store & buy a movie) with a treat then you will do the following with them: play outside w/them & have baby monitor on, play-doh, moon sand, kiddie pool, coloring...........bribery is the only thing that worked for me at this age, best wishes
Two words....SOUND MACHINE! It's a machine that you put in the babies room and it makes white noise. I have one for both my girls. People can laugh loud, run around, ring my door bell etc. and my babies just keep on sleeping. Get one for your baby and then she should take better naps.
