No nap daytime routine

My toddler has recently dropped their nap and I'm struggling a bit with the afternoons! We usually head out in the morning to an activity/shops/see friends etc. then get home by 1ish. Unfortunately I can't really go anywhere in the afternoon as by 2/3pm he would just fall asleep in the car and they go to bed at midnight!! Prior to the nap drop we would normally take the dog out for a walk in the afternoon, but he's just so grumpy it makes it difficult..

So that leaves us at home from 1pm - bedtime at 7pm. I'm just struggling to fill the day without feeling like we're just sitting around all day. He's a very active toddler so isn't really into drawing/crafts etc. It helps a lot when we can get in the garden for a few hours.

Any tips or ideas welcome!!

in our community

Help, at my wits end

My little boy is 5 months old. From two weeks old he's been an awful sleeper, whenever we put him in his next 2 me crib he would be so active (leg slamming, arms flapping, rubbing his face) that it would wake him up after 20 minutes or so. When he was about 2 months old me and my partner started sleeping in shifts so one of us could sit up and hold him. A month ago I started co-sleeping with him to just try and get done extra sleep overnight but to be honest, it makes little difference. I'm currently up for the 3rd time in 4 hours, I'm lucky if ever get more than an hours sleep next to him. My partner has him at the start and end of the night so I get a few hours then but it's really taking its toll and we're both extremely sleep deprived. I guess I just thought by 5 months his active sleep might've calmed down but if anything it seems to getting worse the last few nights, and he will only sleep being held.

I also miss my partner massively, we've not slept in the same room for months. I feel like I've missed out on that lovely part of being a new mummy and having baby in the crib next to us, and nights have just become something to dread.

Haa anyone else been through this with their little one and when did it improve? It feels neverending at the moment and I just need to know it will improve at some point.

Sleeping bags

I’m a FTM looking for some advice please.

I’ve just started putting my 9 week old in her sleeping bag at night the temperature when we go to bed is around 20/21 degrees I have been putting her in a 1 tog sleeping bag with her sleepsuit per the guide on the sleep bag. The temperature is dropping to about 16/17 degrees throughout the night making it colder.

Would you continue to put her in the 1 tog or would you put her in a warmer tog when she’s going to bed knowing the temperature is going to drop? I am worried about overheating her. TIA xx

Did anyone else not really love breastfeeding?

I breastfed for 18 months and it was more because I knew it was good for baby and then when we got into it, it was for convenience and ease. But I also felt that it took things away like baby being able to spend long periods of time with family (he wouldn’t take a bottle), and also I had a lack of freedom lol.
I’d do it again and don’t regret it but I never got the “I love breastfeeding, I love the closeness, it’s magical” kinda feeling that I read people talking about.

Stepmom help!!

My 3year old step daughter has always called me mom since she was a year old. (Her bio mom has 40% we have 60%) in the beginning her mom was in a toxic abusive relationship, on drgs, partying every night like a teenager. There’s a lot to unpack. She eventually got very traumatized by a lot of things so I’m all she’s had to comfort her. She’s always known my name but just chose to call me mom. Recently her bio mom has been very petty towards dad. Didn’t allow him to see her on her 1 day of the week through FaceTime on his birthday, didn’t allow her to show up to her brothers 1st birthday party on her weekend, told her to bite baby brother (step child’s words not ours) told her to hit me, call me by my name or she will hurt her(again her words) she’s 3 and very easily manipulated. I became very worried when she repeatedly bit and hit her new baby brother and pushed me down the stairs after putting a wall of toys on the staircase… when she returns from her biomom she says “mommy said don’t talk to me, mommy said you look like a man, I don’t have to listen to you” that or just blankly stares at me while I’m asking how her day was.. it breaks my heart that our connection went from being SO AMAZING to so distant and cold. I haven’t told her anything I just decided to step back and leave her be because I’m so hurt and scared she’s gonna hurt baby brother or me more than what’s been done… what do I do? Talking to bio mom is out of the question she tried to fight me for asking why. She’s very immature and unreasonable.

To wash or not to wash - be honest

If your baby is finally sleeping after skipping most of the naps of the day. Would you skip over the bath or wake your baby for bath time and the rest of the night time routine?

18 month old still has witching hour?

Help?!!!! My 18 month old from the day he was born has been absolute hell past 4pm. No matter how much sleep he has he whinges and cries at EVERY thing, all evening. My partner is really stressed out with it, as we thought by now he might have grown out of it. He’s sleeps 7:30pm- 6am, and 11:30-1:30 day nap. Eats WELL, that is what he actually mostly whinges at now… Always screaming at the kitchen cupboards. I don’t know what to do😩 is this happening to anyone else