Okay mommies...I need some information. Our son will be just over a year by the time we are home and settled in. I have researched some of this already, but want advice from "real people" instead of experts :-) How many hours does the average one yer old sleep during the night? How many naps do you let them have in the day and for how long? Are you feeding three meals a day with two "snacks" in between at this point?
I am also curious if you developed a schedule rather quickly when home? Did this schedule help your baby adjust? How long did it take to get into a routine? At one year old did you continue the "potty time" that they had at the orphanage or did you just stick with diapers? One year old seems a bit young to me for potty training, but there are "old school moms" who have told me that all their children were potty trained early. Thanks gals!
Monday, January 15, 2007
A Schedule for Baby & Naps
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8 comments:
Hello, We recently returned home with our two, a 1y/o and 2 y/o.Average of 12 hours sleep per night and 1 nap in afternoon about 2.5-3 hours. Worked very well and was very close to their orphanage schedule,except the 1 y/o had 2 short naps in orphanage but transitioned well to one longer nap. For meals you are right on. Try to stick as closely as possible to a schedule, these children definately thrive on a schedule and consistency. The 2y/o was potty trained but regressed and will use potty some I am letting her do it in her own time, the one year old is in diapers , In mho that is pretty young to be potty trained. I know in the baby homes they try to train them early cause can't offord diapers:( Best wishes!!!
My son is 9.5 months old, so I may be a little off but hopefully this helps. My son sleeps about 11.5 hours a night and our 2.5 year old niece sleeps 11 hours too. Our son takes 2 naps a day, about 1.5 to 2 hours each nap. Around the age of one is when I believe they go down to 1 nap a day. I am already feeding my son 3 meals a day with bottles in between to supplement. I think around 1 y.o. we'll cut back on the bottle and do snacks. Talk with a Dr. about the types of food a 1 y.o. can have as there is a list of what you can and can't give them. We kept to our schedule from when we were in Kazakhstan (2 naps a day) and just incorporate meals when we got home. Your son will be out of sorts when you first come home due to the time change, so his schedule will be altered already. However, it only took us about 5 days to get into a good routine, including sleeping through the night. Good luck!
It's been a LONG time since I had a one year old. What I remember is that as far as feeding went, I pretty much went with what the pediatrician told me. It's part of the regular office visit with little ones to discuss diet and the dr will let you know when to introduce new things. Of course with our little ones coming from a different country and especially from an orphanage, I think their diet is going to be pretty out of whack from our standards here in the U.S.
I am planning to try and keep naps as close to what his schedule in the orphanage is at first. Every child and every parent is different, so schedule will be based more on that than anything else. In the end you do what works best for you.
As far as potty training... I think trying to potty train any child under 18 months is just insane. My daughter was not much more than that when I started working with her. I was pregnant at the time, so I didn't want 2 in diapers. She picked it up really well and was potty trained before she was two. My son was a different story. We started just before age two and he was potty trained by 2 1/2. Boys are tougher to potty train. I have heard it from other mom's and I know it was true in our family!
Hope this helps some. Like I said though, my youngest is 10, so it's been a LONG time.
We came home a week before he turned 1 year old and stuck with the orphanage schedule of nap after lunch for 1 - 3 hours. At night he sleeps about 11 hours. Luckily daycare had the same nap schedule as the orphanage.
For potty training, we continued to put him on the potty after every meal (breakfast,lunch, dinner, not snacks, and before bath/bedtime). At daycare they do not put him on the potty after lunch. He continues to poo for us on the potty instead of the diaper, but at daycare he often poos after lunch in his diaper-- you'd think they would catch on to the schedule.
He can not tell us when he wants to use the potty, but he does seem to told his #2 for a potty time. This can be dangerous becuase i's a big load, and if he mniss a potty after a meal, it's a big 'un.
Dawn,
Did you choose a pediatrician yet? I don't remember how close you live to me, but I have a great one if you need him.
When I bring Olive home, I plan on putting her on the same schedule as K so they are napping at the same time and I get some free mommy time to regroup.
Melissa
Our son was 16 months when he came home. He was taking 2 naps in the baby home, but we transitioned him to 1 right away. He slept between 2-3 hours, and at 2 1/2 he is still sleeping this long...night time, between 10-12 hours. We had Maksim start sleeping in his own room in a crib right away; we put a twin bed in the room in case he needed company. He never did! The first few nights home, he got up for a few hours during the middle of the night, and we played until he looked a little sleepy, and then went back to bed. Right to 3 meals and snacks. That really didn't seem to be an issue, as it was basically what he was doing in the baby home. We did give him Pediasure when he came home, after checking him out, our Dr. didn't think it was necessary, and when we finally realized what were paying for it, we didn't think it was necessary either :) Potty training...we chose to go back to diapers. In order to keep up the "training" he had, we would have had to sit him on the potty right after he ate until he went. At 2 1/2 he is just starting to become interested in the potty. We are very lucky...our transition was seamless. I am so excited to read about your adventures!!
Lisa
It took Elijah a while to really get settled in. He has been home over three months and I really feel like he is now fully adjusted. Elijah is 13 months old and is sleeping 12 hours a night and takes two naps a day...a 2 1/2 hour nap in the morning and a two hour nap in the afternoon. I know for a fact that this is not normal for his age. Most toddlers his age take one afternoon nap for about 3 hours. As for potty training, I can tell you right now that he is no where near ready. Finally about a schedule, when you bring him home, try and follow what the orphanage did and then slowly adapt it to a schedule that works well for your family. Have a great trip!!!
ok, my boys are like night & day, Jabari didn't sleep well from the get-go & still comes over during the night to our bed at 3 1/2 yrs old, he was 1 yr when we came home & he would wake up anywhere from 2-5 times a night for 2 years, so the fact that he just wakes up & comes & snuggles with us is a HUGE improvment! LOL. We were told he was a "good" sleeper, what a crock! With the waking up in the night he didn't even come close to the recomended hours of sleep, he did take 2 naps until he was 18 months & he always slept for 2 hours for naps.
Gunnar...
AWESOME sleeper! He goes to bed at 6:30pm & wakes up for a bottle around 4am & sleeps until 7-7:30!! He takes 2 naps a day & I don't see that changing soon. He has 3 meals a day & a bottle before each nap & before bed.
As far as feeding, Gunnar wanted to eat more food the the babyhome had given him & my in-country staff said to just feed him whenever he seems hungry, he was so thin, I could see his rib cage so I decided to let him be the judge & he ate like crazy! I think the first 2 days he was eating every 2 hours! I also think it was his way of coping with the change in his life. I have a book that really helped this time around & contiunes to, its "adoption from the ground up", its an awesome book & it has a section with questions to ask the babyhouse doctors, etc. If you want more info send me an email.
Ann
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