Two Kids and How to Get Them Both to Nap at the Same Time...

the two year old may NOT need two naps a day. why not lay the 6 week old down at the first nap but keep the two year old up if he is not tired. then at the second nap lay them both down.

The two year old likely only needs 1 nap. I know -- so sorry to hear (I went through this too as my kiddos were 17 mos apart). It is so great to get them on taking 1 nap at least on the same schedule so you can have some peace and quiet and get some chores done! Your 6 week old likely needs 3 naps - morning, afternoon and early evening. It will take some doing, but you should be able to line up the afternoon nap for the little one with the only nap for the 2 year old -- with some trial and error!

Good luck! (I am going to go through this again in 4 mos when I have Baby #3 -- other kids are 3.5 and 2. And Yes, they both take 1 nap in the afternoon 12:30-2ish).

2 seems a little old for two naps to me. My daughter is 27 months old and I couldn't see her taking 2 naps at all. I would put the baby down for his morning nap and then give the 2 year old something quiet to do during that time...color, play dough, tv, etc. When my daughter was a newborn and my son was 3 we used morning nap as a time to play those toys and games that had small pieces and couldn't be out when the baby was up. For afternoon naps I always put my daughter down first. I gave her a few minutes to fall asleep and then I put my 3 yo down. He was usually cooperative because of the baby, but the 2 yo may not get that just yet. So maybe for you putting the toddler down a little earlier and let the 2 yo get settled or asleep and then put the baby down. Gl! HTH!

Maybe your 2 year old doesn't need 2 naps a day. My son is 2 1/2 and gave up his second nap at 15 months and from what I have read and heard from other moms that is around the time when most toddlers stop taking two naps. My little ones are 2 1/2 and 3 months and they take a nap at the same time every day. I wish I could tell you how it worked out that way, but it just started happening at some point. I bet as your 6 week old gets older they will get more adjusted with your routines and it will be easier for you to get them napping at the same time. All I can suggest right now is cutting out the second nap. Good luck!

I agree the 2 is too old for 2 naps. My daughter at 2 dropped naps on the weekends!! I think you should aim to get your 2 year old down during one of your 6 week olds later naps (around 12ish). Get baby down - use a fan to drown out sound, shut the door then lay down with your 2 year old (in your bed if you want to get him down faster and you need a nap). I lay with my 3.5 year old daughter on the weekends and she'll nap - but she doesn't during the week.

A 2yr old wouldn't normally take 2 naps a day. In my experience (I have 2 kids & cared for others), a 2yr old will likely have one nap in the middle of the day. While the 6wk old would usually require 2 naps. One mid morning and one mid afternoon. Maybe even more often, but shorter naps.

It's all in creating a schedule. Keeping a morning wake time and a night time set will help with nap schedules.

For example (starting with 6wk old) -
7am - morning wake up
8/9am - down for nap
9/10am - wake from nap
11a/12p - down for #2 nap
1/2p - wake from nap
4ish - #3 nap
6ish - wake from evening nap
8ish - bedtime

(now for 2yr old)
7am - wake up
12ish - nap
2/3ish - wake up from nap
7/8ish - bedtime

Scheduling is my only way to sanity. My daughter did lots of little naps until she was almost 1. My son was VERY scheduled from the beginning.

It helps to set the schedule for them. It's rough for a couple days, but once you get it set, they will automatically keep to it. They won't even realize it.

Right now, my kids (7 and 2yrs) wake up at 6:15a. My daughter is in school at 8a. My son goes to daycare/school. My son will nap usually from 12ish until 230ish. My son goes to bed at 7:30p and my daughter at 8pm. On the weekends when my hubby and I are at home, we stick close to the same schedule. They're both usually up by 7:30a on their own. Their little internal clocks are already set. : ) That also means they're still ready for nap or bedtime at relatively the same times as during the week.

I told my friend to let me have her daughter for 1wk and I'd have her on a schedule. My friend is a SAHM and just goes with whenever her daughter is ready for such and such... But she's going crazy because she doesn't like the schedule her daughter has set for them. : )

A 2yr old only needs 1 nap during the day. I have 2 kids and I watch 3 other kids and I get all 5 to nap at the same time. I put the 17month old and 22month in pck play in 1 room at 1pm, my 2.9month in her room at 1pm and my 4yr in the same room at 130 and they all get up between 230 and 315. I also watch a 3month old and depending on what time she needs to eat she is sleeping for the begining of nap or the end of nap. It gives me alittle time by myself and a little one on one time with her. I tend not to do much during nap time other than relax and play baby time but that is fine with me!

I think 2 is too old for two naps. My 10 month old naps 10-12 and 2-4:30, my 3year old also naps 2-4 so they share that nap and I get a 2 hour break- woo hoo!! It may be a while before you get them both napping at the same time but eventually afternoon nap should be shared. Good luck!

Basically repeating here, but in my experience with my own kids -- all three of my kids were down to one midday nap by 1 year old. My oldest gave up naps completely the day he turned two but would have "quiet time" where he looked at books on his bed/crib for half an hour to an hour until he was at least three or four (I forget when that stopped). My second gave up her naps completely at about 2 years 3 months and would have nothing to do with sitting on her bed quietly. We instead would read together on the couch for quiet time. My youngest is only 9 months but already set her own schedule to one nap a day. All three of my kids sleep 12 hour nights so they are getting the sleep they need.

You may want to look at how much sleep the kids are getting overall -- if your 2 year old is getting his 12 hours through the night and no nap or one nap then he is getting what he needs. The infant should be getting at least 14 hours and his naps may be more frequent and sporadic still -- he is only 6 weeks old!

Good luck!

It is too early for the six week old to have a schedule. Right now she/he probably takes 3 or 4 naps a day but will eventually get to a morning and afternoon nap, such as 9a and 1p, so I would put the 2 year old on a 1pm nap and soon the baby will be there too and maybe the older one can have quiet time in the mornings. Good luck!

I was in the same situation 9 months ago. My oldest was 2 and wouldn't go down for a nap without me reading to him (he was down to just one nap). And the baby wouldn't "hang out quietly" while I tried to put the two year old down. If I tried to put the baby down first the two year old kept coming in and crying that he wanted to read a book with me..... Anyway I ended up turing on the TV (some kids do other quite activities like read a book but not mine) anyway he watches Curious George while I nurse and rocked the baby. Then I bring the two year old up to his room to read a book then we both take a nap. It's the only way I get a break to "recharge" for the rest of the day.

Actually, it is normal for a kid age 2 to only need 1 nap per day. Our little on moved from 2 naps per day down to 1 between 14 and 18 months old.

Each kid has his own sleep needs (and these needs and schedules change), so I think the better thing to do is focus on them as individuals, instead of trying to force them to sleep. You cannot make a 2yo sleep if he doesn't need to....

Hi there - when I was in your shoes, my solution was to simply nap with them! We all would lay down in my bed and I would read a story. Then we'd take a little nap. I found I would fall asleep but always seem to wake up after 10-15 min (and if I didn't, that was fine too!). My oldest would tend to wake up first and the little one would stay a little longer. I recommend you try this method if you can. You might be surprised how much a little cat nap will help you (and the way things sound like they're going now, you're probably not able to accomplish much of anything during their current nap time). After a while, my kids got so used to it that I was able to just read the story and not have to stay for the nap and they were okay with that.

Not sure what others said but 2yr olds usually don't nap twice a day sorry. They often don't need it and it seems the barrle might mot be worth it. Then for the six week old the schedule at that age is what ever the child wants for the most part. No sooner you think you have it down it changes at that age. Hate to give bad news as I'm sure you'd like down time I don't think it"ll mesh til the 6 week old is older and probably only once a day. Good luck

skip the AM nap for the 2 y/o, spend some one on one time with him while your infant is sleeping, and enjoy the blissful peace and quiet of 2 sleeping from 1-3PM. Make sure you do a crossword puzzle, nap yourself or something else fun :)