Why do my kids 2 and 4 girls wake up cranky from their naps? And what can I do to help them not to. I lay with them until they are asleep and the have been told that I will not be with them when the wake up I go to work or I just have things to do around the house. We nap at the same time every day.
My almost four year old son has to have snuggle time when he wakes up from a nap but not in the morning. He's ready to GO at 5:30 am! Ugh!
Most of the time I just stop doing what I'm doing and let him wake up. Other times I make him lay down on the couch and watch tv while I do whatever I'm doing. I don't THINK he'll need too much therapy later in life. LOL.
Maybe low blood sugar. Perhaps a little protien snack before they sleep.
best, k
I would try to have them lay down longer before actually getting out of bed to wake up a bit first. Some kids just need some time. You could also let them know what they will be doing when they wake up, perhaps a snack, craft, special tv show etc.
Some children just need a moment. My 6-year-old is considered one of the happiest girls around by my friends but when she first wakes up, look out. She is just like my husband in that way. I just give her an extra 5-10 minutes to get herself together. She knows that she can be cranky and have quiet, but I will not tolerate disrespect from her.
Some children need more sensory input to modulate their emotions to the environment. Try giving them deep massage to limbs, shoulders, hips, head and feet upon awakening. This will send calming but alerting chemicals to the brain like serotonin, dopamine and acetycholine.
don't feel guilty over this! If they were in childcare, they would not have the luxury of you laying down with them!
With my daycare kids, my rule of thumb is: if the child wakes up cranky, then it's "quiet time" on the pallet until smiles reappear. Quite often, they will fall back asleep!
Mine have to have a little snuggle/quiet time after they wake. I snuggle with them or set them up on the couch with a cartoon. They just need a little time to warm up.
