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Girl, you do what you need to do for your baby. Unless she wants to be the one to deal with the cranky baby later that night, then she doesn't get a say in your baby's nap schedule. That was always my response when my ILs wanted me to push the kids' nap times around at that age.

I have always been (and always will be) a STICKLER for the schedule! It has annoyed my in-laws to no end that I'm "not flexible" when it comes to my kids' eating and napping schedule, but I know my kids and what works for them.

You know your kid and what works for you and your family. Stick to what works!! At this age, kids don't get that Christmas is a special day. They aren't like "Oh, it's Christmas! I'll skip my nap and totally not be cranky because it's Christmas!" It does not work like that! Stick to your schedule and don't apologize for it!

I don't think I would have even mentioned his napping schedule ahead of time - when we have guests over, I just take the baby back from whoever is holding him and say, "Time for nap, say bye bye!" Naps are non-negotiable in our house... it's just part of our daily routine. I wouldn't not feed my baby when he needs food, and I wouldn't not put my baby to sleep when he needs sleep.

That 30 minute nap is totally worth a happy baby. Do what you need to do.

half hour nap is nothing. If she complains tell her its a catnap, baby will be awake by the time you get a snack, go pee, and sit down for a minute. CHILL GRANDMA.
As my son gets older I'm more flexible with him, but as a baby I knew the consequences of no nap or delayed nap. Not ruining my xmas for a catnap.

Then tell her that she doesn’t need to be there and she can join you at 3:30 after the nap is done.

Next time say ok time for nap! See you in a little bit Grandma!!!

This is going to be a non-issue. Grandparents who don't see their grandkids often have these grand plans and ideas about spending quality time, but they have no idea how exhausting it is for THEMSELVES as well as the child to visit with each other. Everyone is going to WANT that short break every few hours.

My in-laws were thought we were nuts about DS1's schedule as a baby, but as they've had more grandkids and the boys have grown, they are pumped our kids are the ones on schedule, always cheerful and well-mannered, and give them a reliable time to rest every day.

@birdofafeather: I’m the same!

I'm annoying my MIL with this right now. My 22 month old NEEDS at least a 90 minute nap, but can easily go an hour longer. He naps at 1 and they live 45 minutes away and want us there from 2-8 (Max bed time). We are going to try a car nap and I'll wait in the driveway until he wakes up. Otherwise he will be a mess.

My experience with my mom was basically that she forgot what life with a child under 1 was like. Once she was around him, though, it's as though all her memory came back and she was encouraging his naps!

No one bothers us much about our kids nap routines on either side of our family. But I have kind of a know-it-all attitude about parenting my own kids, so I would like to just see them try.

Anyway...your kid, your rules. The fact that your mother inserted herself into something that doesn't concern her in this way suggests to me that this is something she does (and possibly, that this is something you have grown up with and maybe, just maybe, you sometimes cave to her "requests", or at the very least, they get you really riled up). I would not ask for input and also not take any input if given unasked. Just say, "I've got this covered, Mom. If I need some advice, I'll ask."

Kids need to sleep when kids need to sleep. Anyone who tries to argue otherwise is nuts or has amnesia about what their kids were like as children.... Let the baby sleep if the baby needs to sleep. Would she suggest you not feed your child if it was inconvenient to her as well?

@MsBAM: I would play it by ear the day of and just put lo down when needed. It's half an hour, she will get over it.

I would stick to the schedule. I am a nap/schedule stickler until they are older, ie my 4 yo doesn't really nap anymore but I do try to get her lay on the couch and relax in the afternoon for a bit, just for some down time.

We got informed that this year at IL's get together a photographer is coming to take photos but won't arrive until 6 pm. Well we will be leaving at just about 6. DS bedtime is 6 and the get together is 2 hours away. Luckily DH handled the situation and told his mom we would be missing the photos. I guess she made the photographer change time to earlier

Yeah, no...you are at your own house. I would definitely be doing the nap! When our older daughter was an infant her naps were thrown off at Christmas. We weren't at home and she resisted napping elsewhere. She napped a bit, but not as long as she needed. She did reasonably well for a couple of days, but on the third day of a messed up schedule she melted down and screamed/cried for three hours straight. Poor kid. It wasn't her fault!

My kiddos are older now, so skipping a nap isn't a HUGE deal...LO2 is just crankier than normal...but he's 2 years old, not 6.5 months.

I was always all about keeping my kids as close to their schedule as we could when they were younger. One skipped nap could throw us off for a week. You do what you need to do and put him down when he needs to go down for his naps. She can deal. My only other suggestion is to possibly hold him for that last nap or have her hold him. This way, he still gets his nap in, but she gets a snuggle with him for a half hour. If you feel like that will end badly, then stick to your guns.