Ever since we welcomed our little bundle of joy, Daisy, into our home just two months ago, I’ve been on a mission. I’ve asked every mom with two or more kids I meet the same question: How do you manage to put a baby to sleep when a lively toddler is zooming around the house? The responses I received ranged from letting the TV entertain for a few minutes to simply training the baby to sleep through the chaos. While these suggestions may work for some families, I’ve come to the realization that they just won’t cut it for us. Somehow, I ended up with two little ones who seem to have inherited an extreme case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
So, what exactly is FOMO? According to Urban Dictionary, it’s the anxiety that comes from feeling like you’re missing out on something exciting. My eldest, Jake, had it pretty bad (we’re managing it somewhat now), and it seems our sweet Daisy is following in his footsteps.
But don’t despair! The first step is acknowledging that your baby has FOMO. Once you recognize it, you can better prepare and take steps to ease the challenges that come with it. Thankfully, we noticed Daisy’s FOMO early, so there’s hope for us yet.
Signs Your Baby Might Have FOMO
- You’ll chuckle at all those parenting books suggesting you put your baby down “drowsy, but awake.” FOMO babies go from content to outrage to sleep—there’s no middle ground.
- FOMO babies exhibit no signs of tiredness until it’s too late. They can be giggling and bright-eyed all day, but once you spot a yawn, it’s game over. Good luck trying to get them to sleep for the next hour and a half!
- Getting a FOMO baby to sleep might take hours. You’ll rock, bounce, swaddle, and sing until your arms ache and your voice is hoarse, yet those big eyes will remain wide open, staring right back at you.
- Forget about your baby napping on the go. You might as well skip the car mirror because you’d rather not know that your baby has stayed awake the entire hour it takes to visit Grandma.
- If you’re visiting someone or going on vacation, be prepared for your baby to skip naps completely. Why would they want to miss out on all the new sights and sounds?
- Despite your best efforts, FOMO babies won’t just drift off while breastfeeding. Even without caffeine, they come off the breast ready to party. You might find yourself in a comical situation when they unlatch unexpectedly.
- FOMO babies quickly become aware of your sleep routine and aren’t afraid to protest. Unfortunately, this resistance is likely to continue into their toddler years.
- A lengthy sleep routine only seems to energize FOMO babies. Baths turn into tickle fights, so keep it short and sweet.
- Light sleepers are the norm with FOMO babies. Blackout curtains and sound machines are your best friends, as they won’t sleep through noise, no matter how much you try to train them.
- They will fight sleep with every ounce of energy. Just when you think they’re about to doze off, they’ll suddenly wake up, ready for more fun.
- FOMO babies are clever little ones. You have to tell yourself this to cope with the hair-pulling experience of putting them to bed.
If your baby exhibits many of these behaviors, it’s likely they have a serious case of FOMO. But don’t lose hope! Just find the darkest room in your house, crank up some white noise, and prepare for about a year or two of this delightful chaos.
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In summary, dealing with a FOMO baby can be quite the challenge, but recognizing the signs and adjusting your approach can make a big difference.