When Do You Stop Giving a Nap???

this is a tough one and if he is fighting it I suggest quiet time? when I was pregnant with my 2nd and the first had given up his nap we snuggled and watched a movie, or he played in his room by himself whilst Mummy did the same. I reasoned with myself that snuggling watching a movie wasn't going to last forever! I also enlisted the help of my mother in law who took him or even playdates with friends. I am a mother of 2 and a Nanny, good luck

Will he fall asleep in the car? I often would take my daughter for a ride right after lunch. As soon as she fell asleep, I drove home, transfered her to her bed or couch. Then i would lie down for a nap too! Try to do a nap earlier in the day with this method.

If I didn't do that, I skip the nap and put her down at 7pm...then I could get a few things done and be able to go to bed earlier too!

good luck1

Dear A.,
My daughter also gave up her naps early. To substitute, we would have "quiet time" at the same time each afternoon - a time to rest and rejuvenate. We chose to watch a cartoon, a movie, or read a book. But it was an hour and a half of restful, quiet time. It did wonders to re-stimulate everyone's energy and mood for the rest of the day. She would also go to bed easily and sleep well during the night, allowing my husband and me time together.
Young children know what they need and it's up to us as parents to listen to them and figure it out, since they have no means of communication.
I wish you luck, W.

Hi A.,
My kids are 4 and 2 and I still make them "take a rest" at 2:00 everyday for at least an hour. Most days they will lay down on the couch to watch a movie and fall asleep very quickly, some days they just chill out for an hour or so and that seems to help both them and me....we all need a little downtime! Good Luck with #2!
Sincerely,
H.

maybe he's ready to give up naps, even if you aren't - it's a bummer i know, been through it myself! I used to tell my daughter it is "quiet time" - we'd pick out a movie & curl up on the couch together. She had to stay on the couch until the movie was over & I would usually fall asleep during. Sometimes she would too - bonus! Since we were curled up together I would know immediately if she was trying to get up. My library became an invaluable source of children's movies! I could at least get 30 minutes of peace, sometimes more! Good luck!

My 3-1/2 year old has been consistently napping from 1-3pm since he was 4 months old or so. This past weekend he didn't sleep during nap times (we had a lot of family visiting and I think he was just too excited about what he was missing). Instead of giving up on the nap though, we had him "rest" in his bed during nap time. If he wasn't sleeping at 3pm, he was allowed to get up.
I'm a true believer in napping and the importance of afternoon sleep for children under 4 and even if its just an afternoon rest, it helps them get through the day in a much happier way. It also gives you the chance to nap or get things done yourself.
Good luck with the naps and the new baby.

Neither one of my daughters took a nap much past 2 - unless we were in the car & the nodded off for a bit. Our pediatrician said that children normally get the sleep they need and not to borrow trouble. There have been a few times that they have fallen asleep a little earlier going to bed or dozed of before dinner which does throw things off a bit, but for the number of times that actually went on, it really wasn't a big deal. My oldest still requires very little sleep - she's 10 and I don't push her to go to bed on school nights until around 11 because we tried a 9pm bedtime & then she'd wake up at 3am and it was a new day! Good luck!

some kids don't mind naps and some do. case in point: my almost-five-year-old took two naps until he was three (morning and afternoon). my two-year-old stopped napping twice in a day even before he turned one. but i insist that they still nap every afternoon -- together. and thank GOD that they do.

i try to keep them on a routine (most kids thrive on it). try to wake your son up early in the morning (eight-o'-clock the latest) and let him engage in tiring activities for four to five hours. provide a calm atmosphere when you take him in for nap time (ideas: a bottle if he still takes it, perhaps a shower if he's filthy, dim the room, play mellow music). when he finally falls asleep don't let him nap for too long, we both know it'll mess up bedtime. keep him on this routine/schedule and he'll adapt to it. but be flexible, too. some days he'll stray because of certain events, but bring him back on his schedule as soon as you can.

naps are important for kids -- and evidently to you, too. i hope you don't give up on having him take his naps.

When my daughter was 2 years old, and her brother was 8 months old, she started fighting nap time also. I really needed the nap, so I would put the little one down around 2:00, and my daughter and I would lay on the couch together and have "quiet movie time", watching one of her favorite Disney movies. I would say that 60 to 70% of the time she would fall asleep (and I would fall asleep 95% of the time!). It just became a part of our routine, and worked for probably another year! Good luck!

Do you have a baby sitter, friend, neighbor or grandparents willing to stay with your son while you take a nap?

I just asked a similar question. Didn't see yours already posted. What's the best advice you received?

Hi A..

I feel your pain...being pregnant and having a 2 year old...you definitely need him to nap. I'm sure some people will say that he's probably done napping, but I'm COMMITTED to keeping a nap routine till after 3. My oldest was 34 months when my second was born and he was taking naps until he was 3 1/2. We all needed it! My youngest is 30 months and still naps and still really needs it. The key I think is making sure that you don't pass the "window" when they're getting tired and they're ready to go to sleep. What time do you start putting him down? Does he cat nap in the car before nap time because that will throw him off for the day. They get like those little power naps and then won't go down at home for anything. Try watching his signs for a couple of days and figuring out when he's getting sleepy...then maybe give him a cup of milk and read a few stories...keep the house calm, close the curtains, etc just like a nighttime routine. It'll be good because you'll be spending some quality time together and then HOPEFULLY he'll be ready to go right to sleep and you can also rest.

Hope that helped some. God bless.

Is he cranky without his nap? If not, then he may be ready to go without it, and maybe go down to sleep earlier in the evening. You basically stop giving a nap when the child stops taking one and can handle the day without one. My daughter gave up her nap just before she turned 3, and I was glad for her to be done with it. My son napped until he was turning 4.
Good luck

My son was almost 3 when he gave up napping. Try giving "quiet time" instead. Baby-proof his room and tell him that he has to stay in there and play quietly for an hour or so. He can do whatever he likes as long as he plays quietly in his room. This way you can rest.

A.,
This is all normal, Matt is hitting the age where he is becoming a "big boy". If I were you I would let him stay up during the day, he can play in the living room while you rest on the couch for an hour or so. I did that when I was pregnant with my sons and it worked out wonderfully. I know for myself that having the kids sleeping through the night was a blessing in itself.
As for your step-daughter, she has hit her teens and will try every adults patience to the max for a year or two. Be patient and firm with her and definitely let her be involved with Kayden when he is born. I did that with my daughter, she is now 25 and my best friend in the world.
I hope I was of some help. Let me know how you make out or if you have any other questions.
Hugs,
T.

I never had the choice. My daughter still at four doesn't sleep when I would like her to. She usually falls asleep at around 9pm and wakes up by 6-7am. She stopped napping by a year old. Some nights I can't get her down until 10pm. I've just accepted this is her. I know you are hoping for a better answer but sometimes you just have to go with it.

I wish you the best of luck.

Kim

what you described is exactly what my daughter did when she gave up a nap at 3 yrs old. she wouldnt go to sleep all day then be so cranky at 4, but if i let her sleep, she would wake up at 5-6 and either be so cranky, or not go to bed till 11. it was a rough 2 months or so of her being cranky in this in between stage, but i didnt want her going to bed so late. now she has no naps but still falls asleep in the car, and if we have an exciting day before, she may fall asleep for a little bit.
i know you may want to sleep now, but when the new baby comes, its so hard to get them on the same schedule anyway so at least you wont have to be so concerned with him getting his naps.

i believe once getting your child to finally fall asleep is more exhausting than if he didnt go to sleep at all, the nap can go. good luck

Hi A., I know how much I looked forward to naps but it sounds like your little Matt does not want to anymore. You would be better getting a nights sleep. Does he like TV or a movie? Maybe you could rest with him and renew yourself during the day. Motherhood is not easy. I have a Matt who is now 26 and he would wake at 4AM and still does not require much sleep. When baby comes you could say "we all need a nap" I do that now with my grand children. Best Wishes, Mary

Hello,

I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter. She has started doing the same thing as your son does. She would nap around 4 or 5 then not want to sleep at night. I started making her take a nap between 1 and 3 every afternoon. She somtimes will cry but will put herself out. She likes to have her feet rubbed so I'll put her down and rub her feet and she'll go right to sleep. This gives me time to do the things I need to do. If for some reason we leave the house and she doesn't get a nap until 4 or 5 then I won't let her sleep very long. Usually a half hour to an hour. This way she's back up and will be ready for bedtime with no problems.

i have a 3 yr old that started this same thing about 2 ish. he still fights it and since he shares a room with his brother and sister (twins) i sometimes pull him out if he is not asleep after 3pm-ish. i always put him down at the same time-i shoot for just after lunch so they have a full belly-i give him some books or a few toys, whatever he wants. Even if he doesn't sleep at least i get some quiet time. if he is in a room by himself it should be easy, just let him cry or he may not when he gets to bring toys to bed!

hi A.;

i hope my other attempt to respond didn't accidentally post half way thru; my kids freak out when i go on the omputer!

anyway i would suggest this; never stop offering the nap. my son, 3, didn't nap for several months, then his activity level changed dramatically and now he will nap almost every day, given the right circumstances. i would say you should make sure your son is getting the MOST PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POSSIBLE. my son is happiest, and most nappable, when we spend nearly all our time outdoors, or if that's not an option, at indoor play centers or spaces where he can really run around and move freely. an active child who 's had a nap is the best kind. a frustrated child who's bored and itchy and overtired can wreck your life.

my daughter, 17 months, is pretty much the same. she has to have a lot of activity in the morning, even if that's just pushing her dolly stroller around in circles at the playground for 45 minutes and then a play-bath.

that's another major help, esp. in summer when the kids are sweaty and it's too much sun or too hot outside, come in for a cool playbath, no washing needed, just let them play in the tub for as long as they want. after that, make sure your son is hydrated, have a light snack, turn the lights low and put on a calming DVD like Teletubbies or Winnie the Poo, Curious George is good, and let him sack out on the couch.

good luck,
J.

It sounds like he is done with his naps. SAD!!!! I have heard about some families that have a mandatory "quiet hour" in the afternoon. The kids can sleep, read, play quietly in their rooms...but they have to be in their rooms for an hour. I know 2 years old is a little young to "reason", but...it's worth a shot! Shut his door, put him back in and explain as kindly as you can that he needs an hour of down time. If that doesn't work, there's always Disney Downtime. ;-)