Toddler Naps - Austin,TX

My son stopped taking daytime naps--at home, he still took one at daycare--when he was about 2. I just stopped fighting with him and started putting him to bed earlier at night. I also took a lot of Sunday drives through the country-side because he would often sleep in the car.

He probably does not want to nap because it is a weekend and everyone else is still up, and he doesnt' want to miss out.
But he IS tired... and fussy, and needs a nap.
So... you can keep to a regular nap time routine... and, at that time... make EVERYTHING BORING... and you/Hubby, make quiet too. Tell him EVERYONE is going to nap. Don't talk about that you/Hubby are going to be doing stuff while he is sleeping. Make everything quiet.
Let him unwind first.
Don't get him real active right before nap. Toddlers need to wind-down first.
Do something that will key him down, prior.
Then transition him... not just plunk him down into his bed suddenly. Or he will resist.
Transition him.... about 1 hour before nap time, verbally cue him... tell him, after lunch and play, it is nap time and WE will get ready. Not 'you get ready." Make it a "we" thing. Then he won't feel he is getting ousted.

For me, I ALSO explain to my kids, that being 'tired' is NOT a 'bad' thing.... it is human. We all need a nap and get tired. But we can say it.... it is knowing yourself. So, my kids don't DREAD naps and actually will say when they are tired and want to nap.
Both my kids are now 4 and 7... and they both still nap. My son every afternoon. And my daughter whenever she needs it.
They don't battle about it.
I taught them that.
That 'naps' are NOT a 'bad' thing... and that it is okay to feel tired, if need be, they can tell me.
My kids still go to bed at night fine, and can fall asleep fine. Despite napping.

Also, over-tired kids actually have a HARDER time falling asleep. THAT is probably why, at night, he has a HARD time sleeping.
Over-tired kids, actually have a harder time falling asleep, staying asleep, and wake more at night and don't get a good rest.
And some over-tired kids.... actually get more 'hyper' when they are tired.

all the best,
Susan

Unfortunately you can't make the child sleep... kinda like that whole "you can lead a horse to water..." But Quiet Time is your new best friend! My son was way too big for his crib by 2.5 (we actually transitioned him to a twin mattress on the floor around a yr old), and he was on a twin bed by then. Our deal was he didn't have to sleep, but he did have to stay in his room & play quietly for at least an hour every day. During this transition, he usually would end up climbing in bed to sleep for at least 1/2 an hour, sometimes up to 2 hrs. If we insisted he napped, he would just fight it more. They are all about asserting their independence at this age, and it's a great time for them to learn to make little decisions on their own.
Once again, yes he needs sleep, but you can't MAKE him sleep, so why fight about it? He gets some down time and so do you if you just continue with quiet time instead of forced naps. Our oldest is now 5 (almost 6), and he gave up scheduled quiet time on the w/e at about 4yo. When he's having a rough day (or we are!), we still ask him to go have 1 hr of quiet time to let us all calm down. Works great, esp with a 7 mo old in the house now. When the little one's having a bad day, we all do! The older one easily goes to his room to listen to his music, read or color.

Drop the nap and put him to bed at 7pm. That's what we did w/ my daughter when she was 2...it was taking betw 1 and 2 hours just to get her down for nap...very stressful, so we just traded that for getting some alone time in the evenings which was great. 4pm to bedtime was a nightmare for a while but it passed and I still have both my kids (4 and 7) in bed at 7:30 and asleep by 8...wonderful!

Check this it coul be helpful. Childrenshealthexperts.com on sleep problems from 0-6 years old

Some suggestions by Dr. Kyle Pruett follow and more info at the link:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/10/30/...

Routines and Rituals by Kyle D. Pruett, M.D
Ah, routines and rituals…such comforts against the one universal truth that life is nothing but change. Our children seem to get this sooner than we parents. When they struggle as infants to get the day and night thing down, they are teaching us how important and soothing the predictable is when tired, hungry, cranky and the like. As toddlers, we watch in amazement as they doggedly line up their shoes, trucks or dolls in the face of a little uncertainty and in search of the reassuring symmetry of order. These are not simple entertainments, but powerful and effective coping strategies that, if we are lucky, they never quite give up. Some of the uses of the psychological calendar of anticipation and predictability:

-By 18 months:  Children know the routines of everyday life and are very reassured by them: dressing, mealtimes, play, school, bath time, and finally bedtime with a story and a kiss. These are an antidote to the uncertainties of this period of rapid growth.
- By 24 to 26 months:  Children have a reliable sense of the week’s rhythms, and appreciate the difference between a weekday and a weekend.

My son is just three,I had the same problem a few weeks ago with him resisting to take a nap at the weekend but he was still having a nap at daycare.I tried to cut out the nap but it had the oppositive effect and he found it more difficult to sleep for those nights and he was exausted which had a negative effect on his behaviour.
I re-introduced the daytime nap.I agree totally that Mum and Dad need a break so at weekend I go to bed with him for the hour.I take the firm approach with him and say nap time and off we go.I think at this age children need boundaries and know who the boss is.Dont feel quilty about this,I dont ,my son is treated absolutely fantastic so being strict around sleeping is not a big deal.They are so smart and funny and will totally rule the roost given half a chance.Try to stick to routine as much as possible.Advise I was given which I found helpful was lack of sleep breeds more lack of sleep so try to persist for another while.
Good luck
Positive energy
B.

My son will be 2 1/2 in September and I recently posted a similar question. YES, drop the nap if he is going to fight you and then nighttime will be difficult for you guys. Can you let him sleep in on the weekend or will that hinder him during the week? I would not fight him on it, I think children know when they are tired and going to sleep should be a pleasant experience. Why not have quiet time together where you read or cuddle? Or if you need a break, put on a calm educational video for an hour and see what happens.

When my son started resisting his naps around 2 1/2, I just started moving his nap back a little later. For a long time he napped at 1:00, then gradually we moved it back to 2:00, and now at 3 1/2 his nap is at 3:00. My almost 1 year old still takes 2 naps a day: at 10 and 3, so they both go down the same time in the afternoon, so it works well for us. My son no longer HAS to take naps. We call it "quiet time" and about 25% of the time, he still falls asleep and we wake him up no later than 4:30 so he still goes to bed on time. The rest of the time he plays quietly in his room for an hour; no less, no more. He has plenty of books and quiet toys and we put music on in his room, to encourage quiet play. And I still get a break in the afternoon. Maybe "quiet time" would work for you, too. Good luck!

Continue to put him in bed... it is good for him and it is good for you. Try to keep him on the same schedule that he has at daycare... in the sense that you have the same hours spaced between his getting up in the morning and his going down for his nap. Remember that you are the momma and you are in charge. If momma says it is rest time then it is rest time. He can choose to sleep or not but it is time for him to go to his room for X amount of time and that is what he will do. Above all do not give in to him!!!! I have 4 kids and have run a home day care and been the director of a preschool and I will tell you that the mommas that continue to be in control and don't give in are now the mommas who have kids who are well behaved in middle and high school now. I have not followed my own advice in the case of my 2nd child but I went back to it when the other 2 came along and wow the difference in the kids is amazing!!!!

Hi J. L,

Your son's body is needing less rest. This is a natural part of him letting go of that nap. When my kids were showing these signs, we still had a "rest time" after lunch. They got to choose a few books and perhaps a favorite quiet toy or two to their beds for this time. If they really needed sleep, they'd drift off just laying there. If needed, we'd set the timer so they knew when they could get up (and sometimes Mom discreetly turned it off if anyone was really tired). "Rest time" can be for everyone. With three little ones, this helped me as much as them.

If you decide to try this, briefly talk (enthusiastically) about it with your son. Let him pick out the books and toys. Do it consistently every day so he accepts this new addition to your routine. Once your son gets used to the concept of "rest time", things will go easier.

Good luck,
Parent Coach J. B.

Maybe you can try a nap routine similar to his bedtime routine? I do not have to deal with this personally (yet) but you might want to check out a site that might be helpful:

http://www.theskinnyscoop.com/search/nap?utm_campaign=the...

Good luck!