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Elizabeth86
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Baby girl flat out refuses naps now, but still needs them badly. We cant go anywhere in the evening because she falls asleep and it messes up bedtime. What can I do?? I have considered waking her earlier, but ugh waking a 2 yr old when Im so exhausted seems crazy. I have considered a daily drive, but what a waste of gas money and she wakes up when I take her out of the car. Im in a bad spot here guys. lol

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We just truly couldn't go places in the evenings when DS was little.

 

To make him nap, I did buy a stroller that reclined somewhat and did a long walk, and that often worked, for a year or so. But yes, there were a few months when I resorted to car rides and reading in the driveway while he slept. (Otherwise, there would be a meltdown before dinner was ready.) Much harder to do with other kids, I'm sure, but consider whether you have any drive-through-friendly errands. Banking, curbside grocery pick-up, dropping letters in the box outside the post office....

 

I gave up when he turned 4; by then he could make it to probably 6:45 or 7. Some of us are not nappers; he gets it from me. (And also DH's tendency to be an early riser. Fun times.)

Edited by whitehawk
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We just truly couldn't go places in the evenings when DS was little.

 

To make him nap, I did buy a stroller that reclined somewhat and did a long walk, and that often worked, for a year or so. But yes, there were a few months when I resorted to car rides and reading in the driveway while he slept. (Otherwise, there would be a meltdown before dinner was ready.) Much harder to do with other kids, I'm sure, but consider whether you have any drive-through-friendly errands. Banking, curbside grocery pick-up, dropping letters in the box outside the post office....

 

I gave up when he turned 4; by then he could make it to probably 6:45 or 7. Some of us are not nappers; he gets it from me. (And also DH's tendency to be an early riser. Fun times.)

Oh the. stroller is a fabulous idea. I need to get exercise anyway. Now I need to buy a stroller. Im guessing this will only work for a few months as it will be getting colder.

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Well we just put them down and require quiet bedtime to reset. Even if they don't sleep. I'd be trying audiobooks or music while she is in the crib.

 

But I make my kids nap until five years old and every single one has done it, more or less. Some didn't sleep the last year or off and on with growth spurts but we always saw better attitudes with the quiet time even if they were awake. And I NEEDED it.

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Well we just put them down and require quiet bedtime to reset. Even if they don't sleep. I'd be trying audiobooks or music while she is in the crib.

 

But I make my kids nap until five years old and every single one has done it, more or less. Some didn't sleep the last year or off and on with growth spurts but we always saw better attitudes with the quiet time even if they were awake. And I NEEDED it.

 

We did switch to calling it "quiet time" when it was crystal clear by age 4 that he was never napping any more. But that never solved the problem of the kid being tired in the evening, only my problem of trying to make him sleep in the afternoon. ;)

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Oh the. stroller is a fabulous idea. I need to get exercise anyway. Now I need to buy a stroller. Im guessing this will only work for a few months as it will be getting colder.

Don't buy a regular stroller. Buy something like the one Chariot makes like the Cheetah XT with the strolling kit. It had a cover that has a screen and cover for the screen. We'd bundle the kids up in that and walk year round. If anything they'd get too warm. :D

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I find that keeping my toddlers up in the evening leads to poorer night sleep, which in turn makes it less likely they will nap the next day.

 

Around this age, all of my kiddos were taking a 2+ hour nap (always required to stay in their crib, but also almost always slept) and then still were in bed early each evening.

 

Audrey's current schedule is:

7ish - I hear her wake.

7:30 - I get her up after finishing the older kids' read aloud.

 

12:30 - Stories and nap.

3pm - I get her up; sometimes I hear her wake as early as 2:30.

 

6:30 - Books and bed.  She is asleep by 7 every night.

 

She would be capable of staying awake for several more hours each evening, but she would quickly become an overtired mess and it would throw her whole schedule out of whack.

 

Wendy

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Don't buy a regular stroller. Buy something like the one Chariot makes like the Cheetah XT with the strolling kit. It had a cover that has a screen and cover for the screen. We'd bundle the kids up in that and walk year round. If anything they'd get too warm. :D

I will look into this.

Edited by Elizabeth86
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When my daughter was 2 she stopped naps. The only time she ended up sleeping was on a long car rides.

 

But she has always been an early riser 5-6am , so her bedtime needed to be early.

 

Now at almost 5 we just changed her bedtime to 7:30 to accommodate Daddy's new work schedule. He is the one that usually does bedtime. She fall asleep fast with Daddy doing it.

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