Noreen Claire Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 My 2.5yr old seems to be dropping his nap. He only naps once every couple of days now. I've always nursed him down to sleep (he only nurses at nap & bedtime) and don't have another method (besides car ride) to get him to sleep. Any BTDT moms have recommendations on how to keep him napping? My 4yr old gave up his nap just shy of 3, and he suddenly seems like he needs to nap again! Afternoons are killing me - I *need* the quiet that naptime brings and the boys' *need* the rest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Not in my experience. I put locks on the outside of the doors and insisted on a full hour of "quiet time" though. Nap if you like. Look at board books and build with blocks or sing to yourself if you don't. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Yes, "It doesn't matter if you don't need a nap. Mommy needs a nap." What drove me nuts was people asking DD if she still napped planting the idea in her head that she had a choice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I've not dealt with that yet, but my friend has her kids trained to take a quiet time instead of nap time. She gives them books, the olders get books on tape and headphones, but they all know that they are not to get up. Maybe that would be an option? (Super hard with a 2.5 year old, I know.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I had it evolve into more of a quiet time. They knew it was time to rest in their room (in bed) for an hour, with a book or whatever. Sometimes they even fell asleep. ;) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I tried to keep my daughter napping past 2. It was a losing battle and in retrospect I wish I hadn't pushed it. I agree with the others. Institute a quiet time. The boys need to stay in their rooms and either rest or play quietly. I would have lost my mind without quiet time. :) This stoplight timer was very helpful in letting my daughter know when quiet time was over. There are lots of other similar timers available, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Not that I know of. Tried three times. :/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Mine barely made it to two. If they had at least an hour of outside time in the morning after lunch and a read aloud they would settle down for an hour or two of quiet play. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Claire Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 My 4yr old used to be great at quiet time- he would play for hours by himself -until we brought the 7yr old home to homeschool. They want to play, but that is never quiet! We will be transitioning after the holidays to using quiet time for the 7yr old to do history/language arts work (had a baby mid-oct, so we've pushed these subjects off until then), so I need the 4 & 2yr old to be able to be quiet on their own during that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Claire Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 I've not dealt with that yet, but my friend has her kids trained to take a quiet time instead of nap time. She gives them books, the olders get books on tape and headphones, but they all know that they are not to get up. Maybe that would be an option? (Super hard with a 2.5 year old, I know.) 7yr old loves to listen to books with headphones! 4yr old is hit-or-miss with headphones, but I'll try to find some new playaway books from the library. Mine barely made it to two. If they had at least an hour of outside time in the morning after lunch and a read aloud they would settle down for an hour or two of quiet play. I have two hours of active time (recess!) built into our school day, but it's been really hard to get 4 kids, one a newborn, dressed and outside. I'm too tired and it's been too dreary outside to make it happen. They've been following along with yoga dvds instead, but it's just not the same thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I just kept sticking them in their beds. I put a small lamp on a timer, such that it turned on at the time I selected (usually an hour). The kid was welcome to get up when the light turned on, but not before. And the light didn't wake a sleeping tot, so that was great. Sent from my XT1094 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Hugs to you with newborn and 2.5 year old! Could 7 year old supervise 2.5 year old for a bit watching a video or playing while you rest? I would definitely institute a rest time. Bonus for me was that when child gave up nap she went to bed for night earlier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Yes! I mean maybe not your kid specifically, but both of mine kept trying to give up a nap and u just kept putting them back down and projecting that I expected a nap. They'd go like two weeks without a nap but then get right back to it! They napped to, and through, six years old, respectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Yes! I mean maybe not your kid specifically, but both of mine kept trying to give up a nap and u just kept putting them back down and projecting that I expected a nap. They'd go like two weeks without a nap but then get right back to it! They napped to, and through, six years old, respectively. Did they have a later bedtime or would they both nap and go to bed at a reasonable hour? Past the age of two if mine took an afternoon nap, they'd be up until 10 or 11 pm. Without a nap, they were in bed and asleep by 8 pm. At 10 pm, I wanted to be in bed myself, not trying put children to bed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlemommy Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 None of my three girls would nap past age 2.😩And quiet time...wasn't. Now that they are older we have rest time where they play on the iPad so mama can catch a break. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 My rule for quiet time is you don't need to be in bed and they could even do something quietly with their siblings but they got no second chances if they broke the quiet aspect of the rule. If they did they were immediately sent to finish quiet time in their room. It has been wonderful. Sometimes they all build blocks or trains together and sometimes they do their own things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Mine all tried to nap strike at 2.5 but I pushed past. I had stopped nursing to sleep before age 2, though, so not as much association. My baby stopped napping at 3. She probably would have gone to 4, but she could stay up the hour that the others stayed down for quiet time, and they could not be quiet afterwards. She would have needed a 2 hour quiet time consistently to help her go back to napping after 3. Mine always went to bed at 7, 6:30 if tired, but up at 5:30 in the morning. My current 4 year old sleeps 8-8 but no nap. I miss the nap! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 (edited) nm Edited December 12, 2016 by ..Kathy.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I wouldn't give in yet. Sometimes they have a disrupted patch then it comes right. At 16 months I thought ds7 was going to be done by 18 months. I admit though I think he was done by 2.5 though. Ds9 kept it up much longer AND slept better at night. Different kids different needs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Not mine. Eldest could have an 90 minutes at the pool, and still not nap. And he was two. TWO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Not likely. All five of mine dropped their nap by age two and there was no going back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Yes. I find you have to push through this phase, sometimes napping with them. ;) In all seriousness we have a read or sleep rule. My 6yo, 5yo, 3yo, and 2yo all still take naps daily. I DO try to get them outside every morning for at least an hour though and I'm sure that helps. We also stick to a good routine. They also know pretty much everyone else is headed off to lay down as well, so there is no real option to just stay up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 As an aside, my ADHD kids were my best nappers. I figure they were my earliest risers and busiest bodies so they just drop in the afternoon. They were also my shortest nappers, but huge mood improvement. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Did they have a later bedtime or would they both nap and go to bed at a reasonable hour? Past the age of two if mine took an afternoon nap, they'd be up until 10 or 11 pm. Without a nap, they were in bed and asleep by 8 pm. At 10 pm, I wanted to be in bed myself, not trying put children to bed. Both. They have always woken up early no matter what time they go to bed at night, but when they were napping bedtime was 8 in summer and 7 in winter. If anything they slept more at night when they napped. They've always been sleep begets sleep kind of kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 As an aside, my ADHD kids were my best nappers. I figure they were my earliest risers and busiest bodies so they just drop in the afternoon. They were also my shortest nappers, but huge mood improvement. My ADHD kid napped so hard! He napped until he was 4. BUT when he dropped the nap, we continued rest or read, and he went from a 5:30 wakeup to a 7:00 wakeup, so I didn't fight it a whole lot. My dyslexic child napped until he was 6. I think he was using up so much mental space that he just needed the break. He is my mini husband, though, and that man will drop off any time he gets still. He can't make it past 8pm most nights. lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Claire Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 None of my three girls would nap past age 2.😩And quiet time...wasn't. Now that they are older we have rest time where they play on the iPad so mama can catch a break. We don't have screens for the littles at home. I have tried to borrow tablets from the library for the 4 & 7 yr old for quiet time (with headphones), but they end up fighting over them after the 2nd day. Grrrrr.... My rule for quiet time is you don't need to be in bed and they could even do something quietly with their siblings but they got no second chances if they broke the quiet aspect of the rule. If they did they were immediately sent to finish quiet time in their room. It has been wonderful. Sometimes they all build blocks or trains together and sometimes they do their own things. Oh, how I wish that my kids could play together quietly. Pick any two kids, put them together over any toy (legos, blocks, trains, play dough, whatever, and a screaming fistfight will break out in under 20 minutes. *sigh* My ADHD kid napped so hard! He napped until he was 4. BUT when he dropped the nap, we continued rest or read, and he went from a 5:30 wakeup to a 7:00 wakeup, so I didn't fight it a whole lot. My dyslexic child napped until he was 6. I think he was using up so much mental space that he just needed the break. He is my mini husband, though, and that man will drop off any time he gets still. He can't make it past 8pm most nights. lol This is my husband. He has a second job so, on the days that he is home in the evenings, he is usually napping before dinner and in bed right after the kids go down. Poor guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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