Parents of toddlers...question!

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Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
in Chit-Chat
Just wondering when your little ones decided that they weren't taking naps anymore. My son will be 3 in November and just this weekend he has REFUSED to take a nap in the afternoon. Flat out refused! UGH! Dh thinks it's time to say bye to naps and I guess he's right but then around 7pm he has NASTY tantrums so I've been putting him to be earlier and he'll go right to sleep until 8am!

Just wondering when you gave up naps and how you coped with the tantrums (if they had any). Also, did you move up bed time at night or keep it the same?

Thanks so much everyone!
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Replies

  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,443 Member
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    Both of mine started to routinely skip out on naps at 3. Tantrums haven't been a real issue. The youngest has them from time to time but I handle it as it happens and they never last more than a few minutes. As far as bedtime, I kept it the same.
  • Birdie
    Birdie Posts: 256 Member
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    By 3 mine wouldn't nap at all. She still likes to stay up late. She's like her Daddy and thinks sleeping is a waste of time. I wish I had their energy!
  • wildside79
    wildside79 Posts: 46
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    At 3 they started getting "quiet time" instead of naps where if they fell asleep, so be it, if not, they could quiet play on their beds with toys. At 4 it basically went away.
  • katrwal
    katrwal Posts: 336 Member
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    Older son decided around that age as well...and bedtime got earlier by 30 minutes each day. after 3 days, he went back to napping (since he was then going to bed before his baby brother). naps did get shorter - also, setting a timer for "nap time" can be helpful too - even 10 minutes sitting in a darkened room could help.

    good luck!
  • qballjr13
    qballjr13 Posts: 174 Member
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    Your post could not have been more perfectly timed. My son will be 3 in February and he too decided this weekend that he doesnt want to nap anymore! Im glad we are not alone in a fight that we will not win! :)
  • StrengthIDidntKnow
    StrengthIDidntKnow Posts: 568 Member
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    That was about the time ours ended. We did quiet time for a little bit but that eventually faded as well.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    I say "nap time" and he knows what it is... I do not play lol
  • DMZ_1
    DMZ_1 Posts: 2,889 Member
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    Naps are awesome. Toddlers should realize they won't always get the opportunity for nap time. By their 20s, they'll be wishing for an afternoon nap.
  • tlynnweb
    tlynnweb Posts: 201 Member
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    My now 3 1/2 year old stopped napping at 20 months!
  • spikefoot
    spikefoot Posts: 419
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    my kids don't nap, they never did. If you can get away with a 7 pm bedtime and 8:00 am wake that is amazing!
  • Chiquita_Banana
    Chiquita_Banana Posts: 500
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    mine were about 3 and a half when they started just staying up playing during nap time
  • jwolfe0709
    jwolfe0709 Posts: 50 Member
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    My daughter has always been a great sleeper at night (since about 6 weeks old). She stopped taking naps before she was even two. Granted she would sleep at night from 8pm to almost 10am almost every night. Now, she is 3 1/2 and still does not take naps, and sleeps from around 9p- 9a. I do make her take "quiet time" each day where she can watch TV in her room, and also have the opportunity to nap if she needs one. I think it's normal for your child to not want to nap anymore. Just enforce "quiet time" and all will be good! Maybe no more quiet time for you, though ;)
  • AmberMarie09
    AmberMarie09 Posts: 70 Member
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    My daughter just turned 3 august 11th and some days she doesnt take naps but is cranky at 7.. and other days when she is cranky i make her take a nap. so its a daily thing to see if she needs it or not...
  • chrystee
    chrystee Posts: 295 Member
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    Naps are awesome. Toddlers should realize they won't always get the opportunity for nap time. By their 20s, they'll be wishing for an afternoon nap.


    Seriously. Spoiled little brats. *wishing for a nap right NOW*
  • miadvh
    miadvh Posts: 290 Member
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    My son will be 3 in a little less than a month and is also starting to fight naps. Sometimes he'll take them if we wake up early or if we are in the car more than a few minutes. I usually go ahead and put him down for his "nap"..sometimes he sleeps, sometimes he plays and he makes it obvious if he's not having it lol. Thankfully he doesn't get too grumpy when he skips naptimes so I'm not too worried..aside from the fact that it means no more naptime for mommy either! :sad:
  • StrengthIDidntKnow
    StrengthIDidntKnow Posts: 568 Member
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    Naps are awesome. Toddlers should realize they won't always get the opportunity for nap time. By their 20s, they'll be wishing for an afternoon nap.

    I tried having the "naps are awesome" talk with my 6 year old...
  • kd_mazur
    kd_mazur Posts: 569 Member
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    At 3 they started getting "quiet time" instead of naps where if they fell asleep, so be it, if not, they could quiet play on their beds with toys. At 4 it basically went away.

    I also used the quiet time idea...most often she played for a bit and fell asleep for at least a litte while. When she was 4 and started preschool she stopped all together.
  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
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    My son is 4 1/2, and he stopped routinely taking two naps a day shortly before he turned 3. That was a sad day for me. :) Now he'll sometimes take a nap in the afternoon, if he's played hard all morning. I don't force it anymore, although I do enforce "quiet time". He has to spend some time in his room with his books or "resting." If he's not asleep in 30 minutes and he comes downstairs, that's okay.
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
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    My son stopped at 4 and my daughter stopped at 2 just recently though still trying to give her some quiet time and try for a nap. It varies from child to child so much.
  • superpapa16
    superpapa16 Posts: 244 Member
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    Right around 3.5 (4 now) we phased out naptime on the weekends (preschool is its own set of crazy). Instead he has quiet time in his bed where he can read books, no toys, and if he falls asleep so be it. We found that, especially on Sundays, by the time he got a nap it was usually 3 or 4 and he'd sleep until 5:30 or 6 then he'd be up until way too late. This way he still goes to bed on time (8ish) and we don't get all of the crankyness.

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