Parents of toddlers...question!

Lisa1971

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!

_the_feniks_

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

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

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

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

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

That was about the time ours ended. We did quiet time for a little bit but that eventually faded as well.

randomtai

I say "nap time" and he knows what it is... I do not play lol

DMZ_1

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

My now 3 1/2 year old stopped napping at 20 months!

spikefoot

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

mine were about 3 and a half when they started just staying up playing during nap time

jwolfe0709

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

kit8806

My daughter turned 4 in July and is still taking naps! Her class lays down for 45 minutes at school, and at home I refer to it as "quiet time" if she refuses to nap. I tell her 1 hour in her room, she gets 2 books to read, but she must lay down and no playing. She falls asleep about 98% of the time yet... without her naps, her tantrums are horrible! She needs her naps!

Aquarian

My son will be 3 in February and he still likes his naps. I am jealous of you for getting your kid to sleep 13 hours straight, though! Mine wakes up every 4-5 hours, sometimes even 2-3 hours, and then we have to wake up and put him back to bed.

paintlisapurple

My youngest will be 3 in October and still naps for about an hour or so a few times a week. Its always been that way though...I guess sometimes he's been sleepy and sometimes not so much. Bed time seems to be worse if he doesn't nap...or if he naps too late in the day. We have a regular night time schedule of bath, story, bed time...bath usually beginning around 8:30 or 9pm(husband works late so that's when we finish up from dinner) then a story for a bit, then we try to put him down. Last night was awful as he didn't sleep and kept getting out of bed whimpering...he finally fell asleep around maybe 1 am. Ahhhhhhhhh the mercy of sleep.

freew67

My oldest boy stopped napping around 26-28 months. My little one jus turned 2 and is still going strong. lol

http://freew67.blogspot.com/

Flab2fitfi

Mine is 26 months old and been napping later and later - got to around five and would not go to bed till after 11 so we have stopped her naps. she does get very grumpy around four but by six she has come around and is in a better mood.

She now goes o bed around 8 and sleeps most of the way through.

MorganLeighRN

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.

This is what we did with our son when he was 3 also. He loved to sit in his bed and play quietly or even read.

NJGmywholewrld

My son will be 3 in February and naps are a thing of the past. But, come 6 or 7....his attitude gets pretty ugly.

rachelmorgan77

I think it's all dependent on the child. My 8 year old still needs naps! He just needs lots of sleep - poor kid gets it from me. My daughter stopped napping around age 3, though. However, we stay with the same rules as daycare - you don't have to sleep, but you must rest. That can include looking at books and quietly playing. And in your room. She will occasionally nap, but only on days that she's been swimming or we've ran around quite a bit. If it's getting nasty and the tantrums start up, all toys are taken out of her room and she has to nap.

Cwilliams8676

my 18 month old refuses but my 2 almost 3 yr old still does lol

jenn0113

My son will be 4 in Nov and still takes a regular 2-3 hour nap. I am not looking forward to the day he gives them up completely.