Parents of toddlers...question!

SWilkins75

WOW! Perfect timing! My daughter will be 3 Oct 21st and about a week ago she stopped taking naps We always scheduled her nap at 3 and she would be in bed for good by 9 but still played in her room until she fell asleep. I tried to lay her down like ususal last week and 10 minutes later she is up crying. I open the door and ask her what's wrong and she bolts out of the door. So yeah, it's very frustrating bc that was the only quiet time I had. I have a 10m old son too and I always try to have them take naps at the same time. Not anymore.

Lisa1971

Thanks so much for all the responses! Right now my son is lying on the couch watching Scooby Doo (ahh, the life!) My daughter has gymnastics after school so I'm hoping he won't get grumpy until later if at all! I do enjoy him sleeping later in the morning though! I can get my workout in and shower all before the kids get up so I'm loooooving that aspect of it!

NiennaMariee

My little girl stopped at 2.5, she was just ready to go through the day without it, so I didn't try and force it upon her. She didn't have tantrums but has a 7pm bedtime anyway. I think going to bed at 7 and not getting up til 8am is great! It's seems to me that he's ready for it, but that's just my opinion

HollyAus

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 I did. I would put on a movie turn out the lights and shut the door. We have a playroom with a big sectional so this is a little easier. My three year old usually falls asleep, but my five year old watches the movie. They go to bed at 8:30 (except weekends, sometimes that's different) I call it quiet time too. They understand that there is no playing and no toys and no lights. If they need something then they can get up. But I've never had to deal with tantrums over anything

KristysLosing

You are so lucky...both of mine stopped naps around 18 months! Since then it's only been if they are really tired and need to crash.

SWilkins75

Thanks so much for all the responses! Right now my son is lying on the couch watching Scooby Doo (ahh, the life!) My daughter has gymnastics after school so I'm hoping he won't get grumpy until later if at all! I do enjoy him sleeping later in the morning though! I can get my workout in and shower all before the kids get up so I'm loooooving that aspect of it!

My daughter is a tv addict I admit it. I can't exercise in the am because she'll hear me and want up!! Then be all up in my face whining about everything. I pray my son doesn't grow up to whine so much lol

korsicash

Mine can read numbers so I made him a chart so he can match his nap time and his bed time. If he chooses not to take a nap and won't sleep then bed time is an hour earlier. Mine stopped wanting naps as well. He still needs them though other wise both he and this mommy are cranky bears by 5 pm

rml_16

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!

My daughter was still taking naps when she was 4 and 5, but when I was little, I pretty much was done with them at 18 months. I used to climb out of my crib and play instead of sleeping.

tigersteph80

I'm having the same issue with my twins who just turned 2 in July. As soon as we put them in big beds nap are few and far between. One of them is actually ok without nap but the other one ends up falling asleep on the couch while I am making supper and then won't eat because he is exhausted. Also bedtime used to be 7pm-7am now I am lucky if they are asleep by 9pm.

LNZimmer

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!

Mine is the exact same.

I like how you put that "A waste of time" - describes the situation perfectly! LOL

BRANDYGR8MOVES

my 3yr old does not take naps if she gets additude then she has to have quiet time but she goes to bed at 830 or 900 and sleeps till 930am everyday

Beleg

My boys went from nap time at 3 to quite time at 3 which still ended up nap time but they thought it was quite time. and at 7 and 12 they still get quite time on weekends so dad can get nap time.

Diary_Queen

My boys still napped through age 6. Every so often, they will be extra tired from a morning of playing in the water or jumping on the trampoline and we all take a nap - it's kinda rare now though and they are 7 & 1/2.


ETA: My boys bedtime during the school year is 8pm-6am; during summer 8:30pm-7am.

jd5351

Naptime/Bedtime is non-negotiable in my house. My son is 3.5 and I just take him to his room and close the door, and he goes to sleep. I'm lucky, he's always been a cooperative sleeper. Only maybe 10 times since he's been about 8 weeks old has he fought sleep and that's when he was teething or sick, and then he just needed me to hold him and settle him.

He has no TV or toys except for a few stuffed animals in his room. The no distractions helps I'm sure.

KimAggie04

My daughter refused to nap around this age also. Since she has a younger brother and my husband & I need a break also, we have quiet time for her. She watches a movie, colors and plays with her toys while the rest of us rest. It also forces her to relax during that time. I'd prefer she napped, but on the rare occasion that she does nap, we regret it. She's fussy the rest of the day and won't go to bed at nap time. So, quiet time has worked for us for the last 2 years.

Shayztar

Oh my gosh. This same thing just started for us here too. Mine will be 3 in October, and some days she naps and others she won't. It is CLEAR the days she just sits in her room because even quiet time days she goes insane by 5:30 or 6. Today, for the first time, I put her to nap 90 mins after her little bro, and she appears to be sleeping now. I think maybe her circadian rhythm changed. He will be up in 30 mins now tho. Good bye mommy time.

eduardoschoen

My 3.5 year old still naps for 1.5-3 hours daily. He doesn't complain at all. I say 'go take your nap' and he goes to his bed and lays down. Once his nap phase is over we will institute quiet time in his room to replace the nap. He will be allowed to play quietly in his room for the give time frame.

cgraylyon

Mine stopped napping when they started Kindergarten. Once that started bed time was moved to 7:30-8:00. They were just tuckered out. My 12 year old will still take naps on the weekend. We love our sleep!

Lkoblara

My son stopped napping when he turned 2... he never had tantrums about it though (or about anything else for that matter) he thankfully skipped that developmental phase, lol. He has plenty of quiet time through out the day though, and if he falls asleep before 3 pm I let him snooze for a half hour or so... but that RARELY happens now.

maurierose

Our 5 yr old still naps - he sleeps about an hour every day after he gets home from kindergarten, which keeps him going long enough to enjoy play time in the evening and still get some quality time in after dinner; no naps = tired grouchy wreck still at this point. We tried phasing him out of it before school started, but it just doesn't work for him yet. His bedtime is 8 (stories, talking in bed about the day, etc, and usually asleep by 9) and he's up and cheery at 6:30 the next morning.