nap times

[justmeNmine]

At what age have you stopped insisting on a nap? My three-year-old seems to still need one, but is fighting it everyday. He knows the sun has not gone down, and I end up spending a lot of time and energy trying to get him to sleep... I'm tempted to just do away with it, but I have read and heard that children his age need sleep as much as they need food and I fear that it would be harmful to not enforce what I think is best?? Any advice?

[Madre]

I had my kids take a nap until they went to school all day.

[justmeNmine]

Was there a time when they began resisting, and how did you deal with it? My son has had a nap at the same time practically everyday of his three years. We plan activities and family events around nap time. He is just so darn resistive to it these days that I don't know how to continue enforcing it.

[NZMummy]

I know that some kids start dropping the nap when they are only 2 (although my 2 year old still has one). I like the idea that one of my friend has of having "quiet room time" at nap time. This means that the child can sit in their room and look at books quietly (or similar quiet activity) if they do not want to nap. The rule is that they are quiet, they stay in their room and Mommy gets a break. If the child is tired they will often fall asleep for a while.

[LaDonna]

Our oldest dd is almost 3 1/2 and we have taken naps away probably when she was closer to 3. We learned real quick that if she took a nap no matter how early it was that she would want to be up all night. :shock: Bless my dh since she gets this from her daddy. Our 19 1/2 mth old though still takes naps and enjoys them. :D Occassionally we allow 3 1/2 dd to take a nap but only every once in awhile.

Mine are 3 1/2 and I still insist on a nap, they actually enjoy nap time. If there is any day when they really don't want to nap I insist they must play together in their toy room to give me a break.

[Godzgirl]

I know that some kids start dropping the nap when they are only 2 (although my 2 year old still has one). I like the idea that one of my friend has of having "quiet room time" at nap time. This means that the child can sit in their room and look at books quietly (or similar quiet activity) if they do not want to nap. The rule is that they are quiet, they stay in their room and Mommy gets a break. If the child is tired they will often fall asleep for a while.

I do the same

[Madre]

Was there a time when they began resisting, and how did you deal with it? My son has had a nap at the same time practically everyday of his three years. We plan activities and family events around nap time. He is just so darn resistive to it these days that I don't know how to continue enforcing it.

It's been awhile, but I'm sure they began to resist it. If you still want him to take a nap, then I would tell him that he needs to take a rest (even if he doesn't sleep). Perhaps you could let him look at books for a few minutes and then tell him to lay down and "rest". Chances are, he will fall asleep.

[justmeNmine]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have let him have reading time for a little bit before nap time and also dodn not let him outside to play with the neighbors when he didn't nap a couple days ago. I tell him if he wants to do xyz (usually go outside and play some more) he needs to have a rest... So, it seems resolved for now. He does still go to bed around 8.

[mumof2boyz]

I needed this advice too. DS will be 3 next month and lately if he has a nap, he won't go to sleep until like 1:00 am! So I haven't been putting him down, but yest. at about 4:30 all at once he was sleeping on the living room floor (unheard of!) so I put him in his bed, but I woke him up after about 45 minutes. So I'm really confused whether he still needs one or not, but maybe I just need to watch his activity level and if he's done more than usual he needs to sleep. I do like the idea of them having quiet time so I can have a break, but my problem is, he sleeps in the same room as the baby, so I don't want him waking the baby up. Unless I insist on pure quietness; he always likes to read aloud. Any idea?

[justmeNmine]

My son is aware of his ability to wake his baby sister and cause me to go into their room; I have made it clear that if he wakes her, he gets a spanking and he hasn't woken her since. I think they are kind of used to sleeping in the same room already... if I had to choose, I would move her before letting him get away with waking her (on purpose).

I have taken her out of there a couple times saying something to the effect of "I know it's hard to sleep because your brother is being too loud..." They usually take their nap at the same time in the afternoon and she goes to bed an hour before him... maybe you could tell your son he has to look at books and not "read" as it may wake the baby.