When your toddler gives up the nap
Here's Betsy of Fluffy Windover's Diary with this week's Toddler Thursday:
Edwin has never been a great napper. He has a strong aversion to napping, and he always has. He doesn't know how lucky he is: I often wish I had someone going to great lengths to ensure that I take a nap in the middle of the day. Youth, wasted on the young.
Edwin takes about a 90-minute or 2 hour nap most days. But lately, it's been taking longer and longer to get him settled down (if he settles down at all). He often doesn't fall asleep until 2:00, and then I have to wake him up so he doesn't sleep too late. This past weekend he didn't nap at all. He stayed in his room, but got into all kinds of shenanigans instead of going to sleep. (Note to self: move baby powder and lotion to high, high shelf.)
He is two and a half. I think that he still needs a nap. On days when he does not nap, he often falls asleep in the car if we go out later. He is also VERY cranky and emotional when he doesn't nap. But he seems to be fighting it more and more. My mother-in-law hints around that he's too old to still be napping, so I'm questioning... is he?
At what age did your kids give up the nap?
Comments
My eldest was 3 1/2 when we stopped putting him down for a nap at home, although he sometimes napped during naptime at daycare. My 2 1/2 yr old still naps 2-2 1/2 hrs, so he's not ready to drop it yet.
There is no set rule for when naps are done. I let the child's behavior guide me.
Even if you drop the nap, you may still want a period of quiet time when the child goes to their room and reads or does puzzles. It's good to have a break in the day to exercise or other play where there's high stimulation.
Posted by: MadCow | March 24, 2011 10:11 AM
This is one of those things that varies wildly from kid to kid. For example, although I napped through kindergarten my younger sister was done with the nap before the age of three.
My son is almost 23 months old and we've been having a bit of a nap issue this week for the first time since he was a baby. Instead of falling right asleep he's staying up for over an hour (I can hear him in his crib) but he's clearly not ready to drop the nap because then he sleeps for more than 3 hours and is still ready to go to bed 2 hours after he wakes up.
It sounds like your son does at least need some quiet time in the afternoons even if he's not going to sleep all the time.
Posted by: Kate | March 24, 2011 12:43 PM
Tough to get our almost-3 year old to nap on the weekend, but she'll do it at day care. I think she thinks she going to miss too much. We've started making it mirror our bedtime routine and this has helped. We know she is tired because, as you mentioned, if we drive anywhere in the afternoon, she falls asleep in the car. I know she'll give it up eventually, but for now, we'll keep trying.
Posted by: Michelle | April 10, 2011 1:02 PM