My daughter who is 2 used to take 2 hour naps every single day. But for the past few weeks everytime I try to put her down she ends up just playing in her room for 2 hours. Is it normal for a 2 yr old to drop ALL naps? Should I still put her down and let her play by herself? Sometimes after playing for like an hour she'll put herself in bed and sleep for an hour or so. I just don't know what to do anymore.
My kids stopped taking extended naps around 18 months old or so. Quiet time is still a good idea, and gives both her and you a chance to relax. Don't worry if she doesn't sleep as much. The older kids get, the less sleep they seem to need.
My boys are 17.5 months apart, so I know how important it is for them BOTH to nap (preferably at the same time...lol).
Anyway, my 2 year old went through a 'no napping' phase. It didn't last long.
If she doesn't nap is she really cranky in the evening? If not, I'd just keep doing what you are doing. If its not broke, don't fix it, right?
I'm brand new to the area, where is Milton?
Totally normal. You are handling it perfectly. Nap time simply converts to "quiet time".
Hi J. M, I'm a licensed home daycare Povider in Pomona,Ca my daycare has two 2 yr olds. I worked at a daycare center before I opened my own. The first thing that impressed me was how the center got 30 2 yr olds to fall asleep at the same time.
They taught me how to do it, first the children have to lay down at the same time every day! second transition to the bed and tell them a bedtime story. Also have classical music playing while your getting them ready to lay down because when they hear that music they know it's time to take a nap
also try a ritual where at my daycare while the children are laying down i say it's time to make a funny face . One funny face per child . J. all i'm saying is make taking a nap a thing your 2 yr old will look forward too that's the secret. Try this and respond back to me after a week. good luck! D., owner of Precious tots home daycare ____@____.com
My 2 1/2 year old does the same thing some times. It is around this age that kids some times stop taking naps. So I think you daughters' behavior sounds normal. I still always offer him naps, tell him it's nap time and put him in his crib at the regular time. If I hear him playing I go in after awhile and remind him that it is nap time. But then I leave him be, I give him about an hour and a half or so. If he takes a nap good. If not, at least we both got a break. :) I
I have a 2 yr old and he has stopped naps as well and catchs them if needed but every other wk i have my 3 yr old nephew and he has to have a nap or hes unbearable so i think it just depends on the child and you have to go with it there little bodys tells them what they need
if she wont sleep she wont sleep, if she's tired then she will, theres nothing you can do. if she's playing for an hour then going to sleep on her own, i'd say GOODJOB mom! sounds like progress to me, independence and good choices!
My son is two and every day I go on a quick errand around 12ish: coffee, postoffice, maybe to bring my hubby lunch...anything that is long enough for him to fall asleep in his carseat and close enough to home to carry him into his bed....(the trick is that he has to be home in his bed before he's been asleep to long, anyhting past 10 minutes and my plan is ruined) and he'll sleep for 2 hours or so...Hey! It works for me, and sometimes I have a coffee to enjoy during ,my break!
And, side note...he goes to sleep just fine by himself at night, he just needs the lulling of the car during the day
Goodluck
Mine stopped around 2 1/2 and she'll only take one once in a while. If we go for a car ride she'll take one but that is only then... she just wont nap..she'll play and play and never nap. however she does go to bed early now.. 7 or 8ish...
If you don't mind her not napping just keep doing what you're doing.
Also, my daughter if she does nap only naps now for an hour.
My almost 2 year old son, he naps 3 hours every day.
each kid is different!
good luck.
I went through the same thing with my daughter at around 1 & 1/2. she just turned 3 and she still doesnt take naps every day. im lucky if she'll take one maybe once or twice a week now and if she does, it's usually late (like 5pm ugh!). did you guys just go through some kind of change? I found that she stopped taking naps after we moved. also, I find that if we get out early in the day and she gets some energy out (like at a playground or something) that she's more likely to take a nap. But i've just kind of given up on the nap thing with her. she goes to bed on time and gets good sleep at night, doesnt seem to be overly tired if she doesnt get one so im fine with it. maybe your daughter is just going through a phase or maybe she's done with naps like my daughter. i know how hard it is to let go of nap time. thats time that all moms need. good luck!
I am going through the same thing with my 2 1/2 year old twins and I have no clue what to do eather I think they still need the nap cause they are cranky. I would love advie on that one too
K.
My 2yr old son started dropping his afternoon nap occasionally at 16mths. He goes back and forth between not napping, napping every other day, and napping everyday for a good 2+ hrs. My advice is to just keep on putting her down for her nap. She's still getting some down time when she doesn't nap and plays quietly instead. And from my experience so far, the napping does come back (although I know that eventually they will REALLY drop their naps). Good luck!
If she is not bugging you , throwing fits, then let it be.
My daughter is 26 months old and she's doing the same thing! She used to sleep 3 hours at nap time and 11 at night. Now it seems like she just wants to fight her tiredness. She'll play also, but starts complaining after about an hour. The days she doesn't nap, I put her to bed by 6:30. For now I try to put her down earlier than I used to and it works a couple times out of the week. I'm hoping she'll get back into her naps, at least one hour! I think she still needs the rest, so I'm going to keep trying!
Yes! It's very normal! You're lucky she made it that long without stopping naps. LOL My 3 kids all stopped way before that AND you're lucky, like me, that she will play by herself and put herself down for a nap when she needs to! Feel blessed AND normal! LOL
My daughter is 2 1/2 and she has started playing during naptime too. Some days she will fall asleep but its been only like 3 out of 7 days during the week. She is really good about staying in her bed and looking at books or playing. I do hear her at times running around her room which I'm ok with as long as she stays in it. She gets very tired/cranky by the end of the no nap days. She shares a room with her 5-year old sister. They go to bed at 7:30 and she's usually asleep in about 10-15 minutes on the no nap days. I wake her every week day at 7:00am and sleeping in is til about 7:45.
My oldest daughter did the afternoon nap until she was four. At four we started the afternoon rest time (aka Mom's break).
On the weekends my kindergartner still has a one hour rest time in a bedroom (no tv, just books, music, and her imagination). I plan to do the same for my youngest. It has just come a little sooner than I thought.
So I guess what you are experiencing isn't so unusual.
Yep. My daughter completely gave up naps all together by the time she was 18 months.
