Nap Advice/night Time

At 3 1/2 she may be too old for naps if you want her to not wake up at night. Stop calling it "nap" time. Call is "quiet time" and let her read, color, listen to soft music, something quiet for however long you want to set the time. This should be non-negotiable. Also, set some punishments up for waking up her baby brother with yelling. A - yelling = B - punishment. You'll have to punish her once or twice but she'll get it quickly.

Instead of putting her in her bed, try having her sit on the couch while you read to her. Perhaps even let her watch TV, but insist on a quiet time for her to relax. Most 3 y/o's need an afternoon rest period and the more you fight to keep her in her bed, the worse will become her night time habits.

she is most likely ready to stop napping...no reason to have her screaming and upsetting herself and you for 2 hours if she isnt going to sleep...my son goes to bed at 7 pm and that works well for us!

She is old enough to stop napping, however you could insist on a quiet time. I don't think she is being will full I just think she isn't tired. I am not sure how you feel about tv, but I would put a disney movie on for my kids when they were small. They would get their pillows lay on the couch watch the movie and they had to rest. If they got up from the couch the tv went off. It always worked for us. That was a time for me to get a break as well and them to rest as well. Yes I used the tv as a babysitter LOL!! Sometimes they would fall asleep and other times they would just rest. Or you could tell her she has to have quiet time while the baby sleeps and read books or play something quiet. If she is not falling asleep within 30 minutes she is not tired. If she stops napping then make an earlier bedtime to make up for the lost sleep. Good luck!!

Hi, C.:

I'd skip the nap and get her to bed earlier. My son stopped napping at 3 and started going to bed at 7 p.m. In bed by 6:30, asleep by 7:00 p.m.

Best of luck!

At 3 1/2, she might just be done with naps. I have twin boys who are 4. One is a napper. He NEEDS a two-hour nap or he can barely function. The other boy just doesn't need it (and hasn't in a while). That being said, the teachers at their pre-school tell me that they BOTH nap every day there. My nanny can also easily get them to nap when they are home from school (like on school break weeks). However, on the weekends when I'M around, they refuse to nap!! I think they don't want to miss out on "mommy time"! If your baby is napping, your older one might want that special time with you. I know, however, it's hard b/c you want YOUR time!!!

Getting a 3 1/2 yo to take regular naps is not easy. They have pretty much grown out of naps by then. Or at least think they have. Try telling her she's a big girls now and doesn't need a nap but does need "quiet time" instead. Put her in her bed with a book she can look at or a couple stuffed animals or puzzles she can quietly play with. Tell her she can play but does not have to go to sleep unless she wants to. But she has to be quiet and can not get out of bed until you tell her she can. If she falls asleep, that's fine, but if she doesn't that's fine too. Sometimes children just need to relax and unwind to help get them thru the day.

At 3 1/2 she is definitely ready to give up naps. Possible bonus is if you wear her out during the day rather than forcing her to rest, she might actually sleep more at night too. I wouldn't bother putting her to bed any earlier, unless she's seems to be getting tired earlier.

Hi C.,
Many 3 1/2 year olds don't nap. My daughter was done napping by her 3rd birthday. Nw, as a SAHM you may want that naptime, I worked f/t and was so glad to have our weekend afternoons for fun family outings. If she was truly tired, she would fall asleep, but it is fine to institute a quiet hour where she needs to stay in her room, look at books, listen to music, play quietly. I would not have her in her room the entire time baby brother naps. Use his nap time as time for the two of you to spend alone together doing fun things. I would cut out the actual nap, do quiet hour and put her to bed earlier. You may find that she sleeps a bit later in the morning too. I wouldn't do any bribing, I would just tell her how it is, 1-2pm is quiet hour, this is what you do during quiet hour, it's a rule and these are the consequences for breaking the rule. I wouldn't spend time with her in the middle of the night, if she gets up for the bathroom, tuck her back in, give her a kiss and be on your way. It is fine to tell your child that you have needs too, and that parents are tired people who need to sleep during the night. While I was there for my kids when they were scared, sick, infants, etc., I didn't feel a need to parent around the clock simply because they felt like being with me.
Goodluck

Hi C.
What fun having a baby nap so you would have time to have one on one with your 3 yo. None of my children napped at 2yo, so I think you are fortunate to have had sleeper this long. She maybe would sleep better at night if she had not slept in the day.
It would also solve the baby brother problem because you could easily play a game or read to her quietly in a room further away.
Is nap time when you used to clean the house? dishes? or whatever? Cleaning the house while kids are growing is like shoveling snow while it is still snowing.
God bless you and all you do.
K. -- SAHM married 39 years -- adult children 38,33, and twins 19.