Napping in a Big Girl Bed

What time are you putting her down? Maybe move the nap to later in the day? My daughter was (and still is) about the same. Do you have quiet time before she naps? Perhaps putting some "quiet" or calming TV/music on will help her. I know your feeling because the days that my 29 mth old misses her nap its BAAAAAAD. Maybe put her to sleep her "nap" in your bed or on the couch where she doesnt feel left out. Until i had my son, my daughter would nap on the couch after i read her a few stories and turned the TV on to some quiet shows. If she falls asleep on the couch now i usually just move her to her bed. I make sure her room is nice and dark and have her soundmaker on white noise so it kinda drowns out everything else. Good Luck!

I do home childcare and have, at this moment, 4 children, ages 2 & 3, asleep in one room all together. Best case scenario there are 3 others younger than that in there.

We are consistent with our routine, its very very dark in there, a bit chilly in the house (we keep it at 66* in the winter all day), music is playing (oldies radio station), and I always have insisted on quiet, with heads on pillows. I get renegade behavior, sure...but mostly they are tired and I have to wake them after 3 solid hours of napping. They go down at about 1pm.

I wouldnt lock her in the room...but close the door, or put a gate she cant get open in the doorway for a bit..but stripping it of "fun" might be worth a try? Thats probably part of the success of my situation. No toys or fun associated with the room. Its for sleeping only and is filled with beds, and darkness, cozy comfy sleeping places. They wake refreshed, ready for a big snack and to play more in the playroom, until parents arrive.

Works for me. Good luck

Good luck

Hmm...have you tried mirroring your bedtime routine for naptime she can associate that it is time to sleep? Maybe not everything has to be the same but a lot of it should give her a hint. You could also check out this nap suggestions, should help give you some idea:

http://blogs.theskinnyscoop.com/2010/09/16/baby-shower-ga...

Many times, we just lay grab a pillow and lay by his bed until he quiets down. We got desperate because he would not take them at all and at 2 years old, he really needed it! We figured laying down with him (during his nap only) was worth the 25 minutes until he fell asleep. We lay by his toddler bed, don't say a word and wait for him to quiet down and fall asleep. I also look at it as a time for me to rest for a little bit. We tried many things and this has seemed to work the best.

Put her to bed when she's tired. Feed her first then put her to bed and she will decide if she is missing something she wants in eating with the family and being up a while in the evening or she likes it as it is. Either way you win.
Forget the advice of fascists they are just going to make their kids miserable. I had a friend whose husband used those kind of tactics like your friend suggested. Both their younger kids have been in trouble with the law and rarely come home since they left high school.
You want to be in a loving relationship with your children not the drill sargent.

Black out curtains and white noise, like a fan, help my toddlers. We recently pushed back naptime to 1:30, so that they are tired enough to sleep. Also we read a story right before nap, same as bedtime. It seems to calm them down a little. Hope this helps! =)