Nap time's a time for jumping on the bed

Joy - posted on 10/28/2010

My son stopped taking naps altogether when he was exactly two and a half. He just turned 3 and the other day he came to me around 1:30 in the afternoon and said "A nap? A naaap?" It took me a moment to realize he was actually asking for a nap so I put him to bed and he slept for like 2 hours. I was so in shock I didn't know what to do! I think it was a fluke though, because he's back to his up all day routine now. I can't even get him to lay down quietly on the couch during the day. He just goes, goes, goes from the moment he opens his eyes at 7am until the moment he loses his steam at around 8pm. Glad to see that other kids his age don't nap. I remember napping until I was like 5 or so.

Holly - posted on 10/19/2010

We go on a day by day basis.

On days that she goes to daycare (at my MIL's house) she takes a nap, but on days that she's home (Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday) I'll let her just lay down on the couch and quietly watch a movie if she's not really tired. The deal is, though, that she HAS to lay down quietly because her younger sister (20 months old) still takes naps and I tell our 3 year-old that if she wakes her sister up, then she's taking care of her for the full nap time 'cause it's my time off! lol

Florinda - posted on 10/19/2010

My girl also....stopped napping when she was 2........not only.....she gives me hard time falling asleep after full day and no naps.......bless her heart.....i'm out before her at night sometimes...she just now turned 3.

Adrienne - posted on 10/19/2010

My 3 year old still naps, but they are getting shorter. My rule has been that she has to stay in her bed for "quiet time" or "rest time" (after all, I can't actually make her sleep). If she's especially fighting it, I put books and stuff in her bed and she'll look at those for a bit. She inevitably will fall asleep 99% of the time or more! If your child doesn't actually nap, maybe try a quiet time rule?? Kids really need some down time, and don't no how to regulate that themselves at this age. The transition between napping and no naps is said to be REALLY hard... so don't feel alone if you feel like you get meltdowns from over-tiredness every evening. Good Luck!

Crystal - posted on 10/13/2010

my son will be turning 3 soon, he too becomes a nightmare without a nap. he does fight taking one but i feel that he still needs them. He also is awake until 9:30-10pm then up again for 6-7am.

Vegemite - posted on 10/12/2010

My son's the same Kimberly, when he doesn't nap he's a night mare at night and it's hard to get him to eat dinner which is served as early as possible, 630

Kimberly - posted on 10/12/2010

My son just turned 3 yesterday. He takes a nap most days but he doesn't want to take them anymore. We make him go lay down for "quiet time" sometimes he gives in and falls asleep but mostly I can hear him through the baby monitor talking and goofing around. It's pretty frustrating because by the end of the evening he is beyond tired and gets very cranky and whines nonstop, so he obviously still needs a nap but is at the normal age to start dropping them. Maybe with no naps, he'll go to bed earlier. One can hope anyway!

Regina - posted on 10/12/2010

My 4 yr stopped napping about 3 yrs old, and my 2 about to be 3 yr old rarely takes a nap. and he stopped napping consistantly about 6 months ago, so it varies from child to child. If they get too out of whack we have a quiet time where they lay on the couch and relax for about 30 to 45 mins and if they go to sleep in that time, fine if not, they at least had a "rest" ... I wish they would still nap but usually if he does its right after he gets up only cuz he wasn't really ready to get up in the first place. lol

Marie - posted on 10/12/2010

my little girl stopped having naps a few months ago, she has just turned 3 yrs. i think it is about average for kids to stop having naps about this age, obviously kids do diff to one another but if your little one is not napping in the day then maybe you could just go with it day by day (i.e. if he is really tired one day then put him to nap otherwise just let him go without) Good luck