If you've read Playful Parenting

Emerald27

Does it offer any strategies for kids who resist naptime?

I play a lot with DS to try to help him through things he does not want to do (e.g. I ask dramatically "Where did he go?! Where could he be?!" when getting him dressed. Makes him giggle even if he strongly opposed putting on a shirt). I find myself following this sort of play dynamic a lot. It comes naturally and works well for me and DS - AND I keep planning to pick up a copy of that book!

But yesterday and today DS really resisted his nap, and I am at a loss for a way to enforce naps positively. Yesterday I gave up afte struggling for nearly 2 hours, but finally at just 6:30, I decided to put his cranky little self to bed, because he had been miserable all afternoon. He fell asleep fairly easily at that point but woke frequently throughout the night.

I'm sure this lack of napping has to do with wonky sleep in traveling over the holidays and then being really sick and sleeping odd hours.

Today he resisted for about an hour, and I finally just made a rule that it was naptime and he could not leave the bed. He fussed and pouted and kicked his legs, and then nursed and fell asleep. Took about 10 minutes at that point, but I feel awful having another epic battle like yesterday.

That's what got me thinking about playful approaches to enforcing a nap. He still very much needs one and is very ready at the current "naptime" He will rub his eyes and lay on the floor with his toys and become very very short tempered, but he doesn't want to stop playing and go to sleep.

This turned into a novel! Sorry, ladies, and TIA for any insight you can share.

Emerald27

fredalina said:

I read it a few years ago, but I didn't find it to have many suggestions for specific issues.

Really? Ok, I suppose it's more of a theory of parenting than concrete examples? Well darn. :P That's ok. I'm sure it's a fantastic read, and I'll still try to pick up a copy at some point. Thanks!

ncbelle

Yup - definitely a philosophy vs. a "how to" - but there are the No Cry Toddler Sleep Solution and Nap Solution books?

ReeceFamily

You could try "let's play the game where I'm the mommy trying to make you take a nap and you're the child who doesn't want to nap!" The author of PP apparently did this to get his daughter out the door to school in the morning.

JennOH85

I'm reading it now and, as PP mentioned, there's a part in the book where it talks about putting all of the toys to bed and talking to the toys as if they were the child. So it is still kind of like playing? My LO is only three months so we're not quite there yet but it's been such a great read!