When to drop the nap?

LilyB2521

DD will be 3 at the end of this month.  She still naps at day care, but on those days she's also getting up earlier in the morning.  At home on the weekends, naptimes are getting pretty ridiculous.  She freaks out when we say it's naptime, and then by the time we get her in her bed for nap, she finds excuses to get up, and like now for example, she's been in her room for 2 hours, not even showing any interest in going to sleep.  She just sits in her bed and plays.  I debate if I should leave her in there until she falls asleep (because eventually she probably will), or if I should get her up and skip nap today? 

neverblushed

Hi there -- lurker from school aged kids!

When my son was 3, he went through a phase that was similar to what you're describing with your DD.  We worked out that he only had to nap on school days, when he was worn out from school in the morning.  If he didn't fall asleep, he had to rest for a little while.  On weekends he did not have to take a nap.  If we were out and about on weekend afternoons, he usually konked out in the car anyway.  This got him through that rough phase where he still needed a nap, but only on SOME days, and not on others.

Ilumine

We are getting ready to transition too.  Our rule will be 1 hour of quiet time.  

Her bedroom only has books and stuffed animals, so she won't be tempted by stimulating toys/activities.  

10 to 1, she ill fall asleep since she still gets up between 5-6 am and wont fall asleep until 8 pm (no matter how early or late she goes down, how long she naps or how long she plays).  

But we both need regrouping time...and will do o until full time school. 

kmhunt11

DD dropped it and picked it up numerous times.  I'm not sure she's done going back and forth yet!  At 3 she wasn't napping and her pedi said that if she's not napping, she still needs a quiet time.  She recommended 1 hr by herself in her room each day.  It really helps her reset and gives me a reset, too.  You can't make her sleep, and if she's refusing there isn't anything you can do except insist that she is "quiet for quiet time" as we say in our house.  Honestly, once I stopped telling DD to go to sleep and told her I don't care what she does as long as she's quiet, she started sleeping again  Stubborn monkey

flyingsaucer

I would like to keep nap foreva! .  Rest is mandatory in our house, DS, who is almost 4, still usually sleeps 1-2 hours both at home and at school though.  I usually don't let him sleep past 8am on weekends so that I can help him stay on a good sleep schedule

jlw2505

Follow what your child seems to need.  If she doesn't nap, is she cranky later in the afternoon?  I personally have never pushed a nap with my kids but I do enforce a quiet time for both of them and my girls are 4 ina  few days and 5 1/2.  Both of them still have a quiet time at school as well.  My almost 4 year old will typically fall asleep for a short time (she is woken up after 30 mins or she really fights bedtime) but my older DD has not napped in ages.  Just being in their room or on their cot at school, reading or being quiet really gives them the break that they need.  We are now at a point where we can totally skip that hour break from time to time but we still do it 95% of the time.  I would just tell your DD that it is quiet time, that she needs to stay in her room for an hour (or however long you feel is needed), give her a book and some other quiet toys and if she fights it - set an alarm to go off when the time is up.  If she is tired, she will fall asleep and if not, she is still getting down time.  I would try to keep this quiet time at about the same time each day and if she comes out of her room, just tell her she needs to be in room and take her back - you need to stay firm.  I would test this and see how she does.  Give it at least a month.  If she never falls asleep, she might be ready to give up her nap but she might also just be doing some testing.  Regardless, I really do believe that having this down time mid day is great for everyone.