- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Pre-School and Daycare
shadypines
member
Naps?? Also posted on school aged board ...
shadypines
member
We have a 3 yr old, he will be 4 in less than a month. When do u do-away with naps?? It seems to be a struggle to get him to take his nap nowadays.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Naps?? Also posted on school aged board ...
We did away with naps about 1 or 2 months after DD turned 3. We just noticed a huge difference in her night time sleep when she didn't nap. She goes to sleep easier and sleeps better with no nap. Also, there would be many days when she would actually wake up grumpier after a nap. For us no nap = a better day and night.
There are the rare occasions when she is really exhausted during the day or we going on a long drive that she will take a nap.
Usually somewhere between 2-4, based on what I've seen on here and with my friends irl. If he is starting to resist the nap, you could try a quiet time. Usually if a child is tired he or she will fall asleep during it, if not they get some down time and so do you.
For our quiet time, we treat it just like nap time. After lunch, we clean up, go potty, go to the bedroom with books and snuggle under it reading. I read a couple of books, or chapters depending, then ask her what books she would like to look at and what toy she would like to play with. (She has a couple of special quiet time toys that aren't appropriate for dd2, so she gets to play with them while dd2 is napping.) She knows that she is to stay on her bed and rest until her music goes off. It has worked great for us.
Both DS (4) and DD (2) pretty well gave up napping at 2 years old. It wasn't an easy transition (especially with DS, as DD was just an infant then), but we pretty much went with the flow; you can't really force them to sleep, afterall. For both LOs, once they stopped actually sleeping, we still maintained 'quiet time', at the same time, in their rooms. They could read, play, do whatever (heck, they didn't even have to be quiet), just as long as they played nice for an hour or 2. Things are changing a bit now that they're older. Many "quiet times" involve both LOs playing together in a bedroom, or DS going outside to play while DD has quiet time in her room (on some days she still actually sleeps).
My definition of 'quiet time' has changed over time, and with your DS being almost 4, it may be more difficult to keep him in his room for an extended period of time, but it could mean craft time, movie time, independent play, etc.
DS~4 years old~born November 6, 2010 (1st year of preschool)
My Easy Cooking Blog
DD doesn't nap on wknds when we have her f/t. Other days at PS it's required state law to adhere to a 2hr nap time btwn ages 2-4. I really need to read up on it but it's not a deal breaker. Just a fight most nights at bedtime. DD doesn't have to sleep during the nap time but it's difficult for her to stay still and quiet for 2 straight hrs. She usually concedes defeat.
You don't really take them away, you follow your childs lead. With my kids (ages almost 6 and in PreK and 4 in preschool) they both still have a 2 hour quiet/rest time at school. DD#1 who will be 6 next month has not slept in about a year but she still rests and DD #2 who turned 4 in March naps for 30 mins at school about half the time and doesn't sleep but rests the other half. DD#2 has to be on her cot and quiet the whole time even if she doesn't sleep. At home on the weekends, we do a 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour quiet time - DD#1 never sleeps but will either lay and rest on her bed or play quietly and DD#2 sleeps most of the time. I feel that a break mid day is so important for kids to recharge. In my DD#1's full day kindy class next year, they have a 30 min brain break where the kids lay on beach towels and the lights are dimmed. I doubt many kids will fall asleep but some might and overall, that down time is great for them.