Input requested: Naptime and quiet time
Kathrynne went through about a 6-8 month stage where she was taking very good naps - usually at least 2-3 hours every afternoon, sometimes even longer. The past two weeks, it seems most days she's doing good to take a one hour nap. She has been sleeping pretty good at night, so I'm not worried that she's getting enough sleep, I'm just wondering if she is moving into the stage of "growing out" of naps. If that is the case, I'd really like to work on transitioning from naps to quiet time at least as I'm hoping to implement a two hour or so quiet time every afternoon until she is five or six. I know many families who have done this with great success. However, neither naps or quiet time seem to be going very successfully around here. Any pointers or help for me?
I'm really not ready for her to give up naptime (maybe that's selfish of me? It seems to be the only time I can get much done!) and yet, if that's what she's doing, I'd like to at least help her transition into quiet time and I can't seem to figure out how to do it. For the past two weeks, like usual, I've just been putting her in her bed, turning on the fan (for background noise) and turning on the Bible CD. She used to go right to sleep and sleep for a few hours, but recently she'll usually lay there for a little while, but then she starts fussing. Sometimes she'll go to sleep for a little while, but then she wakes up shortly thereafter and fusses more.
Suggestions? Ideas? Encouragement? When did your children give up naps? Did you implement quiet time? If so, how?
Also, as a sort of unrelated tangent: Do you ever feel like you are just running in circles all day long and not getting anything done? That's been me for the past three weeks. I wake up and work hard all day long (or at least it sure seems that way!) and I seem more behind in the evening than I was when I first woke up. I know some of this has to do with Kathrynne napping less, but I've felt so disorganized and off track the last few weeks it can be overwhelming. And I only have one child!! I have no clue how those of you with more than one do it. You have my great admiration!
I'm really not ready for her to give up naptime (maybe that's selfish of me? It seems to be the only time I can get much done!) and yet, if that's what she's doing, I'd like to at least help her transition into quiet time and I can't seem to figure out how to do it. For the past two weeks, like usual, I've just been putting her in her bed, turning on the fan (for background noise) and turning on the Bible CD. She used to go right to sleep and sleep for a few hours, but recently she'll usually lay there for a little while, but then she starts fussing. Sometimes she'll go to sleep for a little while, but then she wakes up shortly thereafter and fusses more.
Suggestions? Ideas? Encouragement? When did your children give up naps? Did you implement quiet time? If so, how?
Also, as a sort of unrelated tangent: Do you ever feel like you are just running in circles all day long and not getting anything done? That's been me for the past three weeks. I wake up and work hard all day long (or at least it sure seems that way!) and I seem more behind in the evening than I was when I first woke up. I know some of this has to do with Kathrynne napping less, but I've felt so disorganized and off track the last few weeks it can be overwhelming. And I only have one child!! I have no clue how those of you with more than one do it. You have my great admiration!
posted by Crystal Paine at 5:53 PM
33 Comments:
Hi Crystal,
I have 5 little ones. My oldest just turned 6 and he stopped napping at about 4, I think, but until about 6 months ago, he still had a 2-hour quiet time (he still kind of does, but doesn't have to go in a separate room). My others (4,3,15mo,2mo) still nap a couple of hours. What we have done when they go through a period of waking up before at least 2 hours is teach them that they can't come out of the room until their clock says "4" (so if I put them to bed earlier or later than "2" I adjust their clock accordingly). For the younger ones, I write the number 4 above the clock so they can match up the number. I'm not sure if Kathrynne is old enough for that method, but it might work eventually :-). Then if they do wake up early, they spend the time coloring or "reading" quietly in their rooms and come charging out the second that clock turns to "4" :-)...I, like you, really value that time each day!
Michelle
Crystal,
I just wanted to encourage you to not give up on nap time just yet.
I have 4 children ages 2, 4, 6, and 8. Most of my children gave up their naps by the time they were 2 1/2. Thankfully, my youngest is still taking a good 2 hour nap, and she's past 2 1/2.
Every child is different. Your daughter may just be getting to that stage when she likes to be busy, busy, busy. She may not like having to stop for a nap. She also may feel like she's missing out on all the fun with you.
I would encourage you to continue your naptime routine. If your daughter gives up the nap, she can still be trained to have a quiet rest time. Most likely if you don't give in to her, she will eventually give in to sleep.
My 8, 6, and 4 year olds no longer nap, but we do have a "quiet time" from 2:00-4:00 each day. They may read, color, or do another quiet activity in their assigned spot.
Blessings to you!
Crystal,
I totally understand what you are going through and I sympathize to no end. My little boy went through this last winter when he was just shy of 2. I also thought he was giving up on his naps, but I certainly wasn't ready for that to happen. I think it boiled down to two things - my busyness and a growth stage.
He did eventually "find" his will to nap again and things settled back down. But, I have found that it is very easy to set him off and that he doesn't have a nap every day.
The best thing that I did for getting him to settle back into a nap routine was to do the SAME thing every day (like you do) and tell him that he couldn't come out of his crib until I came to get him at the end of quiet time. Some mothers say that their kids go right to sleep (they get bored)- not mine, but he did understand that no matter what he wasn't coming out of the bed. And, that eventually led to him deciding that napping wasn't really that bad, since the alternative was sitting in a relatively dark room.
I have also found that the greatest help to getting him to take naps is to calm our lives down a bit. Errands in the morning kill naptime in our house. Yesterday, my husband suggested we grocery shop after naptime and it worked out incredibly well. Naptime was earlier, less rushed, and most of all EXISTED!
I'm sorry this is rambly, but I hope it helps you out, if nothing else to know that another mom of just one little one also struggles with the same thing.
Crystal,
I'd be suprised if Kathrynne isn't just going through a developmental growth spurt, which can affect nap times. I bet she'll start napping longer again soon. At any rate, try not to be too hard on yourself about "going in circles" because it's a period of adjustment. I have 3 children, my older 2 are now 6 & 8 and they still have a quiet time between 2-4 times a week b/c momma needs it while my baby girl (1 yr.) takes a nap. They both took great naps well into their 4th years, so I've not had to get creative, but I've also heard that the "clock" thing works great for children who are old enough to understand it. I would think that while it may take some time, training and consistency on how you want the routine to go will work. I'll be praying for you...I know it can be disheartening.
I'm going through a rough spot w/ baby girl. We just moved into a new place about a month ago, and she's been going to bed sooooo late, waking for long periods at night, and not napping well. It does seem that we're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel though. I've been so tired b/c of it, and I'm trying to get us all settled in a much smaller place whilst homeschooling! So I completely understand the feeling of "going in circles". This too shall pass!!!
Blessings dear,
Amy B.
I don't have a lot of experience b/c I just have one little boy so far, but I'm quickly learning about toddlers & sleeping. I don't think Kathrynne is getting ready to give up her nap. The short nap is probably just a phase. My son goes through this every few months or so for a few weeks and then starts up w/long naps again. I think it also has something to do w/teething and stuffy noses, etc.
No worries.
Actually, the pediatrician just told me that most children take naps until they are 3 or 4 yrs. old. I hope that is true b/c I need that time to refresh!
Hi Chrystal,
We adopted our boys at 7 so they were well past naps! But I'd like to share what my mother did. Until we attended school all day we had a time of rest. When we were very young, we would fall asleep in the afternoon. I was allowed to look at books or have a couple of dolls in bed. Most days, I would sleep for awhile. As I got older, I hated the term "nap" because it meant I was a baby! LOL So Mom would say, "I just want you to rest for awhile." ( Well, I could rest...that was O.K.) (Oh, how I long for days to to take a nap in the afternoon.) I would like to encourage you to continue the "naps." I think you daughter will be a happier child...less fussy in the evenings.
Ruth
Hi Crystal,
Look at this website- www.sleeplady.com
Some of the infomation is usefull regarding sleep.
My 4 year old (almost 5) still naps almost daily. If he doesn't actually go to sleep he can look at books or draw in bed. But he isn't aloud to come out of the room until I open his door. I usaully give him an hour. If he is asleep he usually wakes up shortly after I open his door.
Good luck.
Hi Crystal-
I read your page often; my experience was very different from some others. My 6 yr old dropped her morning nap at 9 mo, and her afternoon nap at 2. She did have quiet time every day (2.5 hrs) until she was 5 (now we take that time to homeschool while baby naps). During quiet time, she would listen to books on tape (I would stock up at the library) and play with toys that I only got out for quiet time. Look at the total hours of sleep per day. The range for 2 yr olds is 11-15 hrs. My dd went to bed at 7pm and slept until 8am, so that's 13 hrs - no nap needed. My dh and I enjoyed our evenings and mornings together, but I had to sacrifice the nap. Now, she's 6 and has a very unorthodox schedule - to bed at 10pm, wakes at 9am. But my dh doesn't get home from work until 9pm, so we have shifted our entire day to have family time with Daddy. We move in a month to a new job (he's military), and with that plus the time change, we'll switch back to an 8:30pm-7:30am schedule. That's the joy of homeschooling - freedom to set your schedule to work with your family! Baby boy is following in her footsteps - we have always had very fluid schedules so that we can fit with Daddy as his life and duty schedules change. As long as the TOTAL hours of sleep per day are within range, we are good. To make these changes, I always enforce the part that's easiest: if I want a child to go to bed earlier (or take a nap), I wake them up earlier in the morning ... it usually takes 3-5 days to reset their body clocks. Sorry to be so chatty! .. but there is so much advice on how to be ROUTINE, but not a lot on how to be successfully FLEXIBLE, which is often needed when serving your family! -Robyn
Hope it works out well for you...some children just seem to need very little sleep. The one food I know of that can make one sleepy is turkey...that might be something to try on a day when you really need her to rest for longer.
Yehoshua (2.5) still takes an afternoon nap, usually about 1-1.5 hours long. It just depends. I think he sleeps about the average amount total, but sometimes he only wants a 45-minute nap, and that's just it! Sometimes I feel like pulling out my hair, because I love that afternoon refreshment time... and even nap myself sometimes ;)
It can be tricky... getting one child asleep, then getting the other one to sleep... sometimes the first one is back up and then I just have to let go of my plans and be there for them :)
As far as implementing quiet time... I have no help for you there. Yehoshua just got potty trained, so as soon as his nap is over, I put him on the potty and then he's up. I've tried leaving him in bed a little longer and he gets the bright idea of peeing. Oh, yay! ;)
Yehoshua loves "quiet time" after Eliyahu goes to bed for the night and it's just me and him. We do projects and wash dishes. (It's "quiet time" because the baby's asleep! haha) He plays by himself occasionally, looking at books, etc... but that's usually during the day while I'm busy with Eliyahu. :)
We decided that because of my husband being a pastor and having at time several meetings a week, we would have an early bedtime for the kids (7:30pm) so they wouldn't miss Daddy. Anyway, this made it difficult to let them sleep for two hours, so even as early as 2 1/2 or 3 years old I had to cut nap time short. This was so hard. I, like you, struggled with wondering if this was just selfishness on my part - I need a break!!! But really, you are doing the right thing for the long haul good of your family which will, Lord willing include future children. You are laying patterns with your first that will set a course for everyone to follow and it is always harder the first time. Future siblings will know, "this is how we do it here".
Some thoughts for the two hour block of time: do you let her have toys in bed or books? We just sort of said, "you're in here for two hours, you can sleep or you can look at books and play quietly, but you may not come out until the timer goes off." It did require much discipline for my guys (3 share a room); less difficult for my daughter.
The boys are nine now, and we do something called blanket time. I let them spread out a blanket anywhere in the house (they choose interesting places), choose something to play with that will occupy them for an hour (legos, army men and blocks, etc.) and they have to stay on the blanket for an hour. This works well when you have children who share a room...it is less temptation for them to remain quiet if they are separated.
Crystal,
My advice is stay the course and continue to be consistent in at least trying to lay her down....if she thinks she has an opportunity for naps to stop she'll most likely take advantage of that. Like most things, it's probably just a phase and she'll eventually nap again. My oldest is 4 and he still naps. One thing that works well for me is about an hour b/f naptime I try and get the kids involved in some sort of physical activity....we live accross from a large field, so many times we'll go for a "nature walk" and this ends up being wonderfully exhausting and when naptime comes they're usually more than ready!
All 4 of my kids went through a stage or three where they didn't nap for a little while, but then they picked it up again. I mean they didn't sleep; I still put them down during this stage.
It's very common as they get older, especially if they have just learned something new (crawling, pulling up, walking, talking.) They don't want to sleep because they want to practice their new skill; plus it's exciting for them, kind of like when you are excited about something and don't sleep as much. (Or at least I do that.) Also as they get older and are more aware of their surroundings they don't want to miss anything. I think too many moms give up too early, then when the stage has passed the child is exhausted because he/she isn't being given the opportunity to nap any more.
IMO, they need naps until they are at least 3, then you can transition to quiet time. (And my older kids still have a quiet hour, only for them we call it reading time.)
As far as running in circles, haven't you added quite a few new things to your life lately, like a garage sale and all of those neat supplies you got for your birthday? You were pretty busy before, so adding in new things is bound to make your schedule overflow a bit.
I do have ebbs and flows like that, and have learned not to scurry too much or I just get exhausted and overwhelmed. It'll slow down. Then speed up again, then slow down...
My son napped twice a day until he was about 15 months, then we went to one nap in the afternoon immediately after lunch.
There were a couple of times that his naps just weren't going so great and he'd be awake nearly the entire time. I just kept him physically active in the mornings (even to a point of having him run up and down our hill several times) to tire him out. Those afternoon naps are as much for him as they are for me. Until he can start fending a little more for himself we both need a break! He moved out of the stage and began napping even longer in the afternoons for awhile. His naps are usually no longer than two hours now.
Yesterday however he was still awake 45 minutes after I put him down, I heard him crying and went to check on him, he had completely torn his mattress all apart. He'd managed to tear the protective linine on it and you could see clear down to the foam, it's completely ruined! I guess he wasn't tired!
Welcome to the "What happened to the nap club?" most if not all moms experience...a time or times when the wee precious ones seemingly change radically(and time or times God uses to change and teach us, too). Been there, done that(and sometimes I now regress to a nap! hehe). Ever notice that even a pet can sense when it isn't the time to play but makes way to us for their time of greatest "need"(usually when it is an important call on the phone or someone at the door).
Some musings that come to mind with recall(our oldest is 25 and he went from a 2 hour afternoon nap to zippity-zoom awake and redirected yet settled into a good "awake at 7 and in bed at 7" with no planning on my part!). Consider a physical change with the child: teething changes, weather changes, time changes(sun up and down), recent doctor appointments(with immunizations if chosen), home changes(job, extended family, neighborhood...anything that can include them when we think they haven't noticeed, including our moments of being anxious or concerned). The bottom line is that any of these things are teachable moments for the child and parents to better understand authority and obedience...and love.
Ideas? It is impossible to always schedule or have a perfect day(all moms are shaking their head in agreement). Consider that high- energy moments are difficult to "come down from" for children as they are becoming more aware of their environment and abilities with the unfolding of age. Children can grow in grace with expectations but don't expect them to go immediately from a fun excursion to immediate rest. We may have learned to do that but help them learn by being an example of quieting: before the actual rest, nap, or quiet time you desire for them, possibly remind them it will soon be rest, nap, or quiet time and take a few moments to encourage that by putting on music or an audio book(soothing) or put together a puzzle or read a book(insert anything you know is right for your family) in preparation for the time of actual rest, nap or quiet time(you'll know when it is time to share that God provides rest for the body to be healthy and grow...and when it is time to expand the sharing to explain resting in Him for salvation and everything!). A day or two or three of example of them seeing you "example" the break can help and might be what helps them think they aren't missing anything(and thus, eventually go back to a nap, though shorter). Above all, while adjusitng, remember that time passes so quickly(one day they are dependent babes in arms and the next they are fledglings going beyond the doors of the nest with moms and dads admitting time seemingly has sprouted wings)...
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I've learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
Tears of good memories flow as this was typed. :-)
Hi Crystal,
I am a firm believer in naps! It is a wonderful time for me to regroup, but I also think it is so important for my kids to be on a firm nap schedule. They have much better days when we are not busy and make a predictable schedule and naptime a priority. I have three boys, ages 5, 3 1/2 and 5 months. The two older boys both still nap at least 2-3 hours each afternoon. When my oldest turned 5, he announced that he was too old for naps. I still make him "rest" in his bed, and he sleeps every day. My feeling is when you don't make it an option, they recognize naps as a non-negotiable thing (and we are firm on no talking, no getting out of bed, especially since they share a room). At different points they've all slept shorter and longer amounts of time, and I do think this is pretty normal. However, I sure wouldn't give up on the naps yet!! Every child is different, but I also think this is another area where they can be trained. For me to be committed to this, I've had to plan my entire day around nap times. So if we have a playdate, are running errands, or ministering to others, all of that has to be done in the morning, giving us enough time for a relaxed lunch and the same nap time every day. Hard to do some days, but worth it in the end! Now that we have a baby in the house again (on two solid naps), we rarely go anywhere so he can nap well in the morning too. A small price to pay in my opinion for well-rested, happier-than-tired children. Blessings to you...
I used a kitchen timer with my daughter. She could not get up or ask "how much longer". She could listen to tapes or "read" a book. If she accidentally fell asleep during her quiet time, then I snuck into the room to remove the timer. She is 10 now and we still have quiet time in the afternoon. Reading books, coloring or art projects, etc. happen during this time. Donna
Hi Crystal,
Since I don't have any children, the only thing I can share is what my mother did with us. We always had quiet/nap time every afternoon for about an hour. We could read quietly to ourselves or hold a favorite doll. Most of the time we ended up falling asleep. Each Sunday afternoon the whole house including Mom & Dad had quiet/nap time (I'm sure they looked forward to this ALL WEEK, ha ha). This was of tremendous benefit to our family to do this.
take care,
Trixie
I doubt she's giving up her nap. I imagine she is just going through a stage and will soon sleep a couple hours like always. My 5 year old still takes a nap.
My oldest always thought he was missing out on something so we really had to work at naps. A quiet time with books after a short nap will extend the time a bit.
I take care of my nephews during the day, and the youngest is about the same age as Kathrynne. He has also gone through that stage of taking really short naps, but he has always gone back to regular naps. Lately he's been napping for 2 1/2 to 3 hours a day. I'd be surprised if Kathrynne didn't start napping regularly again.
Also, my SIL has three small children and she has always implemented a quiet time routine where all the children go into their beds for a certain time to rest. Her oldest is 5 1/2 and doesn't nap, but stays in her room and looks at books. She has found this to be very helpful for both her and the children, who need that rest time.
Our pediatrician says kids don't really grow out of naps until they're around 4. If they do before then, it is usually due to a schedule change, lax parenting, or giving up on our part.
Naps are very important in our house when we have little ones under 4. Even an hour nap is a good nap.
I would keep pushing on, and in time, she will nap again. She may just be testing it a bit to see if she can get out of it.
I value the nap time and when they turn 4/5 and grow out of naps we still have quiet time for reading books, working puzzles, and doing quiet things such as that.
I wouldn't give up on it yet. :)
My boys are very active and have alot of energy to burn. With the oldest three I discovered when I was having a ton of trouble getting them to sleep at night that eliminating the nap, helped eliminate the sleep problem. It helped me more to get a full nights sleep than to have the nap in the day time. We still have a quiet time for about an hour during the day. So far my youngest 2 years 3 months has not reached the point where no naps. I can see him getting there though. I also started moving the nap around to a different time. If it is too early in the morning time you are having her sleep she may not need much more then a short nap yet. Move it down an hour or 2 and try it. Also, the other reason I stopped giving naps was they were hard to get to sleep, but once they were out, they were gone for hours! That did not help the nighttime routine!
My littlest one is 2 and a half and still takes a 3 hour nap in the morning and sleeps through the night except for when his is sick or getting sick like this week he has an ear infection. I am a firm believer in naps. It is the only quiet time aroung here. My other 2 children are in school. He sleeps from 10:30-11:00 until 1:30. I usually have to go in and wake hime up so we can leave for school to pick up the other kids. My daughter who just turned 7 last week is the best sleeper I have. She took 3 naps a day until she turned about 6 months old and 2 naps a day until about one and a half and then one nap a day until 2 and a half to 3 years old. And she always slept through the night!
Your baby is probably just going through a phaze. My sisters would tell you I'm mean because when my children would wake up from a too short nap I would not go in and get them. they had to stay in there bed until nap time was over. If they only slept for an hour and they normally slept for 2 hours I would peak in to make sure that nothing was wrong and then just left them cry or fuss themselves back to sleep.
Crystal,
I am sorry that I have no advice for you about the whole nap thing. My little ones( 16 mo. and 8 weeks) are still sleeping strong, for now :-)
However, I was SO glad to hear that I am not the only young SAHM that works all day and realizes just how much there is to do when evening comes. I thought that you might like to know that you have been an encouragement to me for admitting to it. It was not at ALL like this until our second one came along. However, as time goes by I am figuring out the best times to do things and I'm sure it'll get easier.
Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into your blog, I LOVE looking at it every afternoon.
~Jennifer
Crystal~
Don't give up! I did with my first when she was about 2-21/2 and I always regretted it. Had I been stronger-willed than she, I would have stuck to it. However, I would have probably just made it more of a quiet time.
My youngest is just turning 4 this next week and I have only recently gone from "nap" to "quiet time". Sometimes she would sleep and sometimes she'd not, but I always have let her have a toy and a book. Now, I have made it so both my 6 year old and her have 1 hour of quiet. They can play quietly in their room until I come for them. They are only allowed to call me for potty or an emergency. Granted they don't always play quiet..but it is quieter than other times of the day. This is good for all of us. With me expecting my third, I need this time to rest and regroup...and occasionally do something around the house. And they do get a bit of rest even if they aren't sleeping.
I doubt Kathrynne is really getting ready to throw out the nap...she is still pretty little and needs it. However, keep up the persistence and let her know that she is not coming out until the appointed time. Give her a book or toy to look at and perhaps that will settle her down. My youngest has often been found clutching her book and sleeping very soundly!
My thoughts are with you,
Sommer
Hi Crystal,
When my daughter was Katherine's age, I made her a "mommy" tape. I told her stories, recorded counting, singing, Bible verses, and conversation that we had together, all with much animation. We bought her a little cassette player (not recorder), which she was able to learn to use very quickly. She loved that tape and so did I! I could leave her in her room with the door open, turn on the tape, and tell her to stay in her room until I told her she could get out. Then I would take my shower (I know, maybe I was crazy?), or do whatever I couldn't do with a toddler under my feet. I think it made her feel secure to hear my voice, even though she couldn't see me.
Another trick was to tell my little ones that they had to lie still with their eyes closed for only 20 minutes (or ten, or whatever). If they moved, we started over. Invariably they fell asleep (and in less than 20 minutes)! Yay!
With the very little ones, I knew they had not gotten a long enough nap if they woke up cranky or crying. True every time. They were not allowed to get up unless they were happy. The too-short nap is also a good time for the Mommy tape. The Daddy tape was also a big hit!!
Is she at or near her 1/2 birthday? Remarkably, many childern go through a period of "disequalibrium" around their half birthday. Don't assume that her naps are over and don't make a big battle over it as this will only frustrate both of you. Perhaps she has a favorite toy that she will only be able to play with during "quiet time" in a darkened room with soft, soothing music in the background. I would not insist that she sleep, but I would insist that she stay in her room - but not for two hours. Perhaps you could set an alarm that will let her know when it's o.k. to come out. Talk about her "quiet time" in a positive way as it should be a special treat (similar to my having afternoon tea). This is just a little rough patch - you'll both come through it just fine!
Hey,
I haven't read all the other comments, and since I'm not a mom I'm not sure my advice will bet eh greatest. =D But I do know that my mom did naps for me and my two sisters, and for some reason I quit taking naps about two years earlier than they did. I just simply stopped sleeping during the day, and although my mom sometimes made me lay down anyway so that she could have some time to herself (*smiles*) she let me do other things while in bed because she knew I just couldn't sleep.
So I would suggest continuing to teach her to have quiet time and to entertain herself even if she can't sleep. I remember it was a bot of an annoyance, but it wasn't all too bad. I'm sure you're doing wonderful!
George is a little older than your girl. He just graduated to a toddler bed and I was so worried that he would stop the naps because of the ease of getting out of bed. Most of the time he goes right down if I keep him on schedule. Sometimes I hear him get out and fool around in his room. I simply go up and talk to him firmly and then he lays down. I have punished him a few times, but he is a very easy baby (always has been) and minds well. The big trick is getting both of my kids to sleep at once. Usually by the time George goes down, Harry wakes up. Harry has about stopped nursing and he won't lie down with me. Instead he flips over onto his hands and knees and grabs my botton lip or pulls my hair.Be firm with her. You need this quiet time to either rest yourself or catch up.
PS. You are not selfish for wanting nap time. You are sane. ; )
It's been said many times already, but I'll add my 2 cents' worth:
We continue to do quiet time after the consistent need for sleep during the day has passed.
I just tell them either sleep, or stay there quietly.
Even my littler ones occasionally don't sleep. If they are too young to watch the clock I tell them, "Hush! It's not time to get up yet." They have learned not to object, as this can be an obedience issue.
If the child is young enough that I think she *needs* to sleep (I set the line ~3yo), I don't allow books or toys. Of course, this would vary from child to child and depend much upon your household schedule.
dI'm not quite sure how old your little girl is, but children vary in the amount of sleep they need. My 14-month-old sleeps from about 8:30 at night to 7 in the morning. She then takes a single nap that only lasts one hour. My 3-year-old sleeps the same hours at night, but takes a 2-hr nap!
To be honest, my inclination would not be to force a longer time in her bed if she doesn't need the rest. If you need her occupied for longer, I would probably work on teaching her to play quietly on her own in a room or in a playpen. That could either be done once she woke up from her nap, or at a separate time of day. I tend, however, to just do things while my kids are up and about.
HTH,
Heather (mom to a 5yo, 3yo, 14mtho, and baby #4 due in June)
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP NAPS :) WHICH I AM SURE YOU DO... I suggest one full hour of outside playtime after lunch and right before the nap! all the fresh air will tire her out. I find when my kids were losing a nap they weren't using enough of their energy (seems unlimited amounts at times) an outside playtime works wonders. Yes, I takes an hour of your time also but in return you most likely will get that nap back... I put mine down with plenty of books and tell them they are not allowed out of bed and they usually would fall asleep reading... or try it w/o the books first after the the outside play, i bet she might just fall asleep
Wow! Thanks you all, I knew I'd get some great advice and moral support here. I really appreciate each and everyone of your comments. They were very helpful.
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