When did your toddler give up their nap?

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I don't know how you get a 4 or 5 year old to sleep when they just aren't tired or don't want to. ReneeA

I couldn't get my 18 month old too! My other 2 stopped at around 2 years. They all 3 are sound sleepers at night.

Lori

 

[ReneeA]

Well, they ARE tired and they just don't want to nap. To that I say too bad. If they expect to do anything "cool" on Saturday evening, like going out to dinner, or show or whatever, they must nap, no ifs and or buts about it. And they do nap because deep down they are tired. If they don't want to nap, I insist on 2 hours of QUIET time each in their own rooms no TV on either.

Tried that...after a month of not doing ANYTHING as a family...I gave up. I just did some digging in a Time-Life childraising series I got as a shower gift and it says that 4 year olds require 12 hours of sleep, and 2 1/2 year olds require 13 - 14. It says most kids give up naps around 3 to 3 1/2, and as long as they get the required amount, all is well.

I guess it's not a battle I would choose at this point. I can definitely understand letting your child nap as long as they choose to, though.

ReneeA

 

[dizagain]

Hi! Both of my DD's quit napping around 2.5 - 3. I'd get a nap out of them a few days a week at best. They did go to bed by 7:30-8 and slept until 8 or so. Some people (even as kids) just don't require the "textbook" amount of sleep...my younger DD falls into that category. We just had quiet time in the afternoons instead with books, drawing, etc...I couldn't exactly tape their eyes shut!!

 

[Mermaid02]

dd gave her naps up at 10 months and ds would fall asleep in the car about 3pm when we drove to school to pick up his sister- I guess he was about 3 or 4 when he stopped doing that.

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

My kids were both just around or under 2 years old when they quit napping. It wasn't my choice, but if I put either down for a nap, they'd be up til 11:00 or midnight and sleep til about 6 am. I cut out the nap and they both slept 12 or so hours a night-uninterrupted.

 

[Nicolepa]

When my kids started fighting naps I switched to every other day naps. One day they could usually handle not having a nap, epecially if we watched a movie or something. The next day they would usually nap w/o much fuss. Then I'd go to 2 day awake, 1 nap etc. I wasn't really as rigid as I sound, I played it more by ear but you get the idea.

Even now my 5 yo gets out early on Wed.'s so I have institued manditory nap day. Both kids must lay down and at least rest for at least an hour or so. My 3 yo will almost always end up falling asleep, my 5 yo about 1/2 the time. He may also get a nap on the weekend if he appears to need it.

 

[tiggerlover]

My son gave them up when he was about 4.

 

[mtblujeans]

After weeks of battles with DS2, I gave in and stopped putting him down for a nap in the afternoon. My older kids stopped napping at 4. This is new to me and the afternoon is really l-o-n-g now. Around 5 pm, he becomes miserable and makes all of us miserable too.

BTW, he is 2 and 4 months.

When I could no longer tie them down to the bed or when they started school.....whichever came first!

 

[MrsKreamer]

My toddler used to take 2 naps. One around 9 and another around 3. Well he just stopped his afternoon nap, and it is killing me. I am so warn out from playing with him all day that I NEED the afternoon nap! lol He is now 1 year and 4 mos.

 

[Puffy2]

Children nap?

 

[MinnieM3]

DD20 gave them up at 18 months...I had no clue, I thought it was normal.

DS17 gave them up at 4 and I thought something was wrong with him after DD! LOL

DS6 I have no recollection but it was early...I think 2.

 

[mookie]

I am in this same boat with dd. She'll be 3 in March. She's always been a good sleeper, and naps haven't been an issue except for the past few months. She usually went down about 1:30pm, but now, if I put her down then, she won't actually fall asleep until 2:30, sometimes 3pm, and then I have to wake her at 5 or 5:30 just to get her to bed at a decent hour. (The nice thing is that she will play quietly from 1:30-3, but I just feel bad that she is spending that much time in her bed...) When she does fall asleep at night, she is a good 10-11 hour sleeper, too.

So, I amnot sure if I should give up the nap or not. I just feel like she might be getting TOO much sleep.

 

[MamaLema]

Thanks everybody

 

[Katy Belle]

DS10 was just over 3 years. DS8 was 22 months. He was really one of these kids that we tortured to keep awake during the day. Even a 20 min. nap would keep him up until way past midnight. DS5 was almost 3. One of them got to the point where they would nap one or two days a week, then finally gave them up a few months later.

Good luck!
Katy

 

[ChrisnSteph]

My dd stopped taking naps once she started kindergarten. My two boys, 3 and 4, take naps. If they don't, they're monsters that'll meltdown over the littlest thing.