Did you replace naps with anything (e.g. "chill time") when your toddler dropped them?

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

Just wondering, as I still haven't really figured out what to do with DS since he dropped his naps.

I'm now only letting him nap about once or twice a week (or even less), as otherwise he is up all evening, unless we wake him from the nap before he's ready and then he's horrible to live with for the next hour instead!

But he does sometimes get quite tired by the end of the day without a nap (and we can't easily bring bedtime forward for various reasons). And more importantly I really REALLY miss having a bit of time to catch up on jobs or MN grab a few minutes to myself - he is 33 months and I have a 7-month-old too, so it's just so non-stop at the moment.

I briefly tried putting him in his room for a "chill" instead of a nap, but it didn't work well as he's now in a big-boy bed so would just come wandering out, or else "need a wee" every 5 minutes until I gave up! But would love to know whether anyone has found other ways to get a bit of peace for a little while? If I try to get him to play on his own he is usually climbing on me wanting attention within a few minutes...

PS I know the obvious answer is probably TV! But so far he has not been all that interested in it (so it doesn't always work that well anyway), and also I'm a bit reluctant to deliberately turn him into a telly addict if he has happily avoided it so far! We do put it on sometimes, but I'd prefer not to make it a daily thing unless there's no other option. Any thoughts please?

I am going to suggest TV/DVD anyway

DS (24 months)is beginning to drop his nap. On those days he watches a DVD, or plays in his room if I have upstairs jobs to do. If I have nothing else to do, we read books together. He is really into books.

Chocolate and other forms of bribery.

TV here in this house too i'm afraid. My DS does mornings at nursery when i'm at work and has a good 30-60 mins in front of the telly whilst I get lunch and see if he's going to nap or not, lately it's been no nap but he seems to need a good half an hour to do nothing to recharge his batteries before we can go out and do stuff.

rea/play/cds in bedrooms has worked for my 2...dd is 4 and still does this, though maybe only for half an hour and not every day.

Hmm some good food for thought here! I wonder whether offering to put some music on for him might work as an alternative to TV?

BRS and tassisssss - how do you work the playing-in-rooms thing to get them to stay there? & do they have lots of toys in their rooms? DS has most of his toys downstairs at the moment as that's where we spend most time, but has lots of books in his bedroom, which he loves but he would always prefer to read them with me rather than alone. Also if he is upstairs and I am downstairs I think that makes him want to come and join me more perhaps...

bluebump does your ds seem rested/refreshed after his telly session? I think one thing that made me a bit reluctant to use TV time was people saying it doesn't really relax you but can make you more hyper, which is obviously the opposite of what I was aiming for! But presumably you (and the other people using telly or DVDs) haven't found that.

IME it makes them hyper if they watch it too much

Half an hour ok

we have lots of story cd's can have a lie down sometimes she naps but sometimes not (although I realise you're trying to avoid that.

My DS is 28 months and we have the same situation, MyName. Afternoon nap about twice a week. No nap most days otherwise he won't go to bed. I miss his naps! To be honest, if we're at home and I'm desperate I put on CBeebies or one of his Peppa Pig DVDs. Classical music calms him down too.

Oh I like your one zapostrophe, "special newspaper time" is exactly what I want too! Especially with the killer sudoku Maybe I should try that one afternoon when DD is napping!

My toddler DD loves watching video footage of herself - I hook the camcorder to the TV and she sits on the sofa and chills out watching herself and family for 30 mins. Otherwise, as she's still in a cot, I pop her in the cot with all her soft toys (which she calls her "guys") and she plays with them for ages, chatting to them etc. I also fill a bowl with water so she can wash her teaset and doll. But DD can keep herself for ages so I appreciate I'm lucky here. Failing all that I take her out for a walk which is relaxing for all of us.