How to get your toddler to nap without the 20mins of crying first

[Cupcakemummy85]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to ask quickly how does everyone get their children to nap? I've been putting my daughter down to nap still awake since I stopped breast feeding (7 months) and she still cries for twenty mins minimum everytime she naps!! Surely this isn't going to last forever?!!! She is 15 months now. Everyday I put her for a nap in the morning and she cries then goes to sleep, not too much if a problem. The afternoon is the biggest battle. I've never forced her to sleep in the afternoon but I can clearly see she is tired and very irritable. She will happily nap in the car in the afternoon but screams if its anywhere else. The screaming is really getting to me now, it's so upsetting!! Advise pleeeeease!! :s

[sedgieloo]

...the pm nap is anyone's guess but she did start moving to that one nap at around a year and it took a while but once we had it nailed it was lovely two hours nap in the middle of the day, I think it's all about t change again for us. Shame as about to have another baby so like to keep that long nap going!

[BlablaSos]

Mine used to be like this every time I put her down for a sleep and I was trying to keep her calm before bedtime as was told this would help. What I did find helps is the opposite, playing with her in her room first, making her giggle in her cot straight before she goes to sleep and it seems to work!!

[LittleMilla]

Another that says it sounds like she's ready for one nap. Also, how much milk is she having? I had my da on two bottles at that age, and now (17 mo) he's down to one at bed.

The transition takes a good few weeks to settle in. The most fair thing to do is stick with it as chopping and changing will confuse her.

Second all the advice on splitting lunch. My ds has been on one nap for months now and will still kip in the car regardless if time of day, so don't see this as indicative of still needing two sleeps. Ds also has a snack at about 3pm then supper around 5.30/6.

Good luck, moving to one nap has been liberating for us actually and I was also very routine resistant before!!