If your 3yo naps, what's their bedtime time like?

[littleraysofsunshine]

Dd1 is 3.2 and have up her nap ages ago although he does need it some days. She gets up at around 6:40-7am and will go without a nap but her behaviour changes in the afternoon when obviously tired but she will not give in. Sometimes she may nod off in the car but then this will result in her staying up late like 9/930 where as we like her to go to bed around 7/730 especially as she will be starting preschool next week an also so we can have some is time and time to chill. (We also have dd2 19m and one dc due in two weeks).

Just wondered how a nap effects your LO bedtime?

We aren't strict at all but see that a bit of structure to especially dd1 sleep helps her more than anyone but she does seem shattered by the afternoon some days

My dd is 3 this week and still needs her nap most days. Over the Christmas break when, due to things going on, she missed a few in a row she was incredibly grumpy at bedtime and would go to bed unhappy. They day she had a two hour catch up nap in the afternoon, she went to bed cheery, sang to herself and dropped off after half hour ish.

So for us it's better if she does have it - you can definitely tell the days when she hasn't!

Bedtime is a complete nightmare if DD napped during the day from pretty much the time she turned 3. She just won't go to bed. We always do 'quiet time' after lunch (TV on) so she gets a rest. She gets through to 7pm that way but sometimes it's more like 6.30pm and she's really ready to go to bed. Bedtime used to be easy as pie but she pushes boundaries on everything under the sun at the moment so it's a PITA at the moment.

Sounds a bit like my DS used to be. He stopped napping around 2 1/2 yrs old in the afternoons, but if we were in the car and the drive was longer than 1/2 he would usually drop off if it had been a busy day. It would annoy me when we were out and it was after 4pm as he wouldn't go to bed til after 9pm. So I know how that feels. Nightmare! He's 4 now and occasionally if it gets to 7pm or on a nursery day he's knackered but I get him to stay awake til 8 so he sleeps through.