2yr old just dropped his nap - what the feck do I do now?

[olivesnutsandcheese]

just that really - I can't leave him alone for a second as he is one of those 'into everything/climber/escape artist' type. I'm slightly concerned about about my sanity going forward - any suggestions?

Enforce a 'quiet time' after lunch and/or put him into the bath for an hour in the afternoon.

Quiet time could include some reading, some entertaining with TV, some quiet play if he is interested - you might be able to get him interested in scribbling on an easel, stickers, playing with a blackboard, doing simple puzzles, threading beads onto pipe cleaners (see Pinterest for educational activities with toddlers)...

You can also rope him into 'helping' you for an hour or so.

If you get a good routine going he should get used to it and will accept different sorts of activities at different times of the day.

For your part, plan meals ahead, cook in bulk and freeze, and don't find yourself trying to get an evening meal together when you and 2 yo are both frazzled late in the afternoon.

Down time. Usually involves cbeebies or a Disney film in our house (she's three). They might not nap anymore but they'll still need a lull in their day.
You'll cope

Yep, we do quiet time too. TV on for an hour while the youngest is having a nap.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'm mainly worried about cooking. He goes nuts when I'm in the kitchen not giving him attention.

I'm going to try down time of books and tv in the living room - I knew it was worth recording about a year's worth of Peppa pig

We do quiet time as well. DD1 goes into her room and listens to a children's cd while playing or resting on her bed. Sometimes this ends up as a nap. Those are my favourite days.

Cooking was one thing I had to get really organised with. Leaving it all to the evening was a disaster and I dreaded it. Mealplanning a week ahead at a time helped and also helped me focus on grocery shopping and keeping the cupboards from filling up with stuff that wasn't used. If you can get a few casseroles, curries or filling soups done in a crockpot or even on the hob at weekends (or whenever you have someone else there to entertain DS) you will find yourself more relaxed. Then all you need to do is choose what to defrost, boil spuds, pasta or rice or get a salad together.

we used to dawdle walk to the local shop to buy something , or to the park, or just to see how many neighbour cats we could see.

getting out in the afternoon can be a sanity saver when otherwise they are border line grumpy

quiet time when you get home then an early bath/tea/bed in whichever order is best ;)

Teach him to like films.

We used to cuddle up on the couch and watch a film while I had a snooze

I used to have a basket of toys mine were only allowed when I was cooking. It lived out of their reach and was packed up just before we sat down to eat.

It started off as a treasure basket type thing (Tupperware and wooden spoons, pine cones, silicon bakeware and plugs etc) and as he got older I added in simple instruments etc.

I'm feeling better already Thank you lovely mumsnetters.

We tried out the waterproof all in one today so the park is now an option whatever the weather - and he was asleep in seconds.

Definitely need to meal plan now though or I might pay DSS(10) to entertain him while I cook

My friend has a wooden thing that kids can stand on in her kitchen (mine isn't big enough) and has a container full of playdoh and cutters for when she is trying to cook.

I know this is hard, I loved that lull in the day when dd was asleep.
My only advice is to embrace having more time, no more having to plan days around getting home by a certain time. Gives you a chance to investigate new activities or groups that might be on in the afternoon. Also I have found the major benefit of having a busy (physically active for dc) afternoon, is that they are tired and ready for bed earlier, which gives longer adult only evenings!

Get a funpod!! It's the only way I manage cooking. Stick them in it, put them at the sink and let them play... plus get them to wash all the veg, and my little girl helps cut up vegetables too (mushrooms mainly with a normal eating knife).
It can be a bit crazy but you can keep them entertained whilst feeding them scraps of veg that you've cut up, and it's got them involved!

I have one of those under the bed plastic storage boxes in the kitchen that I fill with fun things. At the moment it has corn Flour and water in and things like spoons and little pots. It comes out when I'm cooking and tidying as it doesn't really need any adult help.