When your 2yr old started messing about at nap time, what did you do?

[LoveMyGirls]

Did you give in straight away or did you fight for a while?

DD and mindee are both 2 and this past week have been playing up at naptime, throwing things out of the cot, laughing at each other etc but if they don't have a nap they are both miserable and have tantrums all afternoon, yesterday I drove round for 30 mins before coming home after we had been out and they both slept for 1-2hrs, today we have been out walking and both are definatly tired but fighting it, I have put mindee up first so they don't distract each other and after about 10mins of crying has gone to sleep. Dd2 who instegated the naptime refusal is still up having her pudding and I'm wondering how I should be dealing with this? Should I just accept the fact they are not napping in the afternoon anymore?

Ok since i started typing this, dd2 has now gone up and is chatting to herself, i'm crossing my fingers very tightly that she goes to sleep and doesnt wake mindee.

Any words of advice?

LMG - you sound just like me when we went through our last sticky patch with the DT's - I had an answer for everything, people suggested x, y and z and I would say, no can't do that because of a, b, and c - I was such a defeatist because I'd had a bad few days I just resigned myself to the boys being little shits horrors and they were put on this earth to make my life difficult.

THEN I just thought sod it, really i did, and let them lead....I know you have a routine for mindee, so you need to stick to that because it's not up to you to change it around, but DD is yours so can do what you and she, like. Do you have a double buggy? could you go out at mindee's nap time? Or when mindee napping, just REALLY focus on DD have some quality time together, I find if i give boys lots of things to do, even if they are tired they will last til bedtime, and will happily give in for a nap the follwing day instead. She is testing her limits with you right now to see how much she can get away with and because the boundaries keep changing - you are trying to find a naptime that suits all - she is confused and pushes you even more (this is all theory and NOT fact!).

Either you let her lead and just let her stay up when she won't go down, or you persist and do the walk in a buggy thing same time everyday - she will resist but once she sees it as part of everyday life she will just give in to it.

Good luck and please don't think this won't pass as it will!

Right, they're both having lunch and then i will put dd2 down first, i'll give her til 1 and if not asleep i'll get her up so mindee can go down.

Can't do the pushchair (not making excuses honest!) because neither of them sleep in the pushchair ever because there is so much going on. Mindee has been quite good this week and has been going down no probs so im hoping if dd2 does fall asleep he will go in and go straight to sleep. He's a bit older so understands more.

No doubt i'll be on here at 12.55 saying oh she isnt asleep and i don't want to give in.......

Feel like its not worth it but i know if i dont by 4pm when she is screaming ill wish i had stuck to my guns...........

Dd2 has been up there 15 mins, hasn't cried yet.......she is talking to herself......i guess at least even if she doesnt sleep as long as she's not crying its a rest isnt it? So if she carries on like this I can just get her up at 1 anyway even if she hasnt slept?

OMG OMG - dd2 is asleep and i just put mindee up, he looks shattered so fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!!

They are both fast asleep..........hurray!!!!!!

I found that about that time my dd stopped taking naps

well done LMG - all you need is a few days when it does work to get your confidence back so you can cope with the days when it doesn't work!

They slept again!!!!!!!!!

yeah!

DD2 still chattering to herself, I put her down at 12.10, oh well at least she isn't crying just have to wait a bit longer to put mindee down, he's reading a book quietly at the minute.....fingers crossed for me!

Oh she's still chattering and mindee is now getting ideas about playing even tho i've sat him on the sofa with books n tv
if i take him up with her she will keep him awake, if i get her up im back to sq 1 and will have zero chance of getting her to sleep tomorrow............................ what to do???

ok, my youngest 1and half year old naps for 2 hours thats all.
ok, my toddler 3 and half year old naps for 2 hours or doesnt thats all.
I DONT FORCE HIM. CHASING HIM AROUND DOSENT WORK.
my 3 and half is really just a crap sleeper.
they always fall asleep in the car.
so it if takes an hour out in the car driving i will do it.
i am killin myself laughing because i think no one has got it right. BUT IT IS DAMN HARD ISNT IT.!!!

Ok sooooooo she is still chattering...she looked like she was going to drop off when i last went up.......

Mindee is now sat in pushchair in living room falling asleep watching tv (at least he will get a sleep without being disturbed by dd2) I am not getting her out yet because she is close to going off and even if she doesnt sleep she is having a rest.

At least on the bright side I can eat cake because all the running up and down is burning it off

Oh I dont mean to laugh ( not that you can hear me , but i am just being so honest),. I know, I have only 2 bedrooms, and the I end up with my oldest in bed with me sometimes just so he doesnt disturb the other. and the phone , aaaah I always mean to switch that off. My 3 and a half takes about 45 mins to come round after his nap, thats the only downfall.

U can laugh if you like, i'm not stressed about it, i know tomorrow is a new day I wouldn't mind if neither of them napped but its the fact they both get so overtired, dd moans all afternoon and by 4pm is screaming the place down and if mindee doesnt sleep he won't go to bed for his mum because he's so overtired and his behaviour is worse then normal.

Mindee is fast on now and dd is crying.....so good job i didnt put him up there as even if he had managed to fall asleep he would be awake again now! I keep running up and down but if she thinks i'm caving she is very wrong. My mum used to say i was a nightmare toddler so independant and determined and dd2 is just like me !! But i'm also a strong, determined adult so shes in for a battle.

Besides which its either she crys now and falls asleep or i get her up and she cries all afternoon and stays up til bedtime.

i know, I know, how frustrating it is, the walls close in and the screaming gets louder. we are in a bottom flat and I get stressed at the thought of the new neighbours coming to the house.I let the crying continue as long as I can take it, then I decide what to do. every day is different. But I understand truly how you feel.

They are both ASLEEP!!!!!!!!!!! At least they can have an hour until I have to go back out! So they will be a joy to be with this afternoon and I am goign to have a sandwich in peace! Might even stretch to a cuppa!

SEME - Have a look further down on here, on monday my neighbour came round after an hour of crying on n off.........I just said sorry and she was fine, infact she was apologising more to me because she said it was none of her business and knows what having children is like etc she just wanted to check i was ok!

oh and I shouldnt have laughed. Just thought I should let you know that. I m just so happy i have met someone in the same position.{grin}

My motto on everything is once you give in you are even more screwed so better to stick to your guns in the first place, less confusing for the children. I don't leave her sobbing her heart out, i do go in and re-settle & reassure her, I know her having a sleep is better all round which is why I am so strong willed.

Could you have a word with your neighbours and see if they are around during the day and if they can hear/ mind?

I gave in today and DD (2.7) skipped her nap. By 6pm she was the devil toddler from hell (never seen anything like it). You can't really win - if she has a nap, she's happy all evening, but you can guarantee she'll still be chatting / asking for cuddles at 9.30pm