Life with a non-napping toddler - help!

[mrsjuan]

I'm sure this has been done before but I don't have time to search the archives - sorry!

DD is only 20 months but I think I am on the verge of losing my wonderful guaranteed hour of peace during the day. I have managed to get her to sleep today but it took a lot of rocking even after a swimming session and pushchair trip which used to do the trick instantly! Some days I can be trying to get her to sleep for ages but have to give up but then she is mega tired and miserable by 5pm.

She is sleeping well at night (touch wood) so I guess this is the payoff.

But...how on earth do I get anything done? Tidying is pointless, cleaning and cooking I can involve her in to a degree but not if it's 'dangerous' things and she is easily bored.

She will entertain herself for a while but usually only if the activity is messy or results in more mess than I've managed to tidy up while she's doing it!

So please, furnish me with your ideas - either to get nap back or stop my house becoming a complete tip! Thanks

All 3 of my dc stopped naps at aound 18 months and were never that great at them before that.

My house is a tip, sorry. Cannot keep it clean and tidy when they are constantly playing and getting stuff out (although this is less of a problem now they are older but I have other excuses instead!!).

Can you strap her in the highchair with a few toys/messy play activity/snacks while you get on and do things? That way the mess is contained an you know where she is and that she is safe. But I do think sometimes they have to learn that you are busy and they have to entertain themselves.

Also the TV is very useful!!

Cbeebies is your friend!

I must be quite unlucky because none of my DCs have ever napped past the age of 6 months, and if they did then they would not sleep until at least 11 pm at night. My house always looks like the site of a bomb explosion, no matter how many times I clean the mess just starts re-appearing half an hour later! Its something I just had to get used to I think... and also, would second (or rather, third) the recommendation of turning on the telly for your DD when you want some chill out time.

ds2 gave up his nap just after his 2nd birthday, very convenient (ahem) as dd had just been born. (i had had high hopes of having a lunchtime nap myself while they both slept).

he will sit and watch a film quietly at lunchtime though, which is handy for getting a few things done...

My DS2 did this, most surprising since DS1 needed his sleep till he was at least 3! On the positive side, it means you don't have to be dashing home to get lunch and have nap time if you want to be out and about. Can you give her a duster and get her to "help" while tidying? Sounds silly but DS2 used to love it. He also used to help me peg out the washing on a little wire clothes dryer - ok he used about 5 pegs per pair of pants but at least he was occupied while I did the big stuff! Cooking - give her a pan on the floor and a wooden spoon so she can do it too. And yes, definitely have a break after lunch watching a bit of cbeebies or whatever. Don't feel guilty about it, even if she is not napping, she will benefit from a bit of quiet sitting down so she's not cranky by early evening.

DD has just dropped hers, though not until 27 months, so you have my sympathies (she's managed to time it to go with my first trimester with DC2, when I would kill for a lunchtime nap ). In some ways it's much easier as I don't have to schedule things around her nap etc, so, after dreading it for 2 years, it's not as bad as I expected. I would try to get her to nap for another couple of weeks though, in case it's a blip.

As for your other questions, it's very simple - I don't clean At the moment it's the bare minimum, which I do at weekends or in the evenings (while DH sits on the sofa and relaxes after work - yep, slightly resentful here ). The pay-off for no nap is that DD now goes to bed super-early and easily , usually just after 6 pm, so we get more evening, so generally cook then - DH does some meals in the evening too while I am settling DD.

If I was cleaning then I think she'd follow me from room to room and entertain herself, but yes it is messy and slightly pointless. The other week I was tidying each room in turn; finished hers and moved on to ours, during which she trashed hers She's also managed to empty out her toy/book/jigsaw puzzle while I'm typing this ...

We also do quiet reading/telly time immediately post-lunch. Sometimes I nanage a snooze but usually she notices and wakes me up!

DD1 hasn't had a daytime nap since she was about 18 months old. It is very rare for her to even have a nap during a long car trip - she can quite happily sit and natter constantly for 2 hours.

I managed to get through it, somehow, and found CBeebees to be wonderful. As she got a little older, I got DD1 to 'help' with the housework - I'd give her a duster and she would follow me around, helping me. Thankfully DD2 loves her daytime naps.

Thank you for the replies - cbeebies it is then!

Think I will continue trying the nap for a while because she really is shattered by dinner time otherwise.

The car usually sends her straight to sleep which is a mixed blessing as trying to get home from anywhere in the late afternoon when she hasn't had a lunchtime nap without her dropping off is hard work.

As long as she carries on sleeping at night (only really started sleeping through most nights in the last couple of months) I suppose I can cope with anything!

Going to work tomorrow for a break