Dropped the nap?

[TheCountessOlenska]

I have Googled this and the internet seems to say that children should have a daytime nap till they are 3 or 4. My mother says that I had a good 2 hours till I was 4

Anyway, DD is only just 2 but she only seems to nap every third day or so - the rest of the time she just won't drop off and I don't like to waste the day trying to force her. She gets quite grumpy and tired before bedtime though - so is it a problem? Does she still really need one or will she get used to whole day without?

Thanks!

I prolonged dd's nap until about 3 years but had to take her out in the car to get her to sleep. DS gave his up around the age of 2 and i couldnt be bothered driving about with him. If she doesnt want to sleep you cant make her. You could have some quiet time instead - reading, watching a dvd, etc

My ds is 2.3 and doesn't nap every day maybe inly once a week if he nods off in the car, if he does he's up until 9 ish if he doesn't he's in bed for 6.30 so i would rather he didn't!

My DD started dropping her nap from about 20months and gave up entirely from 2 (just as her brother was born) I found that if she did sleep in the afternoon she was a terror to get to sleep at night, staying up and shouting till 9ish,

I preferred to have my evenings free for cluster feeding so made sure to keep her awake in the afternoon, with some quiet time (for both of us ) after lunch and brought bedtime a bit earlier for a few months.

Have never heard of a guideline for keeping a nap till a certain age, amongst her friends of similar ages i only know of a couple who still regularly have a daytime nap, and most had dropped it by 2.5.

This hasn't happened yet to my DS (25 months) but I was talking to a friend recently about her DC who recently dropped the nap.

She said she still puts her DC up to his bed and lets him have 'quiet time' for an hour or so - so lets him sit up in bed with a toy or a book and if he sleeps he sleeps, if he doesn't then at least he's having an hour of rest.

Might be worth trying that, OP.

Thanks all! I won't worry about her not having one then - I prefer it really as at least she is knackered by bedtime.

She likes playing in her room now so I might start putting her up there after lunch for an hour.

Having said that, she dropped off on the way back from town today so napped 2 - 3. Which means she will be up till about 9!