3 year old and napping

[0ddsocks]

My (just) 3 year old is starting to object to the idea of an afternoon nap. I put her down and we can have 30 - 45 minutes of generally messing around in her room, calling for me, etc etc. She's not upset, just wanting attention really.

I'd generally accept this is the end of the need for naps except she often does eventually fall asleep, and then will usually sleep for a couple of hours.

I don't want to be forcing a nap on her if she doesn't need one, but the fact she sleeps so well once she does fall asleep makes me wonder if I should persevere with trying to get her to nap.

She will generally sleep 7:30pm-6am regardless to whether she naps or not.

Does anyone have any idea what the best thing to do would be? Should I persevere with the nap-attempts, despite the resistance from her?

I'd give it up. Mine both stopped by 3 as did all their friends.

Both of mine dropped their naps quite gradually, so I would start by trying to put her down every other day. You'll know when it's really time to start cutting it out when she's struggling to fall asleep at her usual bedtime.

Mine were about 2.9 when the naps went altogether, although my 3.6 DS would nod off now on an ill timed car journey (and then create all types of nonsense at bedtime)

if she's happy in her room then the enforced quiet time won't hurt her and, as you say, she might drop off anyway. If she's very firmly resisting and not happy then you could have quiet time with her - when DD dropped her nap we would snuggle in my bed and read stories, or had some duvet time downstairs with a film.

What you now have to contend with is making sure you're not driving anywhere at about 4-5pm when she might drop off, and then not go to bed till 10pm! How I remember those happy times of driving with the windows open in the winter, jiggling her legs every time we stopped to stop her dropping off!