When did your toddler drop their nap and what did you do instead?

[milkyman]

My 2.3 DS did not want his lunchtime nap for the first time ever! What do you do instead as our routine revolves round it! Does this mean hes ready to drop it now?

Hello, I read on a baby sleep site somewhere that lots of kids have iffy days with their nap around this age and you're best of treating it as a phase, and assuming they'll go back to napping again after a few days. Ie. keep putting them in their cot for an hours 'quiet time' even if they just chat and play with their teddies.

He might revert back in a few days and if not, you still get an hours break after lunch a little while longer!

Watching with interest as DS1 is 2.2 and has recently started really playing up and bedtime and taking ages to go to sleep. Am wondering if he is approaching not needing his nap anymore (dreading that day as am pregnant and knackered!).

I know what you mean about the routine though: all our days are built around having lunch and his nap at home (literally: 95% of the time we work our days so he can do this).

I think it will be kind of liberating actually, when he doesn't need a nap any more, so we can do things like go out for lunch again, and then a stroll round the shops!

FYI my friends little boy just stopped napping in his cot after lunch but will often catch a 15 minute cat nap in the buggy/car on the way home from wherever they've been in the afternoon around 4 ish. It doesn't seem to interfere with his bedtime.

Good luck - let me know what happens!

DS1 was 2.6
DD was 4.3!!!
DS2 was just 3

There will probably be an in-between period when he sometimes has a map and sometimes doesn't.

Playgroups are your new friend!

Mine stopped this age and I did groups everyday after that

DD was 18 months when she drop to every other day or every 3rd day stopped completely at 2 1/2. We found our local children center very handy as they did afternoon toddler groups.

DS was 3 1/2 and I though he was never going to drop it.

With both I found a good indicator that they really did need to drop it completely was that they then wouldn't go to bed at there normal bedtime.

My first had a phase of resisting but napped reliably for other people so still needed it. We phased it out by 4.

My youngest has also done the same - resisted for me but naps fine for others. As long as she gets decent exercise she sleeps well at night.

Instead we can go out for a day or have TV time when she's usually napping.

I had quiet hour anyway with them where he played on rug while I lay on sofa! Still needed a rest although awake

2.8 has dropped it over last few months ...seems to really be gone now ...it was hard when he would fall asleep later in the afternoon in the buggy or have massive meltdowns from tiredness but refused naps at Norma! Time .. I felt really overwhelmed about creating a new routine! But actually now its gone I have relaxed and because I have a new baby I just let him watch a lot of telly after lunch while I get the energy together to go out again!

It works out OK because you will find the day is a bit shorter as they are exhausted by tea time

But you will prob find it comes and goes..take it easy while they are starting to drop it or like me you will end up in the park with hysterical tired toddler in the afternoon!

Dd is 2.3 years.

Shes hasnt had a sleep during the day since around 15 months old.

I really wish she would sleep as then i get a break. Im very jealous of people whos children nap for afew hours each day. I would love that!