2.2yr old DD has 'dropped' her nap

[bebejones]

My DD has decided that she doesn't want to nap anymore during the day! This has been going on since a couple of weeks after her 2nd birthday.

She used to have up to about 2 hours after lunch, and went from having this to nothing. For a few weeks I continued to put her down for a nap as usual, for some 'quiet time' and in the hope that she might occasionally drop off for a bit. However, she started using this time to poo & then shout about it for me to come and change her! It then became a battle to even put her down and I gave up even bothering.

Problem is, without this quiet time/nap by about 4.30 she is so exhausted she is clumsy, grumpy, won't eat dinner (she isn't a good eater at the best of times) and gets increasingly naughty & difficult (tantrums & lashing out) until bedtime at 7. 4.30 is a bit late for her to have a nap before bed & dinner, and I don't really want to push bedtime back any later than 7.30. She sleeps very well (mostly) at night and usually goes straight to sleep now and wakes at about 7.30/8 in the morning. (When she was having a nap she would often still be awake chatting/playing in her cot til 9ish)

I'm just not really sure what to do! She gets herself so worked up as she is so tired & it's making me into a shouty cross mummy because I'm so exhausted with all the tantrums!

Will she get used to not napping & become less tired? She is still quite young not to have a daytime nap isn't she? Should I bring bedtime forward? (This would be tricky & would mean DH would hardly see her in the week) Is it possible to 'train' her to have a nap again? Has anyone had any experience of this at all? Any ideas/suggestions appreciated!

We have been going through the same thing.Our DD is 2.6 and for the last few weeks was spending two hours in bed after lunch singing and chatting to her teddies!

She had a sleep today but that is very unusual so I think she maybe needs one once or twice a week,we had also been to soft play so she was worn out.

We have bought a couple of DVDs and put her in our bed after lunch with Peppa Pig on tp chill out.Or I go up with her and we read some books.So at least she gets some quiet time.She is still a bit of a grump in the evening but not as bad as she would be if she didn't have a bit of time out.

Some kids drop their nap at 18 months and some at 5 so I don't think 2 is that unusual.You may find in a few weeks she will need it again as this is what happened with our DD.

I might try taking her up still & watching some dvds or something. She definitely seems like she still needs a nap. She's gone without naps for a week or so before, & I thought 'this is it' & then she's gone back to having one, but this time it's completely different. She is very clingy as well at the moment, but I think that's beacuse she is tired!

How on earth do you get anything done? I used to use nap time to cook dinner in advance & do any housework I needed to do!

At this stage with both of mine I started everything ridiculously early. So gave a proper meal at afternoon tea time about 4 which helped eek them out a bit longer, bath soon as tiredness reared its head again, and in bed at 6pm. Worked really well with ds. DD tends to still play at least an hour after bedtime despite how tired she is but that is another story. As ds got older bedtime just naturally got later as he was able to last longer and longer before getting really stroppy and he was going down at 7ish from around age 3 (he is now 6) dd is 17mths (and doesn't nap) and is usually crashed by about 7.30.

Mine both dropped their nap at 2 and I encouraged it as if they napped they were going to bed late. Anyway they both had a period of about 3 weeks where they were tired from dinnertime but I made sure they stayed awake till 7 then put them down (distraction works well). They soon adapted.

I think I might have to put her to bed earlier. Giving her dinner earlier isn't very easy, as I sometimes have to pick DH up around that sort of time. Plus as she is a nightmare at mealtimes we try & eat together to encourage her to eat. Will try continuing with 'quiet time' too and see if she drops off at all.

Oh and I would definitely get her in to bed earlier,I know your DH won't see her much in the week but at this stage I think her needs are her sleep....and if she's a grump in the evening then I think it would benefit her.

DD is now going to bed at about 6:45.Yesterday she did have a nap after lunch and woke up twice last night grrrrr.

My dd gave up napping entirely at 12 months. She was a bit grumpy around dinnertime for a while but we had lots of quiet time, long baths, books, cuddles etc, an extra snack mid afternoon to sustain her and she soon adjusted.

my dd also gave up napping before 12 months. I did much the same as showofhands. She would still wake during the nights, she was a terror for that.

I thought it was normal. But when she went to nursery at 18months they were not happy about it...

Yes this is completely normal and just a difficult stage you will have to get through, either sooner or later. I agree with others, putting her to bed a little earlier might help. I was horrified when dd1 first gave up her afternoon nap (I had a newborn) but was willing dd2 to give it up as it makes life so much easier not having to work everything around their naps all the time. It also makes it easier to get her to go to sleep in the evening.

She is now 2.10 and easily goes through the day until 7 - 7.30pm, waking at 6amish. She does get tired in the afternoon but then so does her 5-yr-old sister.

I have to admit it does make things alot easier for going out & doing things, not having to plan around when she will be asleep!

She was in bed at 6.45last night & fast asleep in minutes. Think this is the way forward, big adjustment though and I definitely don't think I can get away with calling her a baby anymore! :(

Of course you can call her a baby. She will always be your baby.

:o

My DD gave up her naps around the same age too. I was relieved because it gave us much more flexibility over our days. If we were at home then I replaced naptime with quiet time infront of the TV and stories. Two or three months on and she's less tantrumy towards bedtime but largely that's because we reduce the activity levels towards dinnertime.

How do I get things done now she doesn't nap? Well, to be honest I used to use her naptime to chill out with a book or the paper or to nap myself. I've always done the laundry, dusting, hoovering and cooking whilst she's awake as she either gets on with playing or else she pretends to dust/hoover/do laundry herself with her feather duster/toy hoover/sorts clothes for me.

She's shattered and in bed by 7pm each night so I get loads of time to chill out afterwards (as I said, cleaning/washing/cooking dinner etc is done during the day whilst she's pottering around me).

I find with DD helping I can't get it all done. She isn't that interested for long & is having a bit of a clingy phase! It will pass I'm sure. It's still a bit of a shock to the system not having that time in the day to myself! Would be just as it's getting colder/wetter so we can't do outdoors things so much! Ho hum!

At least you know it's a phase... though that doesn't help you right now. Maybe do the housework on 30 minute spurts each and every day when you can pop DD in front of CBeebies (for 30 mins)? Or does she need you in the room even when watching TV?

She will happily play on her own for a bit, but does come back and forth wanting 'input' from me. It's improving, which is more than I can say for the state of the house! Just need to adjust & find a new 'routine'!