How do you know when toddler doesn't need daytime nap anymore

[tracyk]

ds is almost 2yo and naps from 1.30-3.30 ish. Recently when I have been picking him up from nursery - he seems wide awake and bubbly, not tired.
He has started having mini tantrums when I've been putting him down for his nap. Though does this mean he's dog tired?
Then he seems knackered when he wakes up.
Does he not need it anymore? He still is in bed asleep for 7.30 and sleeps till 6.30-7am.

How long does it take him to go down after you put him in his bed for his kip?

If he tantrums, but then goes to sleep asap, he still needs the nap I'd think.

How about letting him chill a bit before laying him down, would that help?

I think you need to give him a trial and see how he goes. When he goes without his nap, he will be ratty early on in the evening, but if you can get tea down him and then get him to bed maybe a bit earlier than 7:30, then you have cracked the napping phase.

My youngest had to give up his naps when he started afternoon playgroup. It was hell around teatime for a few weeks, but now he has adjusted, although he still sometimes naps on a day when he doesn't go to playgroup. (he is nearly 3 btw).

Thanks, that's what I've been doing.
It takes me about 25 mins of gentle persuasion to get him upstairs, into his sleeping bag and into his cot. He takes ages to walk upstairs, with his pathetic sobbing saying 'noooo' when I ask him if he wants to go for a nap.
But yes, once he's laying down with his teddy he goes straight to sleep.
But it's just that he comes into the house giggly and ready to play with his cars or something and then turns into a grizzly boy when 'nap' and 'upstairs' is mentioned.

Sounds like he still needs it to me.

does sound like he needs it. MY ds is 2.3yrs and still needs a nap but will completely protest against it until he is there. He is in a bed though so even if he doesnt sleep I class it as quiet time in his room to play 9 times out of 10 he will go to sleep. on days he doesnt you can tell by 6pm as he is very ratty and tantrums a lot.

Nemo - how do you get him to stay in a bed? ds would be out like a shot and try to come back downstairs. At least in his cot he can't escape and I hear him sometimes banging around for 10-15 mins.

tracy i dont know he just does..lol He has been in a bed from 12mths and never had problems with him staying in it. He does have a book in bed so maybe thats why?

maybe he doesn't need it every day. my 21 month old misses hers some days recently, and other days has quite a long nap. i suspect she'll be dropping it in a couple of months. (and the plus is they often go to bed a bit earlier at night and sleep a bit longer in the morning, dropping the nap isn't all bad)

Teacyk - has he ever missed his nap? How was he then?

DD is 20 months so a bit younger but on the occasions when she has had a shorter nap (say 3/4 hour in the car) she is very grumpy later on.

Yes DS was like Fennel's description. He got to the point where he wouldn't have a nap at nursery because the others weren't doing, but by Friday he was ready to have a nap at home.

At Xmas time he sometimes didn't have a nap and was quite grumpy come 6 o'clock. I think I shall keep putting him down but may wake him at 3.15 as he seems not to be in such a deep sleep at this point. Maybe by 3.30 he's back into a deep sleep and thats why he's grumpy.
I think I prefer a break at lunchtimes and a slightly later bedtime and earlier waking in the mornings. Then we can have a leisurely breakfast and shower. Plus I hate having to pander to him at teatime if he's not had a nap. I just know it's not worth the tantrum cos he's knackered.

sorry to hijack this thread but i need some advice too. my dd is 20 months. usually has a nap before dinner and then i keep her going in the afternoon to avoid one. she then goes to bed aronud 6.45. however in the last couple of weeks i have put her down as usual and sometimes she is still awake and bouncing around the cot at 8'o clock. sometimes when dh has her for the day or she is at childminders they let her sleep whenever and this usually means she is awake late. she still sleeps 11+ hrs. do i stop naps or put her to bed later.

Maybe try putting her to bed later - maybe in bed for 7.30 - same as ds??
How long does she sleep for at her nap and what time does she wake from it (I presume before dinner is before lunch?)

DD is 2.9 and still has nap a in the day. If she starts protesting it's a sure sign for her that she needs it. Maybe I'm a hard mummy, but I must admit I don't negotiate it, if she starts messing around on the stairs I just pick her up, carry her in her room and plonk her in the cot. She cries for a bit but then goes off. On the days when she really isn't tired she doesn't cry, I just hear her talking and calling to me that she wants to come downstairs again.

Yes I would go for a later bedtime before stopping the nap in this case. 20 months is quite young to stop the nap. Maybe try a shorter nap also?

if i can get her to sleep before lunch its usually about 11, and for an hour. will maybe try fpr later bed time. the selfish part of me liked that she went to bed at 6.30 cos it gave me + dh more free time in evening, does that make me sound really horrible and selfish? she did it again tonight, eventually i got really cross and told her off, she got upset which i think made things worse because then she was wound up and took longer to go to sleep. oh the joys of motherhood.

If he does go to sleep, even under duress, then he clearly still needs it. It'll come to a point he won't sleep - just protest. But even then it's not all or nothing. eg my ds is 2y 2m & last week he took longer & longer to put down - asking for more stories etc. then since Sunday he hasn't has a nap (not for want of trying) but still been very tired. but today he did give in & had a nap.

I'd say your ds's nap is on the way out & you'll have to be flexible & play it by ear. it'll get to the point where some days he will, some not.

but if he's going to bed at 7.30 I would not alter this as this is a reasonable bed time to stick with not just for now but the next few years.