At what point do you give up on naps?

[vvviola]

DD2 (2.4) seems to be in the process of dropping her lunchtime nap. Up until a month ago she was at crèche 3 full days a week and napped there no problem. It was a bit more touch & go on days she was home with me, but probably slept half the time.

Now she has dropped back to half days at crèche she doesn't nap there at all, and only rarely for me. Probably 3 days a week in total.

Problem is she just can't survive the day without it. She's a wreck by 5pm. Evenings are a nightmare. Today I tried to get her to nap before giving up after an hour. I'm trying to get her to sleep now (6.25pm here) as she just lost it - but she's over tired already. She usually goes to bed about 7.

Other days she refuses to nap and then falls asleep on the school run at 3, meaning she doesn't settle til nearly 9. I'm driven demented by the whole thing.

So do I keep going with trying naps? Or give up and resign myself to horrendous evenings for however long it takes for her to be ready?

DS5 is 3.5 and needs an hour nap after lunch most days or he is unbearable.

some days he skips it, the next day he might have a 2 -2.5 hour sleep.

DS3 needed naps even when he started reception - he'd have a nap as soon as he got home, until he turned 5 & didn't give up after school naps completely until he was almost 6!

DS1 and DS2 started skipping naps at 2 3/4 and were done with naps by aged 3.

just proves they are all different.
she is obviously changing her pattern, so I'd probably let her skip it every 3rd day - see if she naps better in between.

and a good trick is to say "look I just need you to have a rest.
you don't need to sleep, but you have to lie down, close your eyes and have a rest. I actually don't want you to sleep. a rest is enough"

most if the time they fall asleep anyway.

I tried the "just have a rest while I do something in the other room"... and discovered her ten minutes later trying to balance on the headboard of her bed.

To say she's a handful is an understatement