Two year old will only nap in car!

[GlummyMummy]

My daughter who is 2, has got to the point where she refuses to nap unless I drive her around in the car to get her to sleep!

Sometimes, we are coming back from somewhere so I just extend the journey a bit, but other days, we are going out in the car with the sole purpose of getting her to nap. It's starting to become a nuisance, never mind a drain on my petrol! Anyone else been in a similar situation?

[GlummyMummy]

It's the unpredictability of it all that frustrates me too! Today, my daughter fell asleep on way home from shopping at 11am which is very early for her!! Then I had to waken her after 1 hour 40 minutes as we needed to go out!

Insanedame- my longest driving around was 1 hr!! Vowed I wasn't doing that again...can't afford the petrol for one thing!!!!

I just wish she would tell me in the morning if she was going to nap and when so I could plan the day around it!!! I think I'm just a control freak!!!!

[GlummyMummy]

Anyone any idea how long the transition period of dropping nap takes? Been over two months now of naps all over the place, a month of naps only a few days a week, down to naps only twice a week now and only in the car. Yet, she still looks and seems knackered, very pale faced, yawning, wanting to spend most of the day in front of the tv. So I feel I should still offer a nap. When did other people's kids get to the point of not seeming that tired without the nap?

[Cakescakescakes]

Several months here - at least 6.

[InsaneDame]

Mine is back to napping at least an hour a day again now and has been for over a week (albeit in the car though!). My nephew is 3.5 years old and the process of him dropping the nap took at least 6 months. He would have days of not napping then need one for a few days - it's not just an easy process if dropping them for good one day, especially when they are as young as your DD. If she were older it would probably be easier to just knock them on the head completely but she obviously is coping well.

[GlummyMummy]

6 months?!?!? I'll be in an early grave by then!!! ;-D

And is that 6 months of still offering the nap, or 6 months before they can go through the day without looking tired?

[NapQueen]

Does she stay asleep when the engine stops? If so pack yourself lunch and a book, into the car and ten mins drive or until she drifts off. Park up and eat lunch/read etc, and only drive again to come home.

Or what I've done before - round the streets for ten mins then park back up at home or my mums but stay in the car. Close enough to connect to my own WiFi and mum or dh bring me a brew out

[BadToTheBone]

Mine has both dropped their afternoon naps by 2.5, maybe she's ready to drop them.

[Cakescakescakes]

6 months of still offering a nap until they were consistently never napping and were able to make it to 7pm. It took longer than 6 months before they weren't exhausted by bedtime though! It's much nicer to have the full day without being tied to naps once you get out the other side of the grizzly period.

Although to be honest if I felt they were tired after the napping had stopped I would put them in bed with some books for half and hour and call it 'room time'. It did them good to have a rest in peace and quiet.

[Cakescakescakes]

During the transition it wasn't unusual for my DC to be in bed asleep at 5.45/6pm. That was them till 6.30 the next morning.

[InsaneDame]

NapQueen I do all of what you mentioned in your post - I actually quite enjoy car nap time!

[Frazzled2207]

Mine was like this from about 20 months- iended up going for a drive or initially in buggy, every day, though if we went somewhere in the morning he'd often just drop off on the way back which was helpful.
A year and a half on (!) we are in a similar situation except that he doesn't need one every day (is now 3!). He needs a nap most days though still - as we are out in the car most days it will usually happen at some point- If i go somewhere in the afternoon I factor in time for sitting in a car park somewhere
Unfortunately his brother is now heading the same way at 16months -
Refusing to nap in cot

[Frazzled2207]

Oh and while we did car-cot transfer quite successfully for a while it eventually stopped working. That was the biggest bugger of all!

[GlummyMummy]

The car naps used to work like that, but now I can drive for up to an hour and she's still wide awake. As soon as I get home she'll start crying and saying she's sleepy though, guaranteed!!! So I'm still offering her a cat nap everyday but so far it's just wasting my time and petrol!!!