Is my 21 month old ready to drop his nap?

[WhyTheHeckMe]

I'm not sure what's happening! DS is a very happy 21mo who for the last year has been always having 1 nap a day from 12-2/2.30pm. He then goes to bed at 7.30 and sleeps 11-12 hours through.
The last week, come nap time he has become very upset and when we put him down he will just cry and shout "cuddle" for an hour or so. We go into him to try and calm him down which does work but then as soon as we leave it starts again. Every day he has ended up falling asleep and still having his usual 2 or so hours. I just don't understand what's changed!
Could this be a sign he is ready to drop? Because the fact that when he does go to sleep he is still sleeping so long tells me otherwise. It's now 13.10pm and he's usually over an hour into his nap but I can see him on the monitor just stood up on his bed! Arrhhh.
Anyone got any advise please?!

Naw

Sounds more like separation anxiety to me. I would try staying until he is asleeasleep initially, ie not going yo leave and having him distressed because he sees you going.

So that (stay until he is asleep) until he develops the trust to know you are not going to sneek out when he needs you. It might take a week or longer.

Once he trusts you to stay and comfort him as long as be needs at sleep time, start gradually reducing the amount of comforting he needs. For example from holding his hand until asleep through to hand in his chest until asleep. To hand on chest to calm then standing by the cot until asleep. Then standing by the cot but facing away, then a step towards the door, but stay there and wait until asleep before leaving. Then wait by the door, then outside the door... and so on.

18m-2y is a good approximate for this kind of anxiety developing. It just needs short term extra reassurance to ger through it. I wouldn't drop the nap, just give extra help.

Also worth bearing in mind that molars cut around 2nd birthday.