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  1. #1
    mmommy is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default Drop nap - slowly or cold turkey?

    My newly 3 yo DD1 has refused a nap everyday this week. I know I can't expect her to nap forever, but how do I know if she is really done?
    For those of you with kids that have stopped napping - do you just stop trying, or do you offer/try/force quiet time each day?
    This mama is greatly going to miss naps herself!

  2. #2
    rin is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    DD stopped regularly taking naps when she was somewhere between 15 & 18 months old. She has instead been given a mandatory 1-2 hour "quiet time" in her crib with a bunch of stuffed animals, some board books, & a sippy cup of water. We dim the lights & put on her white noise machine. She falls asleep *maybe* once a month these days, but she gets her quiet time every day unless we're out & about. I can definitely tell the difference on days when she doesn't get it, so I think she still really benefits from that down time (as, of course, do I ).

  3. #3
    swrc00 is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    There may still be hope. DS stopped taking naps shortly after he turned 3 for 3 months and then started taking them again.
    During the time he was on a nap strike, as I like to call it, he had quiet time in his room with books.
    DS - 11/08
    DS2- 2/13

  4. #4
    nfceagles's Avatar
    nfceagles is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I just finally gave up on my newly 4 year old. For a while it had been hit or miss wether she would sleep or just stay awake in bed. I now offer to "let her play instead of sleeping" in her room. She thinks she's getting a cool deal and I still get some down time. We do an hour. I set her clock to 1:00 and she can come out at 2.

  5. #5
    mmsmom is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    My DS had 3 "nap strikes" before he quit for good. They were all a week or so... I would put him down as usual but he wouldn't sleep. I kept at it then after about a week he started sleeping again. This happened 3 times over about 6 months when he was 3-3.5 years old. At 3.5 he started having a hard time going to bed if he had a nap. I tried earlier naps & shorter naps but he still would be up for 2 hours past his usual bedtime. That's when I decided he was done with naps. I moved bedtime 30-45 minutes earlier for a while.

  6. #6
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    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    DD1 didn't give up her nap until she was almost 4/1/2 and a preschool friend told her 4 yr. olds don't take naps. She still took the mandatory nap at daycare without too many complaints and even when she went to daycare at the beginning of the school year she often still napped. So don't let her give them up unless it is a last resort. DD1 is now six and DH and I try to get her to lay down and watch a movie and sometimes she will often nap for about 30 minutes or so.
    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  7. #7
    pastrygirl is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I gave up, because the daily fight was draining. My older son did great with quiet time, but my younger son won't stand for it. He sleeps in the car regularly, so now I usually plan to be out running errands in the afternoon so he can sleep.

  8. #8
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    Smillow is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    We only do naps if we want to do something together in the evening. If he does nap, they usually last 2+ hours, so he is up late. If he doesn't nap, we get a nice quiet evening - I am enjoying the flexibility now.
    DS 2/09

  9. #9
    wellyes's Avatar
    wellyes is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    My daughter had a few "nap strikes" at that age. Don't give up. We enforced quiet time - be in bed, books or quiet toys (like dolls) only.
    DD - 8
    DS - 5

  10. #10
    acmom is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    We went through a similar stage with DD- the first time it happened (right before 3rd bday) was temporary and she went back to napping most days after a few weeks. The second time it happened (a few months after 3rd bday), it was a transition from a true naptime to quiet time. She will occasionally still fall asleep now if she is sick or really tired, but usually just rests and plays quietly in her room for an hr.

    Regardless if it is going to be a nap "strike" or transition to not napping, I would decide what your daily plan will be- if you want to do quiet time, I would start right away rather than just not doing naps. We still went up to her room everyday regardless of whether or not she slept and talked about quiet things she could do if she wasn't tired. I think if you stop naps/quiet time altogether, it can be hard to go back to it- a couple of my friends have had that issue. Once their kids knew not napping was an option, they just wanted to be with mom/family and play, regardless of how tired they might be.

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