does anyone have any pointers on how to get a difficult child to take a nap?
By ndaniel229
@ndaniel229 (419)
United States
5 responses
@ayenacsi (910)
• Philippines
15 Oct 08
My two year old boy is the same. Refuses to take a nap even if I can see he's tired and sleepy. I let him be for a while. I let him play, soon he gets tired and I lie on the bed and pretend to sleep, sometimes that works. Try reading her a fairytale. There are plenty of ways, just don't be too pushy or get angry. Patience with children is no.1 requirement.
1 person likes this
@ndaniel229 (419)
• United States
15 Oct 08
no no I know all about patience lol ... I tried a story with her in it ... her favorite is the one with an apple tree (she'll ask for "abble soorrrryeee). She barely sleeps at night. I was just wondering if there was any other tricks parents have gained through the years. At the preschool I worked at - I've never had this happen. You'd rub the kids' backs for 20 mins and it was done. My daughter pushes you away if you touch her back.
@aidenofthetower (1814)
• United States
22 Oct 08
My two year old isn't napping much either. I put him to bed and let him talk to his puppy (stuffed animal). But he doesn't sleep and gets up in about a half an hour to forty minutes. He sleeps less then your little girl does as well going to bed at 8:30 or 9 and getting up between 6:30 and 7:30. Have you tried letting her get so tired she is getting cranky and then do a rest time. You can make it fun with a mat, sleeping bag, or even a tent and just have her lay down till the timer rings. Set the timer for fifteen or twenty minutes and then turn it off if she falls asleep. It isn't ideal, but she might get the rest she needs while still feeling like she is involved in life.
@Shar1979 (2722)
• United States
15 Oct 08
what time does she normally wake up? coz if she wakes up 8 or 9 am then you let her take a nap after lunch then she'll have a bit of a problem sleeping that time. my daughter lays in bed with me but she keeps talking. what i do is just lay beside her and pretend i'm already sleeping. she'll feel asleep as well.
@ndaniel229 (419)
• United States
15 Oct 08
she goes to bed at 7:30-8 pm (sometimes she'll fall asleep immediately sometimes she talks to her babies)... wakes up around 7:30- 8am. I know kids need about 16 hours of sleep at this age. I'd let her stay up instead of a nap but she gets super cranky and irritable. She does not fall for me pretending to sleep. She jumps on me and says hi baby hi mommy and kisses me and keeps patting me until I get up.
@SketcherD (1114)
• Canada
22 Oct 08
My mother has always told me that I stopped napping before I was 2 years old. She found I just didn't want to sleep anymore in the afternoon. Once in a while she was able to get 20 minutes or so out of me to sleep but that was of my own accord. I would just lay down in the middle of the toys or something. But if a child doesn't want to sleep it is pretty hard to make them. My children stopped most of their napping by the time they were about 18-20 months old. Maybe once or twice a week they would fall asleep on their own in the afternoon. But I just stopped fighting them and put them to bed a bit earlier and then they did sleep.
This is just a thought.
