My son will be 2 1/2 in February. Up until a week ago he would nap every day from 12:30 until 2:30. He went down easily, and never fought his afternoon nap.
Last week he just stopped napping. I still put him down at 12:30 and he stays in his bed until 2:00 or so. He talks and entertains himself, he just doesnt sleep.
By the time 5:00 rolls around, he falls asleep wherever he is, no matter what he is doing. I let him sleep for about 20 mins or so. Any longer than that, he wont sleep good at night.
He is SO cranky for the rest of the evening. Dinner time is miserable, because any little thing sets him off. Tonight a macaroni was in his corn, and he threw a fit.
I dont mind giving up my afternoon 'me time.' But, I cant stand his cranky behavior all evening.
Is this really the end of naps? Or will he start napping again?? How do I deal with his evening crabbiness?
i think if he doesn't fall asleep in his bed well if your home at his nap time sit & watch a cartoon with them .that's how i get my 3 yr old to nap we sit & cuddle while watching nick
I had this same problem with my child. We are just now getting to the point that she isn't having a nervous break down at dinner time due to overtiredness. From what I see we have two options. We can deal with it - knowing that they will likely have tantrums around dinner time. I can tell you from my own experience that this is not always the best way to go. lol. If this is what you chose to do, be prepared and bring your extra patience along. My other suggestion is try to change the sleeping pattern. Start by making a half hour shift so put him down for nap at 1:00 and expect that he might wake up at 3:00. Then expect that instead of being ready for bed at 8, he may wait until 8:30. If this shift doesn't work try 45 min. shifts (down at 1:15 and up at 3:15). I wouldn't go any later than this as then he wouldn't be going to bed until 9:00 at night. You might be able to get away with not shifting the bed time...it all depends on your child.
Hope this is helpful! Good luck. (If he does have tantrums I've found the best remedy is a pre-emptive attack...when he starts to cry and get upset and it's obvious that a tantrum is around the corner, offer him some love and understanding (something like a hug or cuddle time) this will often curb the tantrum. If not and he refuses your attempts to curb the tantrum, don't panic. One tantruming person is enough! Instead, make sure he is in a safe area and let him have at it. Let him vent those frustrations. When he's done, and when he realizes that he's not getting extra attention for it he'll stop. Any attention is good attention to a child in the throws of a tantrum. So even standing over him and saying "I will not stand for this behavior! You stop it right now! I'm going to count to three....!" or "I'm sorry you're feeling angry, honey! Blah, Blah Blah..." it will feed the tantrum. If the child does need to be moved, it's best to move him without saying anything to him.)
I would try letting him listen to music during nap time, and nip those tantrums in the bud.
Hi Crystal,
I went throught the same thing with my son when he was about that age. What you could try is putting him down for his nap a little later, maybe from 1:30-3:30. Let him play past his regular nap time and he may get tired from not getting that quiet time when he's used to getting it. It didnt work right away for me or everyday but eventually he got used to the new schedule and started napping again. Good Luck!
I've got a 2 1/2 year old, too! He stopped his naps shortly after he turned 2. Although, sometimes if we are out driving right after lunch, he will fall asleep for a bit.
He does get tired right around dinner time, and sometimes will fall asleep for the night right at 6pm.
My suggestion is to feed your son an early dinner and then if he falls asleep, just tuck him in for the night. It could be he is going through a growth spurt and needs a longer night-time sleep.
My advice is to put him down a little later - like at 2 and maybe just sleeping till 3:30 My experience is that as they get older their nap starts a little later.
Jenn Smith
http://jennsmith.stayinhomeandlovinit.com
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