We both need naps but my 3yr old won't

[sora]

Hi,

I'm 7wks pregnant and am extremely tired. I really need a nap, even a short one in the afteroon. I have been putting on a movie, such as Toy story or Lilo & Stich for 40 minutes for my daughter and I have been napping. I don't want my child to watch movies too much as I read watching TV or movies at early age can inhibit imagination. But what can I do? I MUST nap. Do you have any ideas? Do you think watching movies for 30min a day or so is not a big deal?

She really needs a nap too but she won't. She also won't let me sleep unless I put on a show. She cries and whines until I get up. Our afternoons are so long now that she won't nap. She's grumpy, whiny, tired and bored. And I'm the same too.

I am waitlisted for preschool. It's only 12 - 2pm and twice a week but it might help us to go through afternoons.

But what I really want is to make her nap. She really needs it. Sometimes she falls asleep late like 4pm and won't go to sleep until 11 at night. Is there a way to make her nap?

Please give me some advice.....Thanks.

[srs]

I do the same thing for my DD, but she's even younger than yours. I figure whatever works in pregnancy. And as hard as it is, I don't want mine to nap, because if she does she goes to bed too late and doesn't get enough total sleep.

[ChocolateNummies]

That transition from nap to no nap is soooo tough. We started napping every 2nd or 3rd day when naptimes started pushing back bedtimes.

As for the movie, I personally don't think 30 minutes is a big deal. You get rest, she's safe and happy. You could always see if an educational show would hold her interest to try and temper the whole "tv as babysitter" thing .

If it really concerns you, though, will she sit in bed with you and look at books or color? I remember when I was pregnant with ds, I'd do that with dd. It would start out with me reading but then I'd tell her to look at pictures while I rested my eyes. I'd even go so far as to pick out books I had memorized so I could 'read' and flip pages with my eyes closed then just hand off to her and doze.

[Dandelionkid]

Sighhh...my 3.5 yr old has been doing this for a few months now. He so needs a nap but won't take one until 4 or 5. I just discovered something useful last week though! I put him to bed at 530 and he stayed asleep all night! I put him to sleep at 5 today and he woke up at 8, had some pasta and went back to bed- he's sleeping currently. I also used a movie after lunch today to give myself a break- I do that whenever I need the quiet time. I'm looking forward to someday being able to do interesting things in the afternoon instead of dealing with a VERY emotionally-labile child! In the meantime I will stay sane by giving him a VERY early bedtime

[Punchy Kaby]

I used movies while I was pregnant too. DS is almost 4 and will skip naps a couple of times a week but is always cranky when he doesn't get one. Now we tell him he can do anything he wants in his room during his nap time, most of the time he will fall asleep after playing for awhile. He likes the independent time and he likes having a choice nap or play. You will want your 3 yo to be more independent when your new baby comes along, there will be plenty of times when you have to attend to the newborn.

[mopeggy]

I am new to this forum but went through the same thing with my three year old last year when I was in my first trimester, he had just turned three and was fighting his naps. It was a struggle every day (I work part time and he napped better on the days the babysitter was here). Then I told him we were giving up naps (boy was he happy) in exchange for quiet time. Every day he set the timer on the microwave and we decorated a small poster with the "quite time rules" -found somes suggested in a parenting book or the internet-and we would read them together, have a hug and a kiss, I'd go out and close the door and he would play quitely in his room until the timer beeped. Nap time for mama! Or I can get other stuff done too. I took everything too noisy or messy out of of his room since he was playing on his own. Some day he sleeps, most days he doesn't. I'm now on maternity leave and we still do it everyday. He seems to get a sense of accomplishment out of it too, doing something on his own which is kind of a bonus.

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

When the child really doesn't want to nap, I don't think there is a way to make them. And at her age, it isn't worth a fight. What you can do is say that it is quiet time and she must stay in her room-in her bed if you want-and she can either read or play QUIETLY.

I do not think it is a bad thing for her to watch a TV while you take a nap either.

If she falls asleep at 4 though, I would only let her sleep for about 20 minutes. I'd tell her that is too late for naptime and that if she wants to take a nap then she needs to when she has quiet time.

[newbie_mary]

I second the idea of "Quiet Time" -- my DS was seemingly giving up naps this summer (he's 3.5 now), and I was going out of my mind. I instituted afternoon Quiet Time at 2:00, where he has to stay on his bed, but can put whatever toys he wants on there...and voila! 98% of the time he falls asleep. If he doesn't nap, he has the same issue with wanting to sleep around 4 or 5. On days that he just doesn't seem tired at all, I let him lay in bed and listen to a tape of Frog and Toad, which he never seems to get tired of.

[louloubean]

you need the rest!
a quiet movie with mama in the afternoon? go for it!

take it easy on yourself, you WILL feel better and more like yourself soon, and then maybe take a nice quiet stroller ride. that works for us.

with two babes? i got a double stroller!