So now no one wants to take a nap...help

[finnegansmom]

I don't know what is happening, but something has changed, quickly and I need to know what to do.

I have a 3y10month and a just turned 2 year old.

They both nap, around the same time, every day.
Lately, my older child seems to take longer to fall asleep, and often wakes up earlier but he can still sleep for 1-2 hours.

Lately, the last week or two, no one wants to nap.
It's so frustrating, because while I'm fine with the older son not napping now the 2 year old won't either. It's 2:20pm and I've been sitting in their bedroom floor for over an hour trying to get them to sleep...they are WIRED and clearly NOT tired.

And it's not like they go to bed early...830, 9 some nights...

Is this the end of naptime? For both? My youngest really falls apart later on without a nap, but I can't force him to go to sleep (and BTW they share a room right now).

I hate the struggle every day. I work from home and really could use the break during the day, but spending 1-2 hours sitting on the floor saying "good night, be quiet" 12938567923857 times is enough to make me go crazy.

Sigh.

[lotus.blossom]

I couldn't read and not respond. I have to say though that you have been really lucky that your almost 4 year old naps at all!! I have one that just turned 4 last month and he quit naps before he turned 2. My 1 year old takes a brief nap at midday but not long enough to actually count on getting anything done.

It was a huge adjustment when ds1 stopped napping. I found that I grew really resentful of him for a while. I needed that block of time away from him to enjoy seeing him again and when I didn't get that break I really had to learn how to accept it.

Sounds like backing off from these naps is in your best interest. If you put that much effort into it, its not really benefitting any of you. Is it possible to do a snooze cruise? Thats what I would do when I absolutel HAD to have a break. Take a drive around and then do some yardwork while they slept in the car.

[Abraisme]

I agree with the pp..

My DS also stopped napping at 2yo. It became such a struggle that I decided that it just wasn't worth it anymore. I change "nap time" to "quiet time" where he watched a movie or had to play quietly in his room. That worked out well for us, but I only had one kid then..

[finnegansmom]

Thanks for the input!
I have been lucky with #1. But it's funny, my dh is really into napping. He loves to take naps, and his mom says that he napped until he was 6 - and would come home from kindergarten and take a nap..LOL. #2 is more like me - very ANTI nap.

I'm ok with letting the older go napless, I was wondering if 2 is early for not napping?
We'll definately do quiet time...I need some down time, my job depends on it.

My next step I guess will be moving back their bedtime earlier - since they have been going to bed later since they nap but we are having meltdowns if they stay up that late.
It will actually be a relief to not have to fight for them to nap every day, in all honesty...