How soon between lunch and nap time for a 2 year old?

[boogaloo]

I was wondering what the consensus was between lunch and nap time for your LOs. I'm not sure how much time in between is good. Thanks.

[just_lily]

Around here we nap around noon, right after lunch. I find it creates a nice routine. The kids are always excited for lunch, and then the know that after lunch we start getting ready for sleeps. I think it would be harder if I had to interupt play instead - I can just picture all of the "I don't WANT to!!" I would have to listen to.

It also matters when you have lunch, and when your kids wake up in the morning. My daycare kids (and my own kid) are all awake by 7am or sooner, so they are ready for naps by noon.

[LadyCatherine185]

We usually start lunch around 11:30 and nap is usually at 12:00. He usually eats lunch and then we take a nap right after, but sometimes he will play for 5-15 minutes (but before I let him down to play I always tell him "naptime is in a few minutes").

[onyxravnos]

we also do nap right after lunch... if it's any later then that it causes problems at bedtime.

[MeepyCat]

We do naps right after lunch too. We set it up that way because that's what his daycare did and we were piggybacking on their routine, but I agree that it's an easy routine to work. At this point, I can't tell whether he's tired after lunch because he's been up since early morning and running around or because he's used to sleeping after lunch.

[Peony]

Naps right after lunch as well.

[waiting2bemommy]

lunch, potty, nap.

Now that he goes to school three mornings a week, I have him stay til 1 as opposed to 12, just so that he can come home and go straight to bed. Also, this applies whether lunch is at 11:30 for some reason, or 1:30. He always eats and then goes to sleep. If he refuses to eat because he's overtired, then he takes a nap and has a heavy snack when he wakes up.

[jenhill]

That is what I have always done also. Naptime is right after lunch. I find it helps them to stay at the table and finish their lunch easier also-bc I remind them that when they are finished eating that they have to go lay down and take a nap. This routine works well for us.

[ellemenope]

Right after lunch. When she is finishing up I ask her what we do after we eat lunch, and she answers, "take a nap!" (of course, then she realizes that this means the end of the world to her and protests)

[treeoflife3]

My kiddo usually does better with a late lunch after naptime. She usually has breakfast around 8 and a snack around 10 or 11 and she likes to nap starting between 12 and 1 for an hour to an hour and a half. She gets lunch once she is fully awake after her nap.

Once in awhile she asks for lunch first and takes a late nap, but this almost always results in fussy kiddo in the evening so I don't look forward to those days.

[curiouscanadian]

lunch, potty, nap.

[boogaloo]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

[MamaPhD]

Interesting! DD always gets high from eating, so we can't do nap right after lunch. We lunch around 11:30am and nap around 1:30 or 2pm after a light snack or milk.