This is something that I was asked on social media. The parent said that allowing her 18 month old child to have a nap in the afternoon was inpacking on bedtime in a negative way.
My advice was to try how I managed it with my own children: As all children are individuals, however, what works for some may not for others.
When I felt that my son could cope without an afternoon nap, I started by giving him a quiet session in the afternoon, in the hope that this would let him’ recharge his batteries’ enough to see him through to bedtime without actually going to sleep.
I also tried not to let him sleep after 3 o’clock in the afternoon; this was difficult sometimes as he would fall asleep in the car when we drove to collect his brothers from school. It may sound cruel, but I would try to distract him from dropping off; I would point things out during the journey ( look at the tractor, etc.) I would also sing and encourage him to join in ( as I have a similar singing voice to Shaun Wallace, of the chase, believe me it would not send anyone to sleep!).
When I was working as a registered child minder I looked after a child whose parent asked me to not let her sleep in the day as they wre struggling with putting her to bed at night
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Usually I would do my best to follow a parents lead, as nobody knows a child as well as the parents, but in this particular case, the child really did need to nap during the day. This was because I knew that she went to bed quite late, she often told me about television programmes that she had watched the night before and they were shows that were on after 9pm, plus her mother had told me when we first met that they liked to keep her up late so they could all spend time together after the parents finished work.
Between us we worked it out, I agreed to only let her nap before lunch and they said that they would attempt to get her to bed at an earlier time so she wasn’t so tired during the day.
Working with parents is vital read more of my experiences here
Having a good bedtime routine is vital for children of all ages in my opinion.
Bedtime routines here
As I have already mentioned my tips may need to be tweaked to suit individual children.
Please share any tips and experiences of stopping children from napping with me.
Until next time.
Karen
x
Linked with
Great advice! A child’s sleep schedule is so important to their development AND to their coping skills!
Absolutely, Michele, thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts
Good advice. I’m lucky both boys just naturally dropped their nap time x #kcacols
Wow!,you are lucky, Sam, thanks for stopping by
Sleep and a bedtime routine is so important for a child. I remember the in-between stage where they are just getting ready to drop a nap, sometimes they make it to bedtime, sometimes it’s tantrums and tears. I hated that transitional phase but once we’d cracked it she slept soundly at night and had enough energy for the day. It’s a tough balance but pays dividends when you get it right! Thank you so much for linking up with #KCACOLS.
Katrina x
You have explained it perfectly, Katrina, thanks for sharing your experience
we turned that nap time into a reading hour. We’d still lay in bed and have quiet time but it would be a time to stretch out and look at a book. #anythinggoes
That’s a great idea, Jeremy, thanks for sharing
I couldn’t help smiling whilst reading this, as I remember my little brother dozing off in the car and it was my job to distract him from falling asleep. Which is, of course much easier said than done! Thank you for joining us for #mischiefandmemories.
Ha!, thanks for sharing your memory, Annette
Mine all just stopped naturally, ranging from two years old to three. I suspect baby number four will be the same! #mischiefandmemories
That’s fantastic, good luck with baby number 4!
I think it’s so important to remember that each child is individual as you say. All four of mine have dropped their naps at a different age
Thanks for confirming my thoughts Kirsty
My eldest lulled me int a false sense of security as he had morning and afternoon naps until he was about 3. My younger two both abandoned naps around 12 months except for when they went in the buggy or car at school pick up time and then wouldn’t sleep at night! Thanks for linking up with #MischiefAndMemories
This proves that all children are individuals and all different, thanks for leaving your experience, Laura
Nap time is still a little bit of a debate in our house. My Son gets very tired in the afternoon and usually takes a nap for an hour or two.
However, when he goes to nursery for a couple of days each week he will never sleep so it is a little tough to get a routine. Each child is different though and every parent has to find a way!
#KCACOLS
Absolutely, Steve, all children are different, thanks for leaving your experience
Lovely post, and I was totally getting distracted from reading by the adorable photos!
I remember that struggle of keeping our son awake in the car… That was hopeless really, on most days. I could have done with your Shaun Wallace voice then, haha! Thanks so much for linking up with #KCACOLS! x
Ha! Thanks for leaving your thoughts and experiences, Malin