Friday, April 2, 2010
I need advice
I am a firm believer in naps. They really are needed, especially in the-small constantly growing children who need to recharge their energy-category. Megan however thinks they are over rated. Lately when I put her down for a nap she just sits in her crib and plays. I do go in when she does this and lay her down and tell her to go to sleep but I didn't force her to sleep because at least she is having some quiet down time. I really wish I had been more strict though. Yesterday I got a really big surprise...Megan kept escaping the crib during nap time and wanted to come out to play. Now I have a big dilemma. I really want Megan to continue with nap time but since I didn't enforce actual sleeping I don't know how to get her to keep up with naps now that she won't even stay in bed. I am thinking it's time for the toddler bed instead of the crib so that she won't hurt herself getting out of bed but how do I keep her in it for naps? I have never had this problem before because all three older girls always stayed in their beds and took naps right up until the day they started school. If you haven't left a comment before please do so now because I could really use the advice. Thanks in advance.
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7 comments:
Hello Shelly,
I'll give some advice since I am right there in the same stage with a stubborn two year old. McKenna has been in a twin bed for about 6months or so. Just after she figured out she could get out of bed on her own nap time became a challenge. It was so hard keeping her in bed that I almost considered giving up. But I agree with you they NEED naps at this age. And mom NEED them to take naps at this age. After a while of being consisted about forcing nap time, she gave up and stopped fighting. Plus, I offered a treat and the end of her nap which I think helped, but I don't know if it's the best idea. Recently, she has again began to make nap time a battle of wills. But I still win, eventually. I have had to resort to puting a gate up at her door, threats of spankings, actual spankings, and my knew favorite a squirt of vinegar or lemon juice in her mouth if she continues to get out of her bed. I would also consider putting one of those child safety handles on the inside of her door. One last thought, I don't think that 'quite time' is so bad. If she doesn't fall asleep at least she has had down time and you have had a break. McKenna almost always begins playing with something then ends up asleep. But if she didn't I would still require at least an hour of 'quiet time' in her room. She could look through all the books she wanted or play babies or whatever as long as she was quiet and not bugging me. :)
P.S. Potty training in panties also puts a strain on nap time. That was one factor that made it difficult for us. Now that that part of life is over and I don't have to worry about accidents so much it has made if lots easier.
Good Luck, this too shall pass!
Oh, I am the QUEEN of TYPOS! I hate typos. Try not to think I'm an idiot even if I can't spell. Okay?!
This is a hard one. Aaron learned how to jump his crib before he was two so I had to graduate him to the bottom bunk of the bunkbed before I was ready. Kael and Kalli were the perfect children who stayed in a crib to age three and never got out and never caused me trouble. But anyway, with Aaron it was a trial to put him to bed. I didn't have a gate to block the bedroom door which I think is a great idea. I would just take him by the hand and march him back to bed a hundred times. I remember one time I marched him back to bed for an hour before he realized I wasn't going to back down. It was a little better after that. He would stay in bed better. Ammon is in a toddler bed now at 20 monthes old but I still have the playpen set up in their room and I end up putting him in there for naps because he can't get out of the playpen yet. It is so much easier to have them nap when it is their decision to do it but getting to that point is almost impossible. You are probably sorry you asked my advice! good luck!
I can't say I'm an expert at all....but I can say that my 2 oldest slept with me until I was remarried. EmberLee is still a struggle at nearly 6 years old. We HAVE to lock OUR door at night time, but we would have to lock her in her room for nap time. She is a pill to this day and could use a nap time. Bridger on the other hand is my perfect napper....He will stay in his bed, he transferred easily to a toddler bed. He will stay there and doesn't attempt to get up. I say close your eyes and he does. LOL...Theron is 20 months now and is napping. Consistency is key. Same time everyday is the most important. Know that KIDS need sleep to grow. That is one that I used on EmberLee. Not only do we eat to grow, but we have to take naps to grow. So I would tell EmberLee that we were going to see how much she would grow after she took a nap. Sometimes it would work, and other times she didn't care. but it was one of those that I was willing to try along with putting the lock on the other side of the door :) We tried the gate...but she always found a way over it. I think all kids are different. You just have to be consistence. DON'T GIVE IN. quiet time is good. It's you that knows what she needs best. Remember sleeping kids don't get into trouble :) I hope that helped....probably not, but at least I gave a comment as large as a novel LOL...
Okay, Dyami was always fighting his naps in the beginning. He was sooo afraid to miss something!What worked with him? Something that worked well was telling him to just shut his eyes for a while, he didn't have to go to sleep, but he needed to close his eyes so his stuffed animal would go to sleep. It was great, he would close his eyes to help and fall asleep within 5 minutes!
Maybe this will work for you at least once!
love ya, good luck
My girls stopped taking naps at 2. So instead we started quite time, at first I would go in with them and read books, they could color, play on their beds what ever but they needed to stay on their beds. After 15 min they usually got bored and laid down for a quick cat nap but it gave me an hour of peace. Now that they are older they still LOVE their quite time as much as I do
We put a child lock on Taylor's door. She doesn't always stay in her bed, but she at least can't get out. She usually plays with her toys for a bit and then crawls back in her bed when she's done and goes to sleep. Because she does that, I always put her down half an hour before nap time so she thinks she's getting by with something when she actually is going to sleep about the time I would like her to. I like the idea of quiet time, also. When Tay naps, I make Kate have quiet time (mostly so she won't wake up Tay). My cousin told me her M-I-L made her older kids have quiet time until they went to school (but eventually gave up on the younger ones). My cousin tells me the older half are all "smarter" than the younger ones. Okay, not smarter, but love to learn and read more than the younger ones. Their quiet time was sitting on their beds to read, usually with the light out. It gives their bodies time to rest and you time to do whatever you want, uninterrupted!
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