Getting my 3 year old to nap again?

Question

My 3 year old has been staying with my grandma for the past year while I work. I'm fixing to be leaving my job to be a stay at home mom. I know we're going to need a small break from each other everyday and I still think she should be taking a nap at her age. She has gone without naps for over a year now. How should I go about incorporating a nap back into her schedule. I have a feeling this going to be a war...

Answer 1

She may have outgrown naps, it does happen.  Instead of insisting on a nap, tell her she needs quiet time for however long you think it should be and let her play quietly in her room, without you, at the regular time she used to nap.  If she's tired she'll sleep.

Answer 2

I have 4 children. Every child is different. Some take two naps a day while others take one. then when they get a little older some still nap while others dont.

If you need a break there are others ways to get them then your child sleeping.

make a routine.

One way for sure is get the child up early...that would work with my 3 yr old but my son stpped napping at 2 so every child is different

One thing you can do is set your child's room up where NOTHING in there she can hurt. Each day have "quite" time and dim the lights and put a movie on and locked the door...

Sometimes they might sleep sometimes not but she is in the room playing or watching tv and you get your quality time you need...

I have 4 kids and never have a break  hahahaha plus I work two jobs from home...

one child? piece of cake....

:)

Answer 3

She is probably outgrown naps at this point.  But you could make "quiet time" part of your schedule - where she spends an hour or so just looking at books, coloring, play-doh, whatever is a calm quiet activity  :)

Answer 4

My kids never did naps at 3.  But, they did have quiet time.  They had time to just color, look at books.  Or dare I say- watch a short movie!  Oh no!  TV!  Just kidding- I see nothing wrong with letting them zone out for a half an hour watching a good show.  My daughter even sometimes fell asleep doing it.  Otherwise, she just laid down quietly and was in full concentration.  Call it chill out time or something- not nap time.  She's going to be going to preschool, etc. and you'd have to get rid of naps sometime anyways.

Answer 5

She doesnt need a nap at three . trust me ull b up all night tryin to tire her out if she does.You can get a break during the day if u set her down with Dora the explorer on dvd.Its educational.