Once they have given up naps...

My dd will be four in June. The past month or so she has only fallen asleep maybe once a week during naptime. She has a music tape that she has to listen to, if she is still awake when it is over, she can be done. The last few days she has been crying hysterically about wanting to come out before her tape is over. So...my question is what is a reasonable length of time for quiet time? (I won't say how long the tape is, I don't want to influence your answer ) Did you even do a quiet time after they were done with naps? If so, for how long? I don't want to reward her screaming by cutting her time short, but she is waking up Hannah & Natalie :angry: I thought about just doing her quiet time after H & N's nap, because I know she is just screaming so I will quiet her b/c they are napping, but I really like my kid-free time!!

 

when my DD outgre her naps around that age it went from naptime to laying in bed w/ a stack of books until Mommy comes. We got a few more months out of it this way.

 

When my oldest DD stopped napping at 4 she had quiet time in her room for about an hour. She could read or play quietly on her bed.

 

I'm interested in seeing the responses. I think we are on the brink of no naps. Ryan has boycotted naps 3 times this week. He stays in bed but just doesn't ever fall asleep.

 

My oldest has given up naps completely for a few months now. When he first started cutting back I would have him read books or play Leapster up in his room. It only worked for a few weeks. Now he is downstairs with me when the twins are napping. It makes for a long day. That use to be the time I would get stuff done but now I have to find things for him to do. I will usually set up playdough or an art project so I can get some work done. I don't get much done though.
Good Luck
Cari

 

When mine quit napping, that was the end of going to their room. They stopped just after turning 3. It did help that we had PM preschool, so they were occupied during the afternoon on most days.

 

Quiet time didn't really work out for us either. I tried it, but I spent the whole hour trying to keep them in their room and quiet so that they wouldn't wake up Elizabeth. So I didn't get a break at all. Now I just let them watch a show while I put Elizabeth down for a nap and that gives me a few minutes to each lunch, go to the bathroom, check my email, etc. I miss naps!!!

 

Thanks everyone for your input. Her tape is 45 min, I thought maybe it is too long. She has a couple of tapes that read her a book with a bell sound each time she is to turn the page, they read it twice with a lot of music before each reading, they are about 20 mins. I'm going to try switching to those first, stop doing anything productive, and just relax with a cup of tea. Am I a bad Mommy because I'm so sad naptime is ending?

 

QUOTE(ThreeLittleSnowflakes @ Mar 24 2008, 07:47 PM) [snapback]685480[/snapback]
Thanks everyone for your input. Her tape is 45 min, I thought maybe it is too long. She has a couple of tapes that read her a book with a bell sound each time she is to turn the page, they read it twice with a lot of music before each reading, they are about 20 mins. I'm going to try switching to those first, stop doing anything productive, and just relax with a cup of tea. Am I a bad Mommy because I'm so sad naptime is ending?

Uh....NO!!! FOR SURE you are NOT!!! :hug99:

I do quiet time on the couch with a movie or a show or something. Sometimes they sleep and sometimes they don't. If I KNOW they need to, I'll put on a movie in my room and put them on MY bed and they will usually fall asleep. They fall asleep at Becky's most days they are at her house though.....