one giving up naps

I think Andrew is finally ready to give up naps for good. (Ivy is still going strong.) I know it's been asked a zillion times, but I need to brainstorm ideas for quiet time.

Ideally I want him to just hang out in his crib for even 30-45 minutes so I can get a breather. ("Quiet time" with me winds up being anything but quiet - he doesn't chill out, just gets wound up.) I'm thinking I should get him a couple really, really cool toys that he ONLY gets to play with during quiet time in his crib.

So any ideas for great toys?

And also, if he winds up fussing and crying during a short quiet time, and I leave him like that (again, no longer than 45 min), am I a horrible mom? :unsure:

 

Yikes, that's early to give up naps!

Are you opposed to Baby Einstein DVD's, or Signing Time or Letter Factory or something like that? You could even put him in his crib, and put a portable DVD player where he can see it, but out of reach...

Nadia liked to listen to books on CD during her quiet time, but she was a lot older -- about 3 when we started that.

I'm trying to think of what cool toys could occupy a 2-year-old for an hour...something with a lot of pieces, like Lego Quattros? Blocks? MagnaTiles?

 

Then I'm a horrible mom! At two, all of mine went through a phase of only napping a little every few days that lasted several weeks. I still put them in the crib for the full naptime with the same stuffed/small toys they'd always had. They could play, sleep, whatever but I didn't get them up til naptime was over. They all went back to napping and went through the phase occasionally until naps were gone for good. My older two napped until well over 4, Aaron was just shy of four and the twins were 3.5.

 

QUOTE
Are you opposed to Baby Einstein DVD's, or Signing Time or Letter Factory or something like that? You could even put him in his crib, and put a portable DVD player where he can see it, but out of reach...


I'd totally be breaking that stuff out right now - but we actually don't have a TV (or a laptop that we could bring to his room). Darn it. I'd let him watch Twin Peaks if it would keep him out of my hair for a little while! :crazy:

 

Annika started dropping naps at age 1. Yes.......... 1. The pedi said it was ok as long as she wasn't fussing. Some kids just need less sleep he said.
So, she has been in a play pen on a separate floor during nap time since Sept 2007. And I make her stay in for TWO HOURS. She hated it at first, but is now used to it. (she only naps about once a month.) I too give her special toys so she'll be occupied, and I turn on classical music. Sometimes I give her cards with pictures so she can match them up; other times she just dresses and undresses her dolls; etc.
To be honest I don't know exactly what she does in there; but she stays every day for 2 hours. I would die without that time. It's just me.......... but I need it to clean, COOK, make phoen calls, etc.
If he is really fussing at first, can you go read a book outside so that you aren't tempted to get him? Or put on a walkman/ iPod so you can't hear him?

 

I am partial to his favorite DVD myself. I think that is a good solution for the 45 minute reprieve you desperately need.

 

I had to give up Emilie's nap a few months ago because she wouldn't fall asleep until 10pm. I tried doing "quiet time" in her room, but that didn't work well and I was worried she would wake up Trevor (even though they are in different rooms). So now she has quiet time on the couch and she picks a movie to watch during quiet time. It has worked well. :good:

 

I'd be all for putting in a DVD - but we don't have a TV.

Have any "quiet time" toys worked well for your kids?