Nap Time - Oakland,CA

No need to feel guilty. If she is happy and playing, it's good down time and it is a good amount of time for you to get things down. I think it is very healthy for a 2yr old to be happy on their own without needing mommy or daddy right next to them. Could be an early sign of an independent child. How nice. :)

Hello H.,

I have been working with toddlers for many years, and I think it's fine for a toddler to play in their crib as long as they are not crying.

Everyone (Including Mom), need a break. If your 2 year old is Ok, then great.

Just FYI- Toddlers do need at least 13 hours of sleep a day. If your baby isn't taking a nap, make sure he/she is sleeping enough at night.

R. Magby

they are in their crib playing for two hours? I am assuming that if they are up that long in there then they are clearly not tired so they might need some adjustments on nap time, either it is the wrong time of day, or oh no sadly they might be done with napping. If they are done w/ naping and you still want them to have some down time and they will clearly let you as they are playing alone in their crib for two hours, then you should encourage them to still play alone for a while, the same time each day so they can have down time, but I would say two hours is too long. If you go online and read the sleep lady she will give you a list of how many hours your child should sleep/nap for their age, maybe that will help too.

I think that nap time is really important. Many of us have been in places where little ones are so wired that it's pitful to watch. You just know the kid needs a nap. I think that each child is unique. What is she like without the down time? If she's hell on wheels without it, then you need to continue to give her the down time - same time everyday.

When my son got to this age and sleeping at nap time was no longer consitant I had him do a 1 hour rest/ quiet time. He usually fell sleep in 50 minutes if he was going to nap at all. He is 4 and we still have 1 hour quiet time.

I would let her play!! The only concern I would have is if she played by herself all day every day (because of her needs for interaction). But if it's just for naptime I say - just thank God!

NO! If she is already learning to play independently, count your blessings! Praise her for it, empower her by adding a twist to her own play once in a while, or handing her a new toy/game and taking away one she hasn't been using as much, and do something in the same room for a while, so she has company.

I think it is wonderful that she is quietly playing in her crib. If it is a safe environment and you are able to check on her regularly as well as having a monitor going than she is using her private moments to visually explore the world around her with minimal stimulation. You should be happy! Too often kids these days need constant stimulation which stifles their own imagination because after all "Mom can stimulate me with activity". I am sure you have plenty of time with her throughout the day and night and can certainly use the time for your own stimulation or outlet. Feel fortunate!

I think it's fine. When my 2.5 year old decides not to nap, he has quiet time. Sometimes it lasts two hours and he just entertains himself in his room/ bed. Sometimes it takes him two hours to finally fall asleep! Just depends on the day! Two year olds seem to have lots of napping issues. ;)

Good luck
T.
Barefoot Books Ambassador
www.ReadandGrow.com

Dear H.,
Neither of my kids were day sleepers, but they did sleep all night from the time they were infants so it was a trade off.
However, from the time they were very, very little, I got them accustomed to having rest time. That meant they stayed in their beds and played quietly with a stuffed animal or just jabbered to themselves. I also did daycare and had children who DID sleep, so rest time was just part of our routine. Two hours seems like a long time, but if she were actually sleeping, you wouldn't think so. If she's not crying and happily having her quiet rest time, I say let her be. You simply can't FORCE a child to sleep. I think it's the routine that matters. Even if she isn't sleeping, she's still having some "rest" time as opposed to being up and active. If my kids were tired they would konk out. If not, they rolled around, sang, talked to themselves, put their "babies" nigh nigh then I got them up and we went about our business. I had a girl and a boy, 10 years apart and they were both the same when it came to napping. For them, nap didn't mean sleep. And they slept fine at night.
Trust me, there will be times when you have the flu and are sicker than a dog...even when your kids are 4, 5, 6, 7, 8....and on the weekend you need everybody to have some rest time.You'll appreciate them being in the habit of happily having quiet time in their rooms.

Best wishes!