Naptime Drama, Need Help!!!

My 4 yr old still takes a 1-2 hr nap and sleeps 11 hrs at night. I've never seen a 2 yr old that didn't still need a nap. I think it was around 2yrs that I pushed my son's nap an hour. He had been napping at 1pm and I moved it to 2pm, and it still is. Also my son's has bedtime music he has listened to since birth. Some days now he doesn't fall asleep but he knows he has to rest quietly and listen to his music 2 times. (the cd's about 45 min. long). Even if he doesn't sleep the quiet time is helpful.

I know how you feel, as my daughter decided to stop taking naps when she was 2 1/2. I knew she still needed the nap because she would get cranky/tired by dinner time, just like you said. With her, I made a strict routine of what time she would eat lunch, and then lay her down. Sometimes she fell asleep, but if she wasn't giving in, I would let her watch a movie as long as she continued to lay down (for some quiet time.) But since you said your son just turned 2, I would be more firm about the nap time. You should stay in the room and repeatedly lay him back down when he tries to get up. Don't try to reason with him, just say "it's time to sleep" or "nighty night" short phrases to make it clear. Don't show emotion in your voice, like you're mad or stressed, just keep laying him down and stay where you can see him, but don't look into his eyes. Once he realizes he's not going to "win the battle" or change your mind, he'll give up and take his much-needed nap. The first couple of times you do this will probably be rough, but stick with it!
If all else fails, I don't think laying by him is horrible. I would lay with my boys when they were young and usually fall asleep with them. And my daughter, who is 3 1/2 now, does like your son in the morning...gets up real early, and asks me to lay by her. I always agree, because she immediately goes back to sleep. :)
They grow SO fast; cherish the cuddle time you get! (my oldest is 11 now!)

Don't worry, he WILL grow out of it. The toddler bed is a good idea, but laying with him won't help (I speak from experience). It is perfectly normal for him to cry and scream. Althought many will disagree with me, it will NOT hurt him in my opinion. (My children are just fine, very loving and sweet still through the 'stick-it-out' phases and all!)
Like a previous advised, let him lay with books. At least that way he will understand that whether he chooses to sleep or play, it is officially time to lay in a quiet room and relax without mommy. I can go ahead and predict the future for you; eventually he'll get the point and be happy to go to sleep again!
Hang in there, it's just a phase.

My oldest stopped taking naps shortly after his 2nd birthday. He would occasionally fall asleep in the car but that was just it for him. He would get cranky sometimes but just flat refused to go to sleep. Even now at 8 he goes to bed and listens to music or reads before he goes to sleep. He also is an early riser. During the summer when we can sleep in he is still the first one up. I think every child has there own sleep clock.

I have a 2 year old daughter that will take a nap some days and the others she will not. She falls alseep sometimes at dinner time. She has always been teething so it is very hard to get a normal routine for her. Sometimes If i want her to take a nap ..I will turn off the tv and any thing stimulating to her and just sit beside her and she will go to sleep. Then I lay her down for her nap.

You might also try not letting him sleep as long if he does take a nap maybe he will sleep longer in the morning.
Hope that helps.

Something that might help is instead of calling it "nap time", call it "quiet time." Lay some ground rules (like no getting out of bed) but put some picture books by his bed and let him look at them and maybe play with some favorite stuffed animals. No loud toys or anything that could wind him up.

Let him know he is to stay in bed and you will come up to let him know when quiet time is over.

At the very least, it will give him a chance to rest even if he doesn't fall asleep...but hopefully if you do it twice a day, he'll fall asleep at least once.

You need to keep trying, because if you give up now you put you and him through all of this for no reason. It is completely normal!! Just make sure that you have a routine and stick with it every day, b/c it makes all the difference. He will come around and realize that you are not giving up either....eventually mommies always win! :) GOOD LUCK and hang in there!

Maybe give him some books in his bad and let him look at the books until he falls asleep? Maybe put some quiet music in there? maybe use whatever it is you are doing later that day or the next day as incentive. I do that with our daughter...I say, "hurry and close your eyes so we can go to...??" and she does! Or you can say the opposite, "if you do not take a nap, you cannot go to ???". Rub his back while he lays there but do not lay down. Make his nap time about an hour later than it used to be. Maybe he is not tired anymore at the time he used to go to bed. People say that some kids give up naps by 2 yrs old but then if you put him to bed earlier, you get his waking up so early...I say get him down even if it is later in the day and you have to wake him after an hour so he still goes to bed at night.

W.