Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

DS is 17 months and for the past few weeks has been fighting his afternoon nap and probably only takes it 3-4x a week now.

I assume this means it is time to cut down to 1 nap, and to try to get him to take his morning nap (now from 10-12) later in the day but I'm concerned about working around this new nap schedule.

It seems like most of the toddlers who take one nap do it between the hours of 1-4ish.

My question is - how do you get this done during the day or go out with your DC if they are napping smack in the middle of the day?

DS is not a good napper outside of the house. He will only catnap for 15-30 minutes in the stroller or car and is an absolute crank if he does not nap.

His old nap schedule was fine because I would just go out after his morning nap and then if we were out and he only catnapped in the afternoon he was still okay.

I can't imagine being stuck in the house from 1-4.

How do you plan anything around that?

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

We've always done it around what we ahve to do, like if we have a playdate at 12, and we are home by 3, he sleeps 3-5 or something. It never messed with his nighttime sleeping.

But I don't know that we are the norm....

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

That nap time just became part of our routine. We just plan around it; it's always been that way. We are used to it now.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

I'm not really that strict with her naps. When she is at my ILs she naps from 12:30/1 - 3/4 every day. If my MIL wants to take her out or has to go shopping she does so after breakfast and before lunch.

On the weekends we try to be home by 1pm if we're out but if we're home a little late then we just put her in when we get home. If we know we have to go somewhere in the afternoon then I will try to put her in a little earlier.

Sometimes she fights us and only naps about 1 1/2 hours but for the most part she will be ok the rest of the day.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

Ive always been pretty strict with her naps because she needs them or she is a wreck. Her nap has always started around 1 (even now at age 3, its by 1:30). We just plan around it. We do morning playdates like 10 -1 or our shopping in the morning. Home by 1 or 1:30//naps til 4ish. Then we go out to do more errands or whatever if need be. Never been a problem. I know lots of moms that go out and get thwir running around with early in the day or plan playdates early to accomodate this nap schedule.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

We tweak depending on our plans for the day.

We've had it as early as 11-1 to as late as 3-5.

If we don't have plans for the day, we'll do our errands in the morning or late afternoon and she'll nape from 12:30-1 to 2:30-3:30, sometimes sleeping as late as 4.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

Thanks!!

I guess it just seems impossible for me because I am sooooo not a morning person and being able to get showered, dressed, and all of us fed and out of the house before 11AM is unimaginable to me!

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

maybe have DC nap from 12-3 then and you can go out later in the day? We are morning people because for us to go out and do something at 4 or 5 is hard..DD is asleep by 7 or 7:30 LOL

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

DS is 18 months and naps from about 2 - ??? sometimes 3, sometems 4.

I love this routine. He wakes up between 8 and 9, we have breakfast, etc. then we go out around 10 or 11 am for a couple of hours. Sometiems we go home for lunch around 1230, sometimes we have lunch out.

I get him home by about 115 or 130, change him, give him his milk, put him to bed - and then i get my shower and my free time to make phone calls, etc.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

DD naps around 2-4 or longer usually now. It's annoying, but we just work around it as much as possible for all of our benefits

We'll run errands in the morning, come home for lunch, then nap. More errands later in the day if needed.

I've said before that I won't be heartbroken when she outgrows naps for this reason (as long as she's not cranky ) She's not the type to nap in the car/stroller/etc, so having her nap elsewhere doesn't work.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

Actually, I find it much easier to plan with only one nap going on as opposed to 2. It will take a little time until you really know when DC will settle down, but I think for a lot of kids it is around 12 or 1. My DS sleeps from 1-3 more or less, so I plan things around his nap whenever possible.

The only time it is difficult is when we go to see family. None live closer than an hour drive, and generally, people don't want to get together at 10 am! So we go as early as possible, and usually don't stay very long. He'll often nap on the ride home, though it does mess with his sleep a bit. We probably do this once every couple months though.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

DS sleeps from 12:30 - 2:30 and to be honest I do arrange my days around it. Mostly I mean weekends since he is in daycare during the week.

I TRY to do activities either BEFORE or AFTER the nap. If we are invited to a 1:00 p.m. party I do roll with it but otherwise I make sure he gets his nap.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

We base our schedules around DD's nap. She is 18 months old and naps once during the day (12-2:30). We go out in the mornings or in the late afternoons.

Re: Question about timing of toddler naps and going out

Well DD stopped napping around 2 But when she did, she napped from 1-3 and I was always home during that time because I worked for DH during naps. I just did all of our outings before 1.