I'm going to lose my mind. Matthew has not napped in two days and Cameron is noctural. DH is out of town.

I put Matthew in his room at 11:30 am (normal nap time) it's 2:15 and I think he might have slept 20 minutes. He is up there slamming the door into the wall and making a racket. He normally sleeps from 12:00 - 1:30. He's going to be a nightmare this afternoon and DH is out of town, doesn't arrive home until 1:00 am.

What is going on in my house and why won't my toddler sleep during the day anymore? He's only 22 months old, he can't possibly be out of the nap stage already. He's had a bit of diaper rash (minor) and has been drooling, so I'm assuming he's teething. He's also been a bit tired and whiny these last two days. I took him outside to run around in the snow for 1/2 hour this morning hoping the fresh air and exercise would tire him out.

I just got off the phone with DH and he suggested that I take all of the toys out of Matthew room. He thinks that maybe there are too many distractions up there and if he had less to do maybe he'd sleep more.

Any suggestions? Please.

By Trina~moderator on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 03:20 pm:

Both my kids started fighting naps at that age. With DS, I also had a newborn in the house so I know how hard it is! That's when we bought a 9" TV/VCR and allowed him to watch Thomas videos in his room during nap time. He had a gate on his bedroom doorway. I set up his video and he layed on his bed to watch. More often than not he konked out. That was the crutch we used to get him over the fighting nap hump. LOL! He finally gave up naps at 4.5. DD was a different story. No matter what we tried, she pretty much gave up naps by the age of two. Instead we encouraged "Quiet Time" which consisted of low key activities: books, puzzles, watching a video, etc..

Good Luck! I think it's tougher on Moms when kids give up naps. We grow to cherish that down time and are frazzled without it!

By Tink on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 04:44 pm:

I agree with your dh. Some kids find it much too easy to be distracted from resting with all the toys available in their rooms. Many kids also will do anything they can to keep themselves wound up. You probably know some kid this way. He'll lay his head down and just when his breathing slows down, his head pops up and he starts wiggling or jabbering away. Rinse and repeat. My ds was of the second variety and we just had to make it as hard as possible for him to find things to keep himself awake with. Unlike Trina (and I don't think it's a bad thing, just not for us!), we have a strict no tv in the bedrooms (Dh and I included) rule so that wasn't an option for us. I do know that it worked quite well at my mother's so if you don't have that rule, it's something to think about using.

By Trina~moderator on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 05:00 pm:

Tink, we have a strict "No TV" in DK's bedrooms rule, but at the time I was willing to give it a try for my sanity sake. (Add this to the "So what parenting rules do you break?" thread!) I was sleep deprived from BF and tending to DD as a newborn and really needed DS to nap. The small TV never was permanently set up in DS's room. We only used it as needed to encourage naps. That's how we justified breaking our own rule! LOL!

By Heaventree on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 05:06 pm:

He finally feel asleep as I was posting and slept about an hour and a half. He slept late this morning and I didn't take that into consideration when putting him down, I just wanted a break. Perhaps it's time to move his nap time back up to after lunch rather than before.

Thanks to you both.

Trina, did you get my email?

By Heaventree on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 05:07 pm:

Oh and I'll try taking the toys out of his room. If I get really desperate who knows mabye I'll put a big screen tv in his room .

By Trina~moderator on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 05:14 pm:

LOL @ the big screen TV!

Yes, I got your e-mail. I was wondering why I hadn't heard from you. I've had the exact thing happen a few times. Re: Messages being put in the spam folder.

By Dawnk777 on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 05:47 pm:

Sarah was 2-1/2 when Emily was born. She started giving up naps at that time. She would stay in her room, but pull all the diapers out of the bag, or play with the powder. So, I really couldn't take a nap myself, because she wasn't really asleep. So, I just stayed sleep-deprived!

By Debbie on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 08:10 am:

My oldest ds napped until he was 3. He actually took two naps until he was 18 months. My youngest was a totally different story. He went to one nap at 11 months and then wanted to give them up all together around 2. We did the same thing as Trina. But, he didn't have a tv in his room, it was in mine. I would put him in our bed and he would watch a video. He had to have at least an hour of quiet time. He usually ended up falling asleep. LOL, I agree with Trina, about doing what is necessary when you are sleep deprived.

By Pamt on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 11:17 am:

Are things any better? At this age mine went down at about 12:30 or 1:00---maybe he'd do a little better if he went down a little later for his nap? Mine napped through kindergarten and still napped frequently on weekends in first grade. We'd hit rough patches like this but kept at it and were able to work through them. I believe that children really DO need naps (not to mention mom) until they are at least 4-5.

By Boxzgrl on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 11:37 am:

Kaitlyn goes down for a nap between 12-1, after lunch. I wouldn't waste my time trying before lunch because it just wouldn't work, lol. Maybe he doesn't need such an early nap? Just an afternoon one? Kaitlyn will sleep anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on how active she was that morning.

By Heaventree on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 12:45 pm:

He used to go down in the afternoon around 1 pm but he was cranky around 4 pm so I moved his nap back to 11:30 and he was fine.

I have removed his toys from his room, I left a book and a teddy. I have now moved his nap back up to after lunch, he's up there now horsing around, hopefully he will settle down.

We are going through a really difficult time right now, he had a major meltdown yesterday and I had to put him up in his room to settle down, never had to do that before. He's very much Daddy's boy these past 6 months and does not want me to console him when Daddy is around. DH left for hockey yesterday and Matt was really upset.

It is even more difficult to cope because of the sleep deprivation. I guess we really are moving into the terrible twos. I really thought my kids would not have temper tantrums - don't laugh .

My mother said I never had them and DH's mom doesn't remember her kids having them either but I guess they don't necessarily run in families.

I seem to be posting so much these days about my DH and my little monsters. I know this too shall pass, but holy cow when?

I really need a vacation. I have to get to Amy's post about that.

Pam thanks for asking about us and thanks everyone for listening to me whine one more time.

I was sitting in the living room today looking around at our home and I thought "You know my life really isn't that bad and I should stop complaining it could be much worse".

By Pamt on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 01:06 pm:

I SO remember those days!! My boys are 2 yrs. 9 mos. apart and having an infant and a toddler/preschooler is so tough!! It will pass, but that thought doesn't make it any easier when you are in the thick of it. Just like I know it doesn't really help, but if I lived near you I would come rock the baby and entertain your toddler and let you get a nap. Hang in there and do snatch those moments of bliss and enjoy them for what they are.

By Trina~moderator on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 01:38 pm:

"I really thought my kids would not have temper tantrums - don't laugh ."

{{{Heaventree}}} I'm sorry, but I have to laugh. LOL! I didn't think my kids would have tantrums either. Ha ha! Most kids do, some worse than others, no matter how good we are at parenting. Boy, did I ever come to that realization with DD! LOL!

I agree with Pam. You're in a tough parenting stage. Hang in there, learn to take things in stride and laugh a lot. If you don't you'll go crazy! LOL!

By Heaventree on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 02:01 pm:

Thanks you two, Pam I'm calling the airline, I can have you here in two days! Oh if it wasn't Christmas I just might do it, if you'd come.

It's hard not having any family or close friends around, thank goodness for you guys.

Trina, I stripped Matt's bedroom and we put locks on his dresser. I went up to check on him and he managed to get the dresser open just enough to pull all of his clothes out. AArrrggggg!!! There are clothes everywhere! Why, Why WHY do they do this? Yes, I know because they can.

He is precious when he's sleeping .

By Trina~moderator on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 07:49 pm:

Oh no! B used to do that. I can laugh at it now, but at the time...GRRRR!! She used to strip her bed, too. The second time she emptied her dresser I left the mess so she had to live with her room that way. (Natural consequences) *EG* The next day she was begging me to help her clean it up. She hasn't done that particular stunt since!

We love them so very much, but they sure do push our buttons at times, don't they?!

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - 12:00 am:

I just remember Sarah pulling all the diapers out of the package. You know how from the factory, they are tightly packed in the bag? Well, when they are taken out, they never all fit in so tight again! Argh!

Sarah really didn't nap much after she turned 2. Once in a while, she would klunk out and sleep for a few hours, but it never was a regular thing again.