No Naps!!! Recap of Day 6 and 7

Going well! While I don't want my daughter to GROW UP!! I do want her to maintain good sleep patterns and happily go to bed at night, welcoming it as a warm and fuzzy experience!!  Yesterday was another unusual day, where we went on a family outing to Menchies!!! (where Daddy works)  Being that the drive there is over an hour, she couldn't resist a car nap on the way home at 2:45pm. When we got home, she perked up and finished her evening with no arguing, no tantrums, etc.  I was very pleased! Success! Happy girl!  Happy mommy and daddy! :)

Since we were spending the night at Nana and Daa's, she woke up very early, as is normal at their house.  6:30am to be exact!  I thought for SURE she would crash on the way home from church this afternoon.  NOPE!    Instead, I'm happy to report, she played, was extremely happy, and very cooperative.  I'd venture to say she is getting used to the routine of no naps.  Mommy and daddy, on the other hand, worked to squeeze naps in for themselves.  But little three year-old?  Not a wink.  And that turned out to be profitable in the end because, as I said, she was extremely happy today.  We played together on the floor for about an hour, and she continued playing by herself happily before and after that.  When it came to bed time, she did everything we told her to (slightly delayed with the brushing the teeth, but nothing bad), we read 5 books, and she went to bed.  AND....the best part....AS WITH EVERY DAY SO FAR, SHE DIDN'T GET OUT OF BED!!! Not one time has she come to ask us for water,  too cold, wants cuddles, can't sleep, too hot, etc.  Nope!  NOT ONE TIME!  What does that tell me?  She's ready to go to sleep, and is happy!  Today was the earliest of all the bedtimes, and right on target for where I'd like to keep it.  8:00pm.  Actually she went to bed at 7:50pm...and I imagine she was long gone by 8:00pm.  Yeah!  Success!  I think we may have to just stop journaling now.  It's been a week, and I like what I'm seeing!  She no longer has to have a nap to be content or agreeable.  But she can have a little one if we're out in the car on an afternoon.  So this will be the end of the chronicling.  This no nap journey has been an interesting one, for me anyways.  Signing off.....

Day 5 of No Naps

I knew this would happen eventually.  I guess this was the first time we'd been in the car in the late afternoon since we've started the drop off.  So today we get in the car after going to the bank and grocery store, and I say to Sadie, "Now don't you go to sleep!" (kind of teasing her)  And she says, "Okay! I won't!" Or something like that.  The last thing I heard her say in the car, about 5 minutes into our trip to the grandparents, was, "I'm thirsty."  I said okay and that we'll get something at Papa and Tabby's. Satisfied, she fell asleep in a heartbeat!  Okay, well I was hoping to put her down at 8pm that evening, our hopeful bedtime these days, but I knew then that that was out the picture.  She was so zonked--there was just no way I could wake her up a few minutes later when we got there.  (Trust me, I tried!  --One time she looked completely awake and was just smiling at me...then she turned over and went back to sleep!)  So I laid her on the couch and let her finish her nap.  It was probably at about 45 minutes that grandma picked her up and carried her around to gently wake her.  We didn't want her to sleep away the evening and be up all night!  Yikes!  I have to expect these car naps to happen every now and then, especially at this age.  She happily stayed awake all evening (letting us watch a movie) until the car ride hope around 10:25pm.I know, late, right?  But that's where flexibility comes in.  So she can sleep in tomorrow a little.  
I forgot to mention that she did try to have "quiet time" in her room.  I put the  music on and laid her in the bed and told her to just rest.  Of course when she came into my room where I was watching a movie I didn't turn her away from wanting to cuddle with me!  Too hard to pass up--I'm a softy when it comes to cuddling.  At least she did get some much-needed body rest.  We will definitely keep that as part of our day.  Quiet Time, Rest Time, whatever you want to call it.  We both will need it.
I have to say, the saddest part about this, if we do decide to keep this as the standard, is that my little girl is growing up.  Deep in my heart, I don't want her to stop taking naps.  That means she's not really a toddler anymore, in my eyes.  But a girl getting ready to go to school and all that comes with it!  I'm not ready!!
I also feel like there may be people who think I'm depriving the poor girl of sleep. Hey now!  She may be tired at times in the day, but aren't we all!  

Day 4 of the No Nap Experiment

 Having a nice "rest" on our front porch (no napping here! :)

  Went to the park today..crazy face here!

Ok, so I don't have any "followers," so there's no real need to recap this experiment, but what they HAY.  My three year-old has never liked naps.  She's never been a good napper, although it's probably 50/50 that she really complains and has a hard time going to sleep.  Many people start dropping their kids' naps at around 2,3,4, or 5.  My point, it's different for everyone!  It's always a touch subject, because everyone has their own opinion on what's best.  For me, I have to do what's right for my child and me.  I have a very mature daughter.  If anyone can do it, she can, right?  My thinking is that she'll be able to stick to an early (8pm) bedtime if we get this nap dropped.  So this is the experiment!!!  I've been tracking her progress, and so far, so good!  Today is Day 4, and DEFINITELY the best day yet.  Yeah!!  No major meltdowns.  No temper tantrums.  Because we were not locked into a "naptime" for her (my youngest child still takes naps, but they're more predictable and definitely easier), we were able to go to the park when he was up.  She had a great time running and playing and gave me no slack when it was time to hit the road.  Beautiful.  We ended the day with the grandparents popping in for a play visit, and because of that, we got them to bed a little later than 8pm, but still nothing crazy.  The best part?  She didn't fight it ONE BIT!!  My guess?  She was actually TIRED and ready.  Awesome!!!!!!  This could be the beginning of beautiful bedtimes....

No Nap Experiment...Day 3

Today was the best day yet! I heard several "I'm tired"s today. We went for a walk and ran around chasing bubbles in the neighborhood cul-de-sac.  She came back exhausted but kept pressing on!  And I love that I can give her a little extra dose of sugar during the day, like the tootsie pop today, and not worry about it delaying her nap any.  She looked pretty droopy by the afternoon, but she really hung in there all day and was really very cooperative, which was nice. At the end of it she did fight getting ready just a little bit, but nothing too serious.  And best of all, it was her earliest bedtime yet, 8:15 asleep!  Upon lying down in bed she said, "But I'm not ready to go to bed yet."  Just one song (the leap frog "every letter makes a sound" song, but "not all the way to z, just a little part," was requested), and then I said I'd be back in a bit to kiss her good-night.  When I came back in about 10 minutes later she was asleep!  Yeah for day 3!  Could it be getting easier, really?  We shall see!

No Nap...Day 2

Once again, Sadie lights up to the fact that she does not have to take a nap today.  I love the sheer joy on her face when we talk about it.  I'm loving not having to go through the bedtime process twice in one day with her, I have to say.  That's not to say it's always difficult.  It's just time-consuming, and it cuts into whatever we're doing.  It gives me more one-on-one time with her while our little rascal sleeps as well.  There's time for us to talk uninterrupted.  Time for us to put a puzzle together with no tiny brother hands flashing and grabbing, carelessly littering pieces to the floor.  Speaking of puzzles... Her tiredness hit her about 2pm, demonstrated by the droopy look on her precious face.  We were laying out a puzzle on the big dining room table, high enough to be out of reach from Mr. Sticky Hands. I asked her to flip over the pieces for us so that we could see only the picture sides, while I got Titus prepared to go down for his later than usual nap. Just when I thought everything was going beautifully with Sadie, I heard the fluttering of cardboard hitting the wooden floors like rain behind me.  What is she doing? I thought.  Puzzles were apparently above her tired capabilities for the moment, because she proceeded to explain to me that the pieces wouldn't turn over good.  That's when she decided to just throw them to the floor, as if to say, You're no good for me.  I tell her she has to pick them up, she comes out from behind Mr. Hyde, and we proceed (or I should say, I) to put the puzzle together with ease (after Sticky is in bed).
That was episode 1.
Now...you have to understand.  My kids are pretty good kids.  Temper tantrums and meltdowns are fairly irregular in our household.  When they happen, we do our best to deal with the heart issues when we can, and grace over things when needed.  Tonight, the No Nap Monster-ess showed up again.  (The other thing I wanted to add was that I'm watching a baby twice a week, and the attention is spread a little more thin than they'd like--and both my children are trying their hardest to let me know it!)
(Oh, I forgot to mention that around 3:00 I ask Sadie, "Sadie, are you sleepy?" And she says, "No." And smiles.  And I say, "Sadie, you can tell me the truth.  I'm not going to make you take a nap, remember?  Are you sleepy?"  Sheepishly she looks at me, lets out a sigh, and says, "Yes." I couldn't call her on the lying...it was just too darn cute and funny.)
Back to episode 2...I call Sadie upstairs to get ready for bed at 7:30pm, after several warnings.  She's playing with her Littlest Pet Shop.  She agrees to come, not agreeing to clean up her toys, and after the third call to come.  She trudges up the stairs.  Just as I think she's going to be agreeable, she turns on me.  Gently I describe the plan of teeth, potty and PJs to her, she suddenly exclaims, "Noooo!  I'm GOING DOWN STAIRS TO GO TO SLEEP!  I don't LIKE going POTTY!"  Okay?  What was that?!  I calmly suggest to her that she start listening and obeying or she'll lose a book (we start out with 5 for the bedtime routine, something we recently started as inspired by my dear Cousin Sarah).  That gets her back into somewhat of a right mode again, and we slowly but surely get her to bed at a decent time, with only 2 books to spare.  As we're settling in for the books, back to normal, she says ever so sweetly, "Mommy, I'm sorry we got down to 2 books."  "Me too.  We have tomorrow night to work on that then, right?" I ask.  "Yeah."  That's my girl.
Okay, so maybe she isn't ready?  Yet again, maybe just a little more time to adjust is needed?  Time will tell.

No Nap Experiment...Recap of Day 1

She did real well today.  Went out with Daddy to the Avenue (pictured above) to window shop for a little while.  I was at home looking after two little ones, my own and an 8 month old girl I watch a couple of times a week.  Tonight, at about 8pm, it was beyond time to brush teeth, go potty, put on PJs and read books.  The wonderful afternoon with daddy disappeared as it all came crashing down in the blink of an eye. Daddy was in charge of the going-to-bed routine, as I was returning the child to her mother downstairs. From the 2nd floor comes an "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" It sounds like someone is dying. "Aaaaaahhhhh!" Uh oh, it's the moment of truth.  I'm thinking, Now, I know this takes time, I'm up for the battle to see if we can get this new schedule going. We'll just handle it with the expectancy that it's going to be a transition.  Daddy on the other hand? :)  Outside, the mother and I quickly exchange our good-byes and I rush up the stairs to assess the damage, expecting nothing and everything. Daddy is lying on the bed quietly. Okay. Our daughter, aka Screaming One, is behind the closed bathroom door. Bypassing Daddy, I open the door and one pouty faced three year-old runs to grab my legs for dear life. I ask her for explanations, which she attempts, but it's no use trying to retell because none of it really made sense coming through tears and wails.  Now Daddy enters the scene as meltdown #2 begins.  All I'm trying to do is set her on the potty and gently talk her through the situation, trying to move things along, at which Daddy solemnly declares, "This is the first and last day of this!" (no naps, of course)  To which I reply, "Let's give it more than just one night.  She has to get used to it!"  We exchange "we'll talk later" looks and continue with the process.  With only a few more little cries about how many books she's supposed to get (that's another story), we get her to reading with Daddy in our bed, and all ends well.  Later I get a chance to explain to Daddy that I'm the one with her all day, and I'd like to be the one to give this a chance and see if she can be ready for the transition.  In his silence he agrees to let me do this.  And so the journey has begun.  

The No Nap Experiment...Day 1!!!

Every parent knows, napping is a challenge all its own.  Everyone has to figure out what works for their child within the dynamics of their home and for their children in particular.  Once you have it down, then it's the removing of the nap that can get hairy.  Some find it's best at two.  Some go as long as five.  Others find it happens in between, when they start school, whenever.  Personally, we tried it when Sadie first turned three or so, and it was a nightmare.  Now I'm at the point of wanting to try again.  She's not going to preschool or mommy's day out, so we're free to do what we want when we want.  Plus, her little brother naps a couple of hours starting around 12:30pm.  The problem we face is, our little girl has become quite the night owl.  In order to reign in some of these nighttime hours for ourselves and get her to bed at a decent time (man is she cuddly!), we're going to try and cut out her 1 1/2 daily nap, and just see how it goes.  So I've decided to track my trail on this dilemma through blogging.  Today is "Day 1" of Sadie skipping her nap.  She gets kind of cranky, so this could get interesting.  We've gone down this road before, about 6 months ago?  And I decided the fits were too ugly of a sign that she was not ready.  She was downright mean about 6 o'clock, often passing out before dinner!  So we'll try this and see how it goes.  When did your toddler or preschooler stop taking naps?  Was it an easy transition?  Were you able to be consistent?  I know Sadie is thrilled about this experiment.  We shall see!!