My kids had "Quiet Time"! (sounds better than napping) This was before they went to school and through the summer months! They didn't have to sleep, but they had to go and find something quiet to do on their own, in their rooms. No TV, no video. Both the girls LOVE to read, so they would take a book and sit on their beds. Once in a great while, they would fall asleep too! I think quiet time/napping is Soooooooooooo needed!!!

I second what Sandy said. My girls also had quiet time. No talking, spend in their own rooms, could read a book, or color. There wasn't supposed to be any thing done, that couldn't be done sitting or laying down.

Moni

I raised two girls, now 21 and 22. When they were infants and toddlers, (maybe up to age 2) they woke early (like 6 am) and took two naps-morning and afternoon. I let them stay up To about 8, then bathtime, then bed by 9 pm. I'd stay in their bedroom and read to them till they fell asleep. Sometimes I would play calming music tapes until they fell asleep, then I'd sneak out of the room, turn off the lights and close the door. I'd spend the rest of the evening with my husband. This schedule was mirrored at their day care provider's home. I worked full-time in those days. Around age two, the morning nap ended. And by age 5 they didn't nap at all. However, if I noticed either one was cranky, I would go in the bedrrom with her, , lie down with the cranky one , and say, "Let's just be quiet for a few minutes." Almost always she would doze off. But occasionally, if she would not, she was allowed downstairs to play, watch childrens TV, read (look at) her own books, or do artwork at a table. Eventually both no longer needed any naps, but I think that came with going off to school. My district had half-day kindergarden, so they really only went to school all day for first grade. Anyhow, good luck. Im guessing Tanna is five. You may want to discuss this with her pediatrician.I am sure every child is different.

I love the idea of "Quiet Time". She is so busy and so active that she does better when she sleeps for a little bit in the afternoon but I think that she feels it's a baby thing to have to "nap". I am going to start quiet time today. See if that goes better.

Trace used to nap twice a day. She would curl up in my lap with her blanket and I would rock her to sleep usually mid morning when Tayler would take her morning nap but now she's only takes her afternoon nap. I loved that time with her I would get out a couple of cookbooks and while I held her we would look at recipes and find new things for dinner.

We have lunch, then we go to their room and they get in their beds and I sit on the floor so they can all see and I read two books and usually by the end of the second book they are out. But I also don't let them park infornt of the tv all day either. Right now Tanna is in school, Trace is playing with her little kitchen and her baby dolls and Tayler is sitting on the floor infront of one of her little busy center that makes noise...lots and lots of noise! :0) They are so good to just play and play. After naps we have a snack and they watch Dora the Explorer for a half hour and they are off and running.
Thank you so much for the advice!

We had nap time even after a child was to old for naps. I let them read and didn't insist on them going to sleep. Usually they slept anyway. When my oldest son started afternoon kindergarten, he would crawl under the table and take his nap.

We had quiet time, too. I guess my daughter was in second grade before that stopped, but sometimes she'd nap on her own. I swear that kid could sleep 24/7!

You guys are wonderful! I told her since she was now 5 she was too old for a nap she didn't have to take a nap anymore...she was so excited and felt like such a big girl. I explained that since she didn't have to take a nap she could just have quiet time. I down loaded some soft music on my iPod so she could listen to that without waking the other two and I gave her a couple of books...she's out like a light! No fights, no arguing ... my big girl likes the idea of quiet time and her mom gets two hours of her own quiet time! :0)

THANK YOU!!

Sounds good to me! That's what I had to do sometimes.

Tami

My 16 month old grandson is down to one nap mid day from about 11:30 till 1. He's up at 6:30 and goes to bed about 7pm. I think he would take a morning nap about 9:30 for a half hour or so as he yawns about this time and sometimes gets really still and then he could still sleep in the afternoon from maybe 12:30 till 1:30 but his Mom does encourage the morning nap and since there are 3 of us that care for him we all need to do the same schedule. However, if he were to ever just fall asleep in the morning on his own, say while playing, I would let him sleep. Just hasn't happened yet.

When I taught kindergarten we used to have a rest time - kids didn't have to sleep but they could lay on their mats and listen to music or look at books. It was usually only long enough for the teachers to get papers checked and ready to go into backpacks. This was for full day kindergarten, not half day. Some kids would fall asleep every day. When it was time to get up, usually it would be center time or free play time. When a child would still sleep through all that noise, you knew he/she really needed the sleep. They would be upset that they missed playtime but it would still happen the next day. With one kid, I had to make a deal with him - if he fell asleep I would have one of the other kids go over to him and tickle his ear to wake him up. He hated someone calling his name or shaking him. If he didn't wake up with the tickling - we left him alone. It only took a few days and he would wake up in a fairly good mood with just a little tickle whereas if we shook him, he would get mad and pout.

We had to demand my nephew take "rest breaks" every day after lunch. He has to lay down with no tv, toys, books,... We set a timer and he must lay down that length, if he falls asleep we stop the timer. It was a war the first week, but after that he does really good. Most the time he does fall asleep, but there are days he don't; nonetheless, he still has a better attitude until bedtime.

NAPS!!! Love them! Every weekend and while I am on vacation....from 12 noon to 3:00 (or later).

SamKaren
your resident DJ

I love my naps when I get sleepy. One of the perks of being retired.