Help with naps for 2 yr. old in toddler bed

[velvet]

Hi,

I need some help. I have transitioned my newly turned 2 year old into his toddler bed.  We did so because he climbed over the railing and fell.

He likes his big bed fine, but wants mom or dad to stay with him in the room.  Because it was his first week in the bed, we did.  One of us would sit on the edge of the bed, and he would stroke our back and then fall asleep.  That was the first 2 days.  Now he is sticking his feet up on our backs, putting his hand around the back to the tummy - it's becoming more play time. I tell him no and then leave the room if it keeps up.  What happens is that he plays in his room and consequently is not taking his nap. Am I supposed to remove or lock up his toys so he doesnt play during this time?  Or, do I go in when i hear him playing and place him in his bed? This has lasted for one week- no naps.  By the time it's 7:00 or 7:30 - he's exhausted and needs to go to sleep.  One of us stays but again, if he gets playful, then we sit on a chair or go.  It's all really exhausting.  Before the transition to the big bed, he took naps just fine on his own.  3 hour naps too!  Any advice for me?

[mari]

Do you have one of these? If so you could use it just for naps?

http://www.graco.co.uk/product/travelcots/travelcots/

But to be honest, you do need to get him to lay down and not play.  I think that you should go in and lay him on his bed, then walk out, and repeat it until he gets it, might take a few goes.  I am not an expert just now, I am thinking of making the transition myself, but putting it off for fear of the same problem as yours.

There are a few threads, stickys and FAQ about the transition for you to read.

And yes, I would remove the toys from his room, at least until the novelty of being able to get out of bed has worn off.

[mari]

Actually, this one might be very useful for you.

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=78011.0

[tylersmommy]

Well, first thing is you need to leave the room. Do your bedtime routine, kiss goodnight, and that's it. If he's upset, you can always reassure from outside the door or do WI/WO.

As for the toys, I take a different approach with Tyler. He's allowed to have some quiet toys in his room like books or trains. When we transitioned him to the bed 8 mo ago, he spent the first 2-3 wks playing for all of naptime and for awhile after bedtime. I didn't care, as long as he was content. He was exhausted for those couple of weeks and so were we, but the novelty did wear off. We still keep quiet toys in there and he'll read or whatever until he's tired, and he'll often fall asleep on the floor. I just didn't think it was reasonable to expect him to lay still in a bed until he fell asleep, and it wasn't a battle I was willing to fight.