Author Topic: Toddler naps are gone. Any quiet activity suggestions?  (Read 1636 times)

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Offline malibu_nikkus

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Toddler naps are gone. Any quiet activity suggestions?
« on: May 24, 2010, 04:22:56 am »
Hi there
My toddler naps ever few days during the day, so I'm looking for quiet, calming, engaging activities for an active toddler.  He goes to his bed for about 45mins with books for quiet time, just hanging about in his room with his teddies.  But when he comes out, I feel he still needs some calm activities.  Have you got any suggestions of ones that he may be able to do indepedently? Playdough, drawing etc require assistance at this stage.
Thanks heaps





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Offline Lolly

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Re: Toddler naps are gone. Any quiet activity suggestions?
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2010, 21:22:14 pm »
Hmmm - I'm not sure there is much that he can do independently at this age for any length of time. It's really good that he will stay awake and by himself for 45 mins in his room - there's no way my 3.5 yo old would do that for that length of time! If he's not asleep he needs our attention and he isn't a particularly demanding boy.

Will your LO play with things like cars and a garage, or building bricks/lego by himself? These are things DS will do quietly, line up the cars, make traffic jams etc but he does need mummy input and really 10/15 mins is the max I can expect him to play before he needs me to join in (or rescue him from his sister if she's awake ::))

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Offline Shiv52

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Re: Toddler naps are gone. Any quiet activity suggestions?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2010, 00:02:09 am »
My DD has just turned 2 and we're having a bit of a drama with naps at the minute too.  She has just been flat out refusing and putting her down for her sleep is a nightmare.  Its only been going on for nearly three weeks but I am ready for the hills but finally this week am seeing a turn around.  She needs her nap though.  She is fine for one day but wrecked by bed and then up early and the next day is just a nightmare.  She has a short fuse and I know its because she's just OT and not rested properly. 

The only thing that has helped here is to break the cycle a bit.  I think she's got into the habit of getting herself in to an OS state the minute she sees her cot and just starts jumping about.  She is very spirited so once she's wound up it doesn't matter how tired she is, she finds it impossible to wind down IYKWIM?

So what I have been doing is having an active morning...so lots of playing together..trampoline, hide and seek, playing outside, water play etc  with games and puzzles inbetween on her own and keeping her involved with me hanging up clothes, making a cuppa or whatever so she is on the go and busy.   It all helps to keep her busy and makes her tired!  Then we have lunch and after that we have been doing an extended wind down (which I haven't done in ages). So we lie on the couch and read books and sing songs.  Still fun but more low key.   We talk about how it nearly time to sleep and we're going to relax and I rub her back (she calls it a 'massage') and how when she goes into bed its time to lie down and relax etc (I am surprised by how much she understands) and try to go to sleep.  When we go to her room I get her to choose a teddy or two and she kisses them and I tuck them all in and then I put a CD on (this is only new this week) which she chooses....usually a toss up between bon jovi's living on a prayer on repeat and a christmas cd (really must get her more cds!).  Tonnes of praise along the way for being calm and trying to go to sleep.  Last 3 days she has been asleep by track 3 and I've woken her at 2 hours.   The first day I stayed in until she was sleeping as she tried to get up but I was able to gently remind her to lie down but then faded that out.

I know you didn't ask that but as we're going through it maybe something there will work!  Its a lot of effort on my part in the morning but so worth it to get a nap and TBH I am really enjoying it as is she!   Just in case you want to give the nap another bash even every other day if he ends up not coping without it.


With regards to independent activities if he spends 45 minutes in his room I don't think he can be expected to do more independent play right away.  Its probably more realistic for you to do quiet activities with him for a while and then aim for a period of more independence later on in the day.  At this age they crave interaction and need it too.  My LO will spend ages painting outside with a cup of water and a paintbrush and loves playing with a tray of water with cups, funnels etc.  She will play with stickers for ages too.  Fuzzy felt.  Would your LO do that?  She will also play with her dolls house and puzzles etc but for 10 minutes at a time before looking for some interaction.   The other thing is a favourite TV show.  Or an action songs DVD that he could watch and dance along too. 

I worked with LOs before I had my DD and a big part of my job was teaching independent play skills.  At 23 months, 10/15 minutes is the most a LO would be expected to play alone without 'checking in' in with an adult so if you're LO will stay in his room for 45 minutes he is super...if you want to send him this way to teach my DD that skill that would be great! 

HTH x