If you’re anything like me, you’ll admit it: You really, really love naptime. As a stay-at-home mom who is also a work-from-home mom, naptimes are when I clock in, take care of business, and earn my income. It’s incredibly important for me to have this time, just as it’s incredibly important for my 15-month-old daughter to take naps and be well rested. But what about those days where she just doesn’t feel like napping? Well, that’s where these tricks come in handy.
1. If they refuse to nap, it’s still important to give them some quiet time. My husband and I often laugh over what he jokingly likes to call “Baby Reflection Time,” but we’re pretty serious about it. Our daughter isn’t one of those kids who functions well with just one nap a day (trust me, we’ve tried), but she sometimes struggled with going down for her second nap of the day. But every day for roughly an hour in the late afternoons, we put her in her room for “Baby Reflection Time.” Sometimes she just relaxes in bed with a couple books, but most of the time this quiet hour ends up with her passed out and us waking her up when it’s time. In addition to resting from the busy day’s activities, you have an hour to clean up, unwind, prepare dinner, get some work done, or whatever else you may need done.
2. Keep it consistent and stick to a schedule. Like many moms, I’ve noticed that on the days where our schedule is crazy or activities are moved around, our daughter’s nap suffers from it. For example, if we have a busy morning and push her long, morning nap back to become a long, late afternoon nap, it doesn’t work out. When she sleeps for a long period of time, it’s in the mornings. When we keep our schedule consistent and she’s laid down roughly around the same time each day, her nap times really show it.
3. Be firm. As your child’s parent, you know best, so be firm and consistent (there’s that word again) when letting your child know it’s time for bed. It may take a few (or several) days of this for your child to get the hang of it, but their mood will reflect having had rested, and your sanity will, too.
4. Create a relaxing environment. Whether with white noise or soothing music, there are many different ways to help your child fall asleep during the day (and these tips work at night, too!). Our daughter, for example, always loved rain sounds; one of my friend’s sons loves a white noise app that sounds like a vacuum cleaner running. Also be sure the limit the room’s brightness and turn off the TV, etc. Doing this in whatever space you’re playing in for roughly 15 minutes before a nap can help too! Find what works for your child and make it happen!
5. Lower the sugar. Cutting back on sugary drinks and snacks will help your child become calmer and get ready for bed. Another idea? Waiting for a small period of time before laying your child down right before eating. Give their bodies time to digest their food.
6. Don’t forget a comfort object. Our daughter loves her little Bobcat stuffed animal (we are Ohio University alumni—Go Bobcats!) and a small blankie. When I was little, I had a stuffed dog I carried everywhere (who I still have today!). Find what your child thinks is special and make sure it’s with them during nap time.
Any tips you use that we didn’t mention? Share them with others in the comments!
