! Daddy says no more naps for 2 1/2 yr old?

My daughter's dad has been trying to get me to stop making our daughter take naps in the afternoon since she was maybe 1 1/2. That's when we were together.

Now that we're separated, he enforces his no more naps opinion when she stays with him, which, for now, is 20 days out of the month (until divorce in Feb).

Every time I get her on our four day weekend, her eyes look really tired half way through the day, and I'm concerned that she's not getting enough sleep.

The stress of this divorce on top of the fact that he has been very manipulative with her (using her to get to me by keeping her from me) is very scary for me. I worry about her emotional health. She already thinks that "Mommy doesn't want" her.

I don't know what to do about it. But regardless of what he thinks, I still give her naps in the afternoon. She's been taking naps since she was born and I definitely think that 2 1/2 is way too young to start taking that away from her.

I thought kids took naps typically up until like over 5 yrs or something like that. Maybe even longer. Am I just coocoo? cuz I don't know anymore.

 

Sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about. My 2 year old has moved from morning and afternoon naps to only afternoon nap at about 18 mos. ish...the transition perriod was a bit rough till Mommy & I got used to her new schedule. And naps are as much for your benefit as they are for the child's, remember. If the kid wants to take a nap, forgoshsakes, put her to bed!

 

yeah sis, naps are just as important to u the adult as they are for her/him the child. kids take naps up until they go to kindergarden, or quite time anyways. taking away the nap right now at 2 1/2 might not be quite so healthy.

sounds like everyone is takeing this hard not just you and your ex but for the little one as well. just make sure you do the best you can showing her u do love her, u don't want ex to teach her that u don't.


do u know how to get a 2 1/2 year old to not wake up at 5 30 in the morning and stay awake all day until she pisses everyone off so much that she gets a pop on the ass and sent to bed? that's what i'm dealing with right now.

 

Tamee I agree with dragonfly. naps are good for you and your child. And show her that you love her. My one friend gets her child twice a month. When she gets him they have movie night one night where he will pick out the movie he wants to watch and pick some place to get food. The next day she always has something planned that she knows he will enjoy.


Dragonfly What time does your child go to bed at night?

 

well right now she goes to bed anywhere from 9 o'clock, which is her usual bedtime, to 11:30 which is when she's fighting it so bad that we have to pretty much just let her cry herself to sleep.

i can't remember what time she had gone to bed the night before she woke up at 5:30 am. but last night she went to bed at 10:15 or so and woke up at 7:30 which is her usual time to wake up, between 7-8

 

I have an early riser. 8pm is bedtime, but my youngest is just a morning person, nothing wrong with that. But both my kids took naps until they were 4ish...I had to put them in morning kindergarten because they would still sleep for 2 hours in the afternoon. They needed it.

I'm sorry your ex is so controlling.

 

yeah, naps are crucial for physical and mental development in children, and for emotional well being in adults. my older daughter quit napping when she was about 4. it went naturally for her. my three year old gets up really early and naps for a long time in the afternoon. she's a complete wreck without it.

even when i was in kindergarten we would have a half hour nap time. i was pretty shocked when my daughter's school doesn't have a nap time for kindergarteners. their schooldays are from 8:00 to 3:30. it took kai the longest time to acclimate to it, even though she doesn't nap on a regular basis.

 

when i raised my nephews they both took 2 naps one in the morning , and 1 after school in the Pm and they were 5. Ask yourself? Would you take a nap from an adult, no!! So there should be absolutely no restrictions on your child/rens mental/emo/ physical health. I would def say something and stand up and take action.

 

she knows I love her.

Now that I have a job it's even harder because I'm going to have to take her back to her dad (who doesn't, btw) when I go to work, and he absolutely will NOT compromise with me on the time I get with her. So that just means that I get her on our 4-day weekends and if I have to work then I just don't get as much time with her. I can't wait for this shit to be overwith and get her back!

What action? There's NOTHING I can do to make him let her take naps. It bothers me so much, among MANY other things.

 

Well i hope everything gets better for you. You are a wonderful mother by the way

 

ugh, that really sucks. I hope things get better though. It sounds like she'd be a whole lot better off with you than her dad.

 

That is Neglect if he does not allow her to take naps. Or better yet stops them at a young age. I'm doing a presentation on Child abuse and the extent of it and under neglect follows always tired I would look into it more carefully and directly if you can journalize everything you may get interim custody and eventually have her. Thats what i mean. but you need Good solid proof to show hes unstable

 

as a dad of three daughters and grandpa to ten kids i gotta say let the kid take naps.i hate to say this but since he's your ex i will.that guy sounds like a nut with some nutty ideas.sleep deprivation.good grief.hang in there.things will work out for you.

 

poor lil girl! omg, if she still gets tired during the day and wants to take a nap then she should be able to! oh my, I realli feel for you and your lil girl. I take naps when I feel tired, as long as she's still sleeping well at night it shouldn't be a problem. I think 2 1/2 is definitely too early to try and cut out naps. In a lot of schools they have nap time! Geez, what a mean daddy

 

for awhile I was journaling everything but since I've gotten more time with her I've stopped.

so if I started doing it again now it would probably seem not so reliable, huh?

shit

 

probably best that your time is used takeing care of your daughter.kids can keep you busier than heck.i suppose being advised to keep a journal is a good idea though.i would hope that a lawyer and judge or whatever would take into consideration how busy you are.hang in there. i'm sure you're doing a good job.

 

I would make notes of this stuff to bring to court with you. Naps are something that children should be allowed to wean themselves off of.

 

try and get full custody, your ex is being very immature, and is using his authority over the child to hurt you. Tell the court what hes doing, they almost always choose the mothers side.

 

I'm 22 and I still need a nap.

What a nutjob.