Hands up who's going through the nap or not to nap dilemma at the moment?

We're finding that Elijah still needs his daytime nap as he can get quite grumpy and emotional by the bedtime rolls around, but if he has a daytime nap he's so much hard to get to sleep at night!

It's a trade off between having a tired grumpy child later in the day or having one that doesn't want to go to bed at his normal time as he's still feeling charged and ready to go.

We've been learning as we transition away from daytime naps that if we alternate between a nap one day and quiet time the next it seems to strike a balance between keeping Elijah rested while at the same time not having those really extended bed times. 

Quiet time is normally a short period of time where toddlers get the chance to focus on doing unstructured independent quiet activities. It allows for a chance to disengage and have a mental break which is a healthy habit at any age. 

Quietly reading, painting, drawing or doing puzzles are ways I've found to keep Elijah calm and allow him some recharge time if he doesn't have a day time nap. 

By allowing children to choose the quiet time activity they want to do it can encourage real creativity. The step away from all the structure we now have in our lives will encourage them to make their own decisions about how to play.

We've been finding that unstructured play time encourages Elijah to be innovative and find ways of playing independently. 

Quiet time doesn't necessarily have to be just for the kids either. Why not create some family quiet time where all devices are off and everyone joins in to complete a puzzle? 

We've gotten so structured and so busy in our lives that I'm sure the recharge and re-balance that comes with quiet time will be valued and cherished by all. 

In the meantime, best of luck during the nap transitions! Just another part of parenting that's not really thought about until you're in the midst of it.

Best wishes, 

Kerry :)