Tips For Making Nap Time A Good Time May 26
There comes a time in every child’s life (really, there comes in time in every day for most young children) when she needs a nap and doesn’t want to take one. Kids don’t like naps. They feel like they’re missing out on the world of adults when they have to lie down and take a nap. But they are obviously happier and healthier when they’ve napped enough. So how do you go about making nap time more fun for your children so that they get the sleep they need and you can get your rest?
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Make nap time a ritual. Whether you are running a preschool daycare or just trying to get your own two-year-old to lie down for a nap, having a ritual for the nap time will make it go more smoothly. If your kids always eat lunch, go outside to play and then come in for nap time, they will know that this is what is going to happen and they’ll begin to get used to it. They may still fuss that nap time has come around but there shouldn’t be long drawn out arguments of the “I’ll take a nap later” variety because nap time will just be a set time. |
Include comforts that make nap time fun. Favorite blankets, stuffed animals, a much-listened-to CD, a ritual storybook, a back rub … these are little things that can make a nap more pleasant. Just think about how much easier it is for yourself to fall asleep when you’re in your favorite pajamas and have the sheets that you love on your bed than when you’re in a strange environment and you can see why these comfort things make nap time easier.
Make nap time something to look forward to instead of a time when your child is “missing out”. Kids feel like something exciting is going to happen when they take a nap and that they’ll miss out on it. If the nap IS the exciting thing, this isn’t so much of a problem. Teaching your child about dreams and discussing their dreams when they wake up is one way of making nap time a exciting time. If your child doesn’t understand dreams yet, you can have a time when your child lies down and closes his eyes and just imagines. Follow the nap with an activity, such as drawing what your child dreamed, which reinforces how fun the nap was.
And finally, don’t fight with your child about naps. You don’t want to get involved in a power play with your child about nap time because then it becomes a negative time. If your child really doesn’t want to take a nap, it’s possible that she actually doesn’t need to. Give her a quiet activity to engage in instead of taking a nap so that her body can get refreshed and enjoy the peace and quiet. No one should have to battle about sleep!
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