MOMS TALK Q & A: Nap Time

Recbecca R. Kahlenberg wrote an interesting article on children and nap time on the popular parenting website Parents.com.

This week Aberdeen Patch posed the Facebook question:

How do you get your child to take a nap at the same time every day without having to go to war?

Gregory Stotler, of Baltimore, said: If you are going to war over nap time, maybe your child has outgrown the need for a nap.

Jacinda Gibbons, of Aberdeen, said: Sometimes we have to endure the battle without giving in. Practice, practice, practice; consistency times three. Preparing your child for transitions is important. At least ten to 15 minutes before the nap, your child should know when it is coming. You could possibly prepare your child for the nap with a naptime story or some calming music. Make sure it is the same routine and the same place every day if possible. Don’t give up. Wars are intended to be won.  From a mother of twins … and still learning.

Bethany Baliem Pace, of Bel Air, said: Kids actually benefit from a routine like taking a nap at the same time every day. We as parents have to discipline ourselves first to make sure that we are establishing a nap time routine that can be completed each day in the same way at the designated time. For example, if the nap time is planned for 1 p.m., you may want to serve lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. Then allow the child to play quietly (maybe a puzzle or coloring a picture) for 15 minutes or so, and at 12:45 p.m. head upstairs to the bedroom (or chosen nap location) for nap time. Allow the child to pick out a favorite stuffed animal, blanket and/or short book and help him or her get comfortable so that by 1 p.m., you are walking out of the room and nap time begins. The first week may be painful, but once the child understands all of cues (in the routine) leading up to nap time, you will be able to avoid a daily war. Bottom line: it all starts with the consistency of the parent!