Why Won’t Your Toddler Nap, Here Is How to Fix That

My oldest daughter, Angelique, was two, eating pudding at her grandmother’s home. Photo by: Julio Borroto

I knew I was not the only parent with a toddler who indicated they were tired but did not want to nap. I thought we had the perfect routine. My tot would get up at six on-the-dot every morning. And I would wash her up, then she inhaled breakfast and required another wash since she was a very sloppy eater.

When a toddler is overtired and thinks they are missing out on activities, they will not nap. As nap time gets closer, slow down on the activities and reduce sugary snacks.

We would focus on intervals of fifteen to twenty minutes of reading and play. When the weather conditions were suitable, we would go for walks or take a short ride to the local park to keep her busy for a few hours. Sometimes we would stay home and act out her favorite character Peter Pan, and I played the part of Captain Hook, and we jumped around a lot.

There was snack time, which consisted of milk, fruits, proteins, or a fruit bar. We would read another book and then play build-time. Build time is a motor skill activity that I designed for my toddler, and she would love it. She would frantically cry when it would end.

When she was an infant, I recall things being so much easier, and I would have little play workouts for a few minutes. Feed her, and before I knew it, she would fall asleep and wake up for…