Is it worth it … ?

So Aran is still hit and miss with naps, but I am trying not to get too stressed about it. If he doesn't nap, then he's in bed by 6.30pm.
We had an old friend over yesterday evening and I wanted Aran to be up so my friend could see him, so I had to get him to nap. It's to the point nowadays where he will give me his dummy and stuffed toy and say "no dudu".
Anyway, I know a lot of people can't handle the CIO method, but I believe it works. So I put him in his cot and boy did he howl for about 5 minutes. When I went to check on him 1/2 later, he was fast asleep, even with his legs through the cots bars - fell asleep in mid-escape
And RM, yes, the pasta lunch does seem to help Maybe I should throw in some turkey - don't they say there's something in turkey that makes you sleepy??

Tess_S - listen if all else fails and you are desperate.

A big lunch pasta based lunch, pop little guy into a very shallow but warm bath with tons of toys - like tons. Let him play, you keep topping up the warm water. He plays for 45 minutes or so.

He is then warm, tummy is full, normally a little tired and may opt for a little lie down in front of a "Charlie and Lola" and a little eyes closing moment.

I use it as my Saturday/Sunday Winter trick when I just want clean sleepy children.

Thanks for the tips jacadebra.
I have tried a couple of them - moved the nap time out, I try to get him to come play quietly on my bed a bit before the nap. I can do everything exactly the same from one day to the next, and one day he'll sleep and no chance the next …..

Yest, he didn't nap and at 4 was a total wreck, so I put him down and usually if he doesn't get up by about 5.30, he'll sleep straight through, but he got up at 8 …. miserable mood, bathed and bottled by 10 and then up again at 6.30 this morning (which explains why he went down at 11.30 today )

But I will persevere with all those tips, thanks!

If your toddler hasn't done much exercise/ energy expending, and isn't showing signs of being tired - why don't you try moving nap time to 12h45/13h00? Perhaps sometimes he isn't tired yet if he hasn't done much physical stuff that day. Do you do any form of winding down before a nap? Perhaps try reading him a story whilst he lies in his bed to relax him a bit.

I find that sometimes if my toddler is to "wound up" he will not switch off and nap. I do resort to (if I know he is exhausted) making him lie on his tummy after story time so I can tickle his back or give him "back kisses" lol, which totally relaxes him and knocks him out.

My little guy (he's also 2) use to nap at 12 but now I only get him down by 1h00 - 1h30 depending on how much physical stuff we have done that day. I usually start "winding him down" with stories and a cup of milk etc 15-25 minutes before just to calm him down. He LOVES story time so this isnt a problem.

Good luck.

YES! The quiet time is SOOOO important to me. I can feel the sanity draining when he doesn't sleep. Then (vicious circle) he is up early the next morning as he's gone to bed earlier ……

But also, I feel at 2, he needs the actual sleep? And there are days when he'll even nap for 3 hours. I think what I hate the worst is the uncertainty - I'd rather know he's not going to sleep every day and then deal from there.

But yes, then I think I will institute "quiet time" if not dudu time from now on.

Thanks ladies!

I love love love quiet time like no one's business!!

If he is happy to play in his cot for a while - go for it and enjoy it, it will pave the way for the quiet time that RM speaks about.

I am very big on quiet time in the room, with the door closed. Brandon can lie on his bed and read, or he can sit and do puzzles, draw, build blocks etc for at least 30 minutes.
I don't get him to do it every day, but occassionally I just need a break.