This is a drive-by comment because your post showed up on LJ's homepage and I relate.
My younger child *needed* naps until he was well past three, but stopped agreeing to take them when he was not quite two. Like you say, then either everyone would be miserable all evening due to the grumpy difficult toddler, or he'd conk out at a completely inconvenient time/place (and then be unwakeable for 3 hours and subsequently untired until 2am or something absurd).
Anyway, I literally had to hold that kid down to get him to nap mid-day. It was worth it, because really and truly he'd need the nap, but it entailed him screaming bloody murder in my ear for 15-20 minutes, interspersed with begging and pleading to be let up--I'd lie there with him and restrain him, usually with arms and one leg because if I didn't pin his legs he'd kick hard and he was (is) a bulky/large/strong kid. (Obviously, I was not hurting him, just not letting him remove himself, and I felt weird about it every time because I do believe in kids having bodily autonomy, but the alternative was untenable for us). He's grown now, and does remember this but doesn't remember it being traumatic, by the way; he's just like oh god mom, I must have been such a pain in the butt!
So, you might feel the benefits would not be worth the pain, and obviously that's your call, but I feel your pain. :)
This is a drive-by comment because your post showed up on LJ's homepage and I relate.
My younger child *needed* naps until he was well past three, but stopped agreeing to take them when he was not quite two. Like you say, then either everyone would be miserable all evening due to the grumpy difficult toddler, or he'd conk out at a completely inconvenient time/place (and then be unwakeable for 3 hours and subsequently untired until 2am or something absurd).
Anyway, I literally had to hold that kid down to get him to nap mid-day. It was worth it, because really and truly he'd need the nap, but it entailed him screaming bloody murder in my ear for 15-20 minutes, interspersed with begging and pleading to be let up--I'd lie there with him and restrain him, usually with arms and one leg because if I didn't pin his legs he'd kick hard and he was (is) a bulky/large/strong kid. (Obviously, I was not hurting him, just not letting him remove himself, and I felt weird about it every time because I do believe in kids having bodily autonomy, but the alternative was untenable for us). He's grown now, and does remember this but doesn't remember it being traumatic, by the way; he's just like oh god mom, I must have been such a pain in the butt!
So, you might feel the benefits would not be worth the pain, and obviously that's your call, but I feel your pain. :)
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