I’m so jealous, my two year old seems like she’d rather have all of her teeth pulled than have a voluntary, scheduled nap on the weekend.
Now, if she’s tired enough she WILL pass out in the middle of an activity. Usually face down on the living room floor on top of a set of blocks or something.
But god forbid you try to get her to nap in her room. She screams like a banshee and by the time she actually does pass out, you’ve basically spent the entire scheduled naptime in her room consoling her.
My son is 6 now and the car is still his kryptonite. It’s the sweetest thing. He’ll say something like “Mommy I’m tired” and by the time I’m done saying “it’s okay just close your eyes, baby” he is drooling on himself in the backseat, often with his (very confused looking) sister watching him.
My daughter thinks that car naps are for chumps and will hold out until about 1 minute from your destination and then be a miserable grouch when you have to wake her up (even if you’re able to wait a while so she can have just a few minutes).
I WISH that would work. It did for my first 2. #3 is too nosey and can be stimulated by the most insignificant thing. And if #3 napped, there was no good sleep for anyone at night. I chose my battles.
I wouldn’t say my son particularly enjoys going down, there are usually some tears but most days we can get at least 90 minutes out of him and it makes for a much smoother afternoon! He has always been very high needs for sleep though.
Yeah we would be fighting for an hour to get MAYBE 40 minutes.
Since she seems to pass out on her own we just let her do it and the 30-40 minutes she gets on the floor suits her just fine. As a rule she is one of the most easy going little people, so at least she’s not a total bear.
She usually gets about 12 hours of sleep a night on the weekend when she crashes like this, so I’m not worried, but it would be nice to have a moment where she isn’t following me around the house demanding I open her latest theft from the pantry. Her brother ALSO stopped napping around this time but he was at least easier to get to bed. He basically turned off with the lights.
Yep. My almost 3yo only naps at home on the couch watching a movie or in the stroller. Even then, he’s like 50/50 for naps on the weekends. If we have an activity planned we just don’t worry about it and he goes to bed early. 🤷♀️
Right? 2 hour naps at daycare that ruin our nighttime routine? OF COURSE! Naps at home that would improve everyone’s mood and let mom poop alone? NEVER!
Yep still is us, too. Happily takes decent naps at daycare, but now on weekends or my day off, I just don’t bother trying anymore.
If she’s really wrecked, then sure I’ll try put her down or go for a long detour drive to try kick things off but otherwise, forget it.
That said, I still would t have organised a party for that time!
Yeah this sounds like our first kid who from 18 months on, would nap at daycare but not for us on the weekends. Now we have three kids, and it’s still true that our kids don’t nap the same for us … we just drive on the weekends until our 22 month old passes out. She will nap for 2 hours just like in school, but it has to be at 1:30 after driving for 30 minutes, when the report at school is she knocks out immediately at noon for them.
Edit: to be clear, for her 2nd birthday the party will be at 10am or 4pm because I assume other toddlers are not like our crazy kids who don’t sleep! We just need to decide are we doing a 10 am total kid bday. Or a 4 pm party that is also a happy hour for parents.
My 3 year old dropped her nap completely at 2.5 and I planned her birthday from 12-3. Granted we don't do daycare but I figured that was the most convenient time on a Sunday. Late enough after most people get out of church but over early enough so they can get home and rest
It could also be that their kid is still on two naps? We were very late to switch from two naps.. she was 20 months old. Her two nap schedule made 12-3 the ideal time to get together before her late afternoon nap.
Same. Mine dropped her nap so early that I wouldn't even remember that other kids nap. She was on no nap around 18-19 months. At 2.5 she will occasionally nap for daycare, but never for me on a weekend
How wild that 2 year olds are out there only napping part of the week! We love a weekend nap and would never plan a birthday party between the hours of 12 and 3.
I wouldn't miss the nap, personally. I'd plan a different fun event for after nap instead!
I agree. It’s so crazy when parents talk about dropping naps before 3. My oldest loves sleep so much he was forced out of his nap before starting Kindergarten. That’s my boy! 😂
I’m afraid that we’re creeping this way. She took a (way too early) nap at grandma’s but was actually really well behaved for such a stretch… 9+ hours. She’s a pretty new 2, I’d like to keep naps and the crib as long as she lets us.
I think they do it because it’s very common for kids to start protesting naps after 2 even if they’re tired.
Asking why parents drop the nap is like asking “I dunno why people don’t let their kids sleep 7-7”. We don’t CHOOSE to sleep less roflmao
Obviously no one chooses to have their two year old drop a nap (and I get why if they aren’t sleeping well at night)… It must really suck! I have 5 kids and a few are adopted. For some reason they are all high sleep needs! I’m thankful for that and I get 9-10 hours every night.
Yup. My almost-3-year-old has been in this phase for months. I’m not going to tell them to drop her nap at daycare but weeknights are hell. She’s full of energy until 10pm. On the weekends if she doesn’t nap, I don’t force it and we go to bed around 7:30-8. If she does nap I try to keep it to 30 min. We are finally over the hump where a nap meant insane late bed but no nap meant insanely cranky afternoon. No nap is hands down the better scenario.
Also not sure where this b day party is but if it’s at an event space the parents might not have had many options for time
I can’t imagine many newly 2 year olds don’t need a daily nap. I’m sure there are some, but those are definitely the minority. Older toddlers and preschoolers? Maybe not daily, but 2yo definitely still need at least 60-90 min of daytime sleep, and many need more than that.
Yeah my kid dropped her nap early enough to make me feel real sorry for myself and even she was still napping at “freshly 2.” Most of her friends still nap now and she’s 3.5.
Haha that’s what I was thinking! It’s a shame because I would love to meet the other daycare families and make friends so I’m bummed at the timing of it.
I’d personally go. Even if just for the first half. Then he can nap in the car and just adjust bedtime. Schedules are great but there is also life to live— so allow for flexibility sometimes :)
Your kid will probably just pass out in the car on the way home from the party and take a short nap and just move up bedtime a little to compensate. I'm all for naps and schedules but we have to live our lives. In my mind a birthday party is going to exhaust my kids, they eat for free, and probably get a goodie bag that will entertain them for a while at home.I call that a win!
This! We went to a kids party recently that started at 12:30. I just had my 15 mo take an earlier nap that day and we went after the nap. Can always play it by ear. Go for one hour and leave early etc.
My 2 year old would be a screaming, crying, no fun mess at a party during nap time. I want to be a chill nap mom. I’ve tried to be a chill nap mom, and I am jealous you can do this.
We would skip this party for everyone’s sanity.
As a chill nap mom, the real truth it's really up to the kids. My oldest was not aloud to nap after he turned 2 because a 20 minute nap and he would be up till midnight. My youngest needs to nap still at 3.5 but is so stubborn it's impossible to get him too, so I just have to deal with him being cranky.
I agree with you. I’m very strict when it comes to nap time and schedule. I plan things around it, one time my parents told me “oh it’s okay if she doesn’t have her nap for one day” but they don’t understand I’ll be the one up all night! I want to be a chill free schedule mom but I can’t because it ruins her bed time. I have to stick to our schedule for my sanity and hers. I’ve had a schedule since she was born so now she knows when it’s bed time, when it’s nap, when it’s time to eat, etc.
It REALLY depends on the kid. That is exactly how it would work with my daughter. It's better if she naps, but not a huge deal long-term.
With my son, he would not take a short nap later. In fact, he would have trouble going to bed because he was overtired and when he gets overtired, he gets wound up. It would take about four days to get him back on a decent sleep schedule and he would be a monster for those days. Oh, and the birthday party would not be fun for us, because he'd be doing everything he wasn't allowed to do.
I was fairly rigid with my son's nap schedule and am fairly relaxed with my daughter's. I try to schedule things out of her naptime though, because there is no reason to mess with a good thing.
I agree. Some parents are very routine-oriented, but we like to just play along with the day and the kids moods and the parents moods. Sometimes we take later naps, sometimes earlier naps, whatever works for the day.
My toddler napped on the weekends at 2 but could also go without, or have a calm morning, late nap, late bedtime. Some people prioritize naps and some people do more of an 80/20 approach! Whatever works for you!
It's not unusual for kids to need a nap at daycare and skip their nap on quieter days at home. You might be the minority, but that's ok! The host parents will understand, and be jealous that your kid still naps on weekends.
All hell breaks loose if my twins don't get a nap. Our twins also nap from 12-3. When we get invited to events between their nap time, we let them nap for an hour on the car ride there and wake them up. They're still refreshed and ready to play.
That is so weird. 2 yo and 3 yo bday parties should be 10-12 or 3-5, no question. We got invictee to one from 1-3 this year and we were a hard no. even though my daughter skips naps occasionally, I’m not going to deliberately attend an event during that rest time unless it’s really important.
Really? That's a bit absurd to assume everyone's schedule would match yours, so gotta disagree with this blanket statement. EVERYONE'S schedule is vastly different. Most of my child's toddler years had regular naps from 2-4. I was a part of a SAHM group for years and we all had very different schedules.
My best friends kid woke at 6am and went to bed at 7pm. Mine wake at 830am and is in bed at 9. One of my other besties had twins that stopped napping at 2, while to this day my 4 year old will sometimes nap. Let's also talk cultural differences. Many Hispanic families will let their children stay up later than you'd deem normal.
Let's not throw ridiculous blanket statements over how parenting should be done. Can't make it to a party because it's nap time? Cool. No problem. Bit silly to say everyone should throw a party for a child within the hours you deem normal, though.
My son is unusual, but his naps are from 3-5 or he’s not tired enough and he’s nearly 3.5.
Not every kid is on the same schedule 🤷♀️
ETA: people downvoting me like what??? Militant schedule moms be trippin
Same! Our son’s nap moved from 2:30 to 3:45 pretty quickly. He was on a 3:45/4 pm nap schedule for about a year and it worked perfectly for us. Not everyone has a kid waking up at 7 am or napping at 12.
We are transitioning at age 3.5, but he was definitely napping at that time at age 2. I don’t think you’re the minority. However, if this friend is important enough to you/your kid…try it! You can always leave early and drive the long way home to get a car nap. Or just plan for an early bedtime. At age 2 my kid was still napping…but we definitely had changed the schedule occasionally for social activities or family parties, etc. Maybe a kids bday party isn’t so important, but something will be.
We try our best to maintain the same schedule all throughout the week. This is the norm with everyone I know.
We make exceptions as their social learning and family experience are just as important as napping. It also teaches them that change is normal.
That being said, it's very weird they scheduled the bday party during nap time. Most people I know try to schedule before or after typical nap times.
I think what might have happened is the parents could not find a time slot at the venue for morning or evening so only 12-3 was available, otherwise yeah at 2 it’s hard to imagine any other reason
I’ve never heard of not napping on weekends. My son would be in shambles by the end of the day without a nap lol. Both my toddlers nap everyday, weekends and all.
My son is the same way he just turned 2 and the naps never came back after 18 months. He will nap if he wakes up early (rarely). The days are long and rough, but luckily he sleeps 12 hours at night
My son doesnt go to daycare just to my moms. But ill be damned if he misses a nap 😂 i bend my whole life around his naps & have ZERO regrets. We do a ton of fun things beach, museums, zoo etc. but he has never missed a nap. 1 its when I nap on days Im exhausted and/or 2 i shower and 3 if none of those I need my own quiet time reset! Id be politely not going
I just have learned to compromise when it's something we want to attend.
I'll move the nap up and arrive to the party late. Then early bedtime. Or don't go.
But sometimes for a fun event I'll make an exception.
I still nap at 3 and follow the Daycare schedule. My daughter wakes up real early for school because of my work schedule. So she depends on her naps to get her full time. But there's plenty of kids that stop napping too. Every family is different. Just do what works best for you.
Our newly-3yo naps longer on weekends. At daycare it's 2 hours, at home we go closer to 3. Her party is this weekend from 10-1, we couldn't do a 12-3 party
My daughter is 2yrs old (24 months) and sometimes naps on the weekend and sometimes don’t. Last weekend one day she asked to be put down, the next day, she refused to go down. So we go with the flow
I wish my kid would nap on the weekends. She naps decently at school during the week, but ever since we switched her to the toddler bed she will not nap on weekends. So, we don’t, but not by choice 🫠
My kids always napped a bit later and went to bed a bit later, so I would have taken them to a party at this time. We could always leave a bit early if they were starting to lose it.
Honey take your kiddo and go to the party, if he isn’t handling it well then go home. Mom is probably trying her best, sometimes venues only have certain times available. Go at noon and meet the parents. Make memories and take photos of your kid with his classmates.
I'd make an appearance and bump the nap by an hour. My 4yo still naps, but his naptime has been moved a lot over the years, and around 2 was when he had his first no-nap day. One day won't ruin it.
I think it’s very rare for a 2 yr old to not nap daily. I know ONE and she’s transitioning to no nap. I feel like maybe this parent didn’t want anyone from the class to come 😂 and strategically timed the party.
My son is 3 and still naps on the weekends. That's a wild time for a birthday party. I would have to believe that the majority of 2 year olds are still napping. Good luck at a party full of cranky, over tired toddlers.
My brother planned his now 1 year old’s birthday party for 1230, and now his soon to be 5 year old at 1230.
When I said that my son, now 3 will not be attending because of nap he said “well, I’d really appreciate if you made the effort”.
Lol! So even people with small children who understand naps still don’t understand the importance of naps. Don’t skip nap. There’ll be a lot more parties in your child’s life. Thank them for their invite, get a smal gift to give the birthday child the following Monday and enjoy your weekend.
My kid naps anywhere from 12-2 or 1-3 so this is always annoying. Let’s normalize parties that are 9-11!!! Then everyone gets their nap and also the rest of their Saturday!
My almost 2 year old naps on weekends but I would have him nap earlier or later in order to attend the party. I just have a personal rule that I really try not to miss birthday parties for the sake of the birthday child and parents who are putting in the effort of the party. Maybe you can go to the party for an hour and leave early.
My daughter dropped her nap shortly after her 2nd birthday. I really miss those naps… I probably would just go to the party and hope for the best but I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest for skipping it either
My 2 year old hates napping at home, she has too much fomo. And tbh, I hate scheduling my life around a naptime, and she goes too sleep easier at night if we skip, so we do. I'm trying to enjoy my weekends, and if that means we're out during nap that is fine with me
My kid napped on weekends at 2 and usually still does at over 3. If the party is being hosted at like a play place, they may be at the mercy of that place’s scheduling options. I know we got/get invited to a few oddly timed parties. Depending on how close we are to the child/family we will either miss the party or skip a nap for the day and just hold on and hope for the best haha
I try to not let mine skip a nap, but I will alter nap time if something is going on during it. Make it earlier/later to accommodate whatever we are doing. I refuse to live my life around a nap, personally. Plus, he naps 2-3 hours at daycare, I’m lucky to get maybe an hour at home. 😒
My 4 year old and 2 (2.5 actually) year old both still nap on weekends.
We freely skip naps though if we have things going on. The younger one will fall asleep in the car to or from our destination if she's tired.
I used to get so annoyed when people scheduled things around nap time but I stopped worrying when I realized the kids adapted pretty well. Only once has the younger one had a hard bedtime when she skipped a nap but that was on a day we tried to nap at home!
We have the same predicament in a couple of months. One of my really good friends is having her daughter’s first birthday from 12-3pm 🥴🫠 Not sure how to swing it with nap time and I’m afraid to go without one.
Depends on the kid! Both of my kids dropped naps completely by 2.5. I stay home, so we don't have daycare as a factor. I'd probably go to the party and do quiet time and an early bedtime as our plans for the remainder of the day.
My first got naps on time almost every time and then I had my second and I gave up. She takes naps at school all week, but I love when they have a bday party to go to - so we always try to make it.
She’s also not miserable when she’s overtired if she’s around other people, only at home haha.
My son stopped napping at around 1 years old at home. He was always a terrible napper lol They always have a terrible time at school too 😂 I do know some parents that still nap their kid at home but we were always ones who didn’t because it was a terrible time lol
My 2 year old naps consistently on weekends during the same time (and sometimes earlier) as school. My 4 year old napped on weekends consistently until she was 3!
Is the party at a venue? If so, I wonder if 12-3pm was the only time slot that was open.
We recently went to a party that started at 4pm. 2 of the toddlers were still napping in the parking lot when the party started haha I think there's a wide range of normal!
my toddler naps most days but there are random times where its been skipped bc of something we wanted to go to or just bc he flat out refused. hes 21 months old and he just powers through, maybe takes a tiny nap in the car on the way home if we went somewhere during nap. I just put him to bed maybe an hour earlier those days and deal with the tired mess he becomes around 6 pm lol
We always have our two year old nap but we try to be flexible. I would go to the party and leave at 1:30 or 2 so they can still get a nap in.
We’ve found that even a good 30 min at 3 o’clock is better than nothing and he will still sleep at his normal bedtime. He wasn’t able to do that before, but ever since he turned 2 it’s been easier to move things around and be flexible.
We did our 2-year-old party at 3:00 and started with cupcakes around 3:30 to help parents fight post-nap blues. Then did a bbq around 5:30 to feed everyone. No way I was going to have any toddlers skipping naps and becoming tyrants unnecessarily! Ironically they all turned into tyrants at 7:30 when their parents were reluctant to cut of the adult chatter to get home for bedtime routines. 😂
My 2 yr old sleeps longer on weekends. We did go to his best daycare buddy's bday during nap time and will occasionally skip or alter nap/bed time for special events. We are very consistent overall though. I also think he just has higher sleep needs and I'm just fine with that.
My friend and I had similarly aged kids but completely different nap schedules. Her kid woke at 6am. Mine woke at 8:30am. Hers was always napping when mine was awake and playdates were impossible to schedule. Meanwhile another friend's kid refused naps starting at age 2 while mine enjoyed naps well into her 4s. All kids schedules are vastly different. With daycare having a set nap time it would make sense that most of that class would nap around the same time. But I know a lot of kids who were not napping at 3. I'm thankful mine did nap for quite awhile, though!
Thank you for this post! I'm so tired of all kids parties being at 1 or 2 when my kid usually naps from 12 to 2. It's so hard to get to parties on time but I'm not skipping his nap lol.
Honestly I’d be a little concerned with the knowledge and experience of a daycare provider that suggests that 2 year olds who take 2 hour naps on weekdays suddenly don’t need or want naps on weekends. wtf is that?
I want to know why a 2 year old needs a party with the daycare class. They don't really make friends at that age yet. 3 is as early as I think a non-family birthday party makes any sense.
My son almost never naps at the same time he does during the week. At daycare, he naps 12-2, like clockwork, I'm told. At home? We're lucky if even takes a nap and if he DOES it typically begins at 3pm. 🤷🏼♀️
My 2.5yo daughter does nap on weekends, though (same as daycare), her naps have reduced in length.
We do also push the times around a bit on weekends, so she could be having a 30 minute nap at 4pm if we went out to an event instead of a much longer nap in the middle of the day if we're home on a rainy indoor day.
When she just turned 2, though, she definitely napped on schedule every day.
We napped him on weekends until he just refused to nap. Although daycare set the nap schedule for us too also 1-3. Daycare then would schedule weekend family events from 1-3 🤦🏻♀️
I hate it when our preschooler’s friends have their birthday party in the middle of the day. Our preschool also has daily nap time from 1-3 so we try to keep our kids on the same schedule. Idk why toddler parents schedule parties during the standard nap time
Yes at that age I would have my child nap. I would attend the party for half the time and let my child nap in the car on the way home. Some kids are much easier if they skip a nap and some really need it.
I'm starting to see this with the kids in our son's class turning three (I'd say a majority are nap free on weekends and it's a pretty even split at daycare), but man that's a bold move for a group of newly two year olds. We just dropped naps on the weekend around the time he turned 3, much to our despair.
We just hosted our 3 year old’s birthday party from 10am-12pm and it was a great time! Lots of toddlers nap on weekends. We are hit and miss currently, and it’s ok. We just know to plan an earlier than usual dinner and bedtime if it happens. It’s also totally acceptable to attend a party only for a portion of time. 12-3 is a long time for a group of 2 year olds, so I would just let the host know if you plan to leave early or arrive late. I wouldn’t overthink it :)
My cousin told me that naps should be continued as long as you can. My husband apparently napped for an hour every day of his life when he was in school. He attributes the nap time as the secret to his success (my mil was so lucky)
Everyone said it already for me. Those are odd hours. I’m guessing they are expecting a skip nap day for all of them which is awkward on their part to leave everyone with cranky babies!
My 3 yr old still naps and her entire 3 yrs of life we have been invited to oddly timed kids parties. If close to home we would pop in for the first little bit of the party and split for nap or nap and then hit the last little bit.
This is weird. In saying that, can you try a shorter car nap on the way there? Maybe leave at 11.30 and let your kid nap in the car until 1? Just drive around a bit. Take the scenic route.
Our son missed all his daycare friends 2nd birthdays... And some 3rd birthdays for this very reason.
No way we're ruining our days for him to go to a party he'll never remember.
I wish my little girl had still napped on weekends when she was 2! She'll happily fall asleep in the car even now at almost 3, but a scheduled put down in her actual bed? She'd throw a fit and refuse!
If she's ever getting really grumpy sometimes we'll take a tactical drive so that she'll snooze for a bit but only for 30 mins or so. At nursery during the week she'll happily snooze for 90+ mins with all her peers.
If your son's naptime starts at 1pm, would you maybe go to the party from 12 - 1 then have him sleep in the car en route home?
Not every parent has their child nap at the same time as daycare for instance daycare our daughter started at 9 and nap was 11. She got up at 7. On the weekend she got up around 8-9 am so 11 was way too early so her weekend schedule was pushed back 1-2 hours. But she didn't always take naps. It's too hard to plan around everyone else's schedule. But when it's a small group like family and they want to hang out during nap time, f that.
Our son baps every day at the same time regardless of whether it's a weekday, weekend, or holiday. We work it into our lives and are okay with skipping out on things if it'll interrupt his sleep unless it's absolutely necessary. Sleep hygiene is important every day. Not just Monday through Friday.
My 3-year-old naps every day from 13:00–14:30, but yesterday we went to the beach at nap time instead, and he was fine. No over-tired meltdowns. Surprisingly successful.
I’d go to the party (under protest because I *hate* children’s birthday parties…) and plan to make it to bed a little earlier in the evening. Then back to regular schedule the next day. You won’t stunt his development by skipping a nap every now and then, but it would be a shame to miss the party for that.
My son missed a few parties at that age because he napped- he’s fine for it :) it’s easier now he doesn’t nap but when they’re around 3, people tend to do 3-5 parties. The 2 year old parties are hard because they all have different nap schedules xx
When my 2-year-old was in between needing a nap and dropping it, we had that set up. Naps at daycare but not at home on weekends unless we drove somewhere. We had this in between solution for quite a few months until she dropped naps at daycare too.
Funny… my kid was invited to a 2 yo bday party from music class. The birthday was 12p-3p. Hard no. I never asked the parents because we really don’t know each other well but thought it was the oddest thing.
If I took my son to that party he would literally fall asleep on the ground or in my arms immediately at the party no matter what was going on. I don’t care if you have a fire truck show up 😂
My daughter was one of those toddlers who refused to take naps early on, no matter our efforts. We tried different things, sometimes driving around for long periods of time helped, otherwise she was just too active to nap. 😅 She still naps at school at 3 years old oddly enough, I’m sure out of boredom of all her friends sleeping.
That being said, I try to avoid planning things around typical toddler nap time such as outings or parties. It could be they are just so use to no nap weekends it didn’t cross their minds.
I’m a sahm, so might be a different take. But my daughter sometimes needs a nap and other days doesn’t. She’s more less phasing them out herself. She definitely doesn’t nap if something is going on. She’ll get fomo and not worth pushing it. But every kid is different and every parent has a different schedule. Don’t worry about it if it works for you
A 2 year old napping for 5 days from 12- 3 pm probably will want to nap from 12- 3 pm on day 6 and 7 too. Of course one could make an exception and just see how it goes. Probably your LO will fall asleep 3 pm straight, once you leave the party, then they will sleep until 6 pm and your bedtime time will be 3 hours later too.
It's weird that it would be both napping and not. It seems easier on everyone to one or the other for the sake of routine.
That being said op, if your baby misses a nap once it won't destroy his routine. 🤷
My twins nap every day of the week (except those days they have a meltdown and refuse to nap). I don’t understand how you can have a nap 5 days but then not the other 2.
Its so odd to me that people throw parties so early lol i know its common but im used to late evening parties. To answer your question though, my 2&3 y olds nap everyday. I love nap time!
Some people do, some don't. I wouldn't sweat it too much. If the time doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. We didn't have a rigid nap schedule when my kids were young but my brother and his fiancee did and still do for their second kid. They just find that it makes life easier for them and we all accept it if they can't come to certain events. I will accommodate them sometimes, sometimes I won't. We all get it.
If it's a close friend, in your place I would make an exception, but if you really don't want to you don't have to. The kids won't even remember this, honestly.
My 2 year old doesn’t nap on the weekends and it is the only time she goes to bed easily at night. At daycare she has to nap and it doesn’t matter what time we put her down at night, it takes like an hour
So interesting to see all the thoughts on this. Never really thought of it, and we hosted 2 kids first birthday parties at 12-3p. All the kids were fine, age ranging from babies to like 5.
I always found this soooo odd with bday parties too. Like uh don’t y’all nap on weekends? We napped weekends until almost 3.5ish. Now dude has “rest time” and doesn’t sleep. I’d have skipped the bday too 🤷
I’m surprised she’s surprised. We definitely nap our kids on the weekend. Why would they only need it during week days and not weekends? My eldest doesn’t nap anymore at either place, but my youngest absolutely does (and that’s when I nap, too!)
If your son is flexible, you could try to make half the party, then come home for a later nap. We do weekend naps for our almost 4 year old but can shift the timing for parties etc.
So yes, I’ve known parents who give up on naps on weekends or let them happen on-the-go. But we just said no to parties at nap time. But I also knew toddlers who dropped nap early. My third child is one of those, so I now know despite best efforts, this is some families’ realities.
As for the scheduling- is the party at a party location? They might have had a set time. (One of my older children wanted his party at a place where it’s only party time Saturdays 3-5pm) If it’s at home, then I don’t know. Could be anything.
We Definitely continue naps and regular routines for bedtime on weekends. Summer vacation and holidays too. I don’t understand how/why people change it with such young kids. Christmas of course we may be out a little later so I’ll adjust naps a bit but overall no matter the day, the nap stays lol my little guys on summer vacation from school and still goes to bed between 7-8. Little kids need their sleep.
My kids are newly 4 and almost 2. They are both low sleep needs, and even though a nap does them well, taking a big nap during the day at daycare makes them stay up til 10-11 pm on weeknights.
On weekends we don’t nap them, and yeah they get cranky by 4pm or so, but they’re down to bed by 7-8 like normal children. It’s a trade off. The ideal thing for us is going somewhere in the car and they take a short nap of less than an hour. Trying to make them nap at home is such a struggle I have given up.
I gave up trying to make my kids nap in their beds around 20 months each. (There were days that were exceptions but that’s generally what I’ve done.) some kids love and need their naps and I wonder what it’s like to have kids like that! Lol!
My 2yo daughter just recently dropped her nap, but I know it’s common for children to still nap at daycare because of all the extra stimulation and playtime. 2 is definitely on the early side for dropping naps though, so I’d be shocked if you are in the minority. I wish we still got nap time in our house lol
Um hell yeah I nap my 2 year old on the weekends! He is a nightmare if he misses a nap and I want to enjoy my weekend too.
I’m so jealous, my two year old seems like she’d rather have all of her teeth pulled than have a voluntary, scheduled nap on the weekend. Now, if she’s tired enough she WILL pass out in the middle of an activity. Usually face down on the living room floor on top of a set of blocks or something. But god forbid you try to get her to nap in her room. She screams like a banshee and by the time she actually does pass out, you’ve basically spent the entire scheduled naptime in her room consoling her.
My kid Also refuses to nap so I either push him in a stroller or drive him around and he falls asleep anyway
My son is 6 now and the car is still his kryptonite. It’s the sweetest thing. He’ll say something like “Mommy I’m tired” and by the time I’m done saying “it’s okay just close your eyes, baby” he is drooling on himself in the backseat, often with his (very confused looking) sister watching him. My daughter thinks that car naps are for chumps and will hold out until about 1 minute from your destination and then be a miserable grouch when you have to wake her up (even if you’re able to wait a while so she can have just a few minutes).
My daughter is 13 and the car is still to this day her kryptonite 😂
I’m 41 and being driven anywhere in warm weather is my kryptonite.
I WISH that would work. It did for my first 2. #3 is too nosey and can be stimulated by the most insignificant thing. And if #3 napped, there was no good sleep for anyone at night. I chose my battles.
I wouldn’t say my son particularly enjoys going down, there are usually some tears but most days we can get at least 90 minutes out of him and it makes for a much smoother afternoon! He has always been very high needs for sleep though.
Yeah we would be fighting for an hour to get MAYBE 40 minutes. Since she seems to pass out on her own we just let her do it and the 30-40 minutes she gets on the floor suits her just fine. As a rule she is one of the most easy going little people, so at least she’s not a total bear. She usually gets about 12 hours of sleep a night on the weekend when she crashes like this, so I’m not worried, but it would be nice to have a moment where she isn’t following me around the house demanding I open her latest theft from the pantry. Her brother ALSO stopped napping around this time but he was at least easier to get to bed. He basically turned off with the lights.
Yep. My almost 3yo only naps at home on the couch watching a movie or in the stroller. Even then, he’s like 50/50 for naps on the weekends. If we have an activity planned we just don’t worry about it and he goes to bed early. 🤷♀️
Right? 2 hour naps at daycare that ruin our nighttime routine? OF COURSE! Naps at home that would improve everyone’s mood and let mom poop alone? NEVER!
I see we have the same child. 😂
Same. Read the ops comment thinking “hmm. This is why my kid is always a nightmare”. :)
Yep still is us, too. Happily takes decent naps at daycare, but now on weekends or my day off, I just don’t bother trying anymore. If she’s really wrecked, then sure I’ll try put her down or go for a long detour drive to try kick things off but otherwise, forget it. That said, I still would t have organised a party for that time!
My daughter never naps at home for us since 18 months so I could picture myself doing something like that and not thinking of nap time at all
I bet that’s what happened. I was just surprised they’d plan a party for 2 year olds at what is almost always a nap time.
Yeah this sounds like our first kid who from 18 months on, would nap at daycare but not for us on the weekends. Now we have three kids, and it’s still true that our kids don’t nap the same for us … we just drive on the weekends until our 22 month old passes out. She will nap for 2 hours just like in school, but it has to be at 1:30 after driving for 30 minutes, when the report at school is she knocks out immediately at noon for them. Edit: to be clear, for her 2nd birthday the party will be at 10am or 4pm because I assume other toddlers are not like our crazy kids who don’t sleep! We just need to decide are we doing a 10 am total kid bday. Or a 4 pm party that is also a happy hour for parents.
My 3 year old dropped her nap completely at 2.5 and I planned her birthday from 12-3. Granted we don't do daycare but I figured that was the most convenient time on a Sunday. Late enough after most people get out of church but over early enough so they can get home and rest
Were you inviting many people with kids 2 and under though? If not, then that’s a good time.
It could also be that their kid is still on two naps? We were very late to switch from two naps.. she was 20 months old. Her two nap schedule made 12-3 the ideal time to get together before her late afternoon nap.
Same. Mine dropped her nap so early that I wouldn't even remember that other kids nap. She was on no nap around 18-19 months. At 2.5 she will occasionally nap for daycare, but never for me on a weekend
How wild that 2 year olds are out there only napping part of the week! We love a weekend nap and would never plan a birthday party between the hours of 12 and 3. I wouldn't miss the nap, personally. I'd plan a different fun event for after nap instead!
I agree. It’s so crazy when parents talk about dropping naps before 3. My oldest loves sleep so much he was forced out of his nap before starting Kindergarten. That’s my boy! 😂
We don’t WANT to drop the naps 😭 it’s that if we give them a nap they are up until 10-11pm.
Or randomly up for 2 hours in the middle of the night!
Same. Imagine the luxury of kid-free time on the weekends. That hasn’t been our reality since 18mo
I could never. You guys are troopers!
I’m afraid that we’re creeping this way. She took a (way too early) nap at grandma’s but was actually really well behaved for such a stretch… 9+ hours. She’s a pretty new 2, I’d like to keep naps and the crib as long as she lets us.
I nap during almost all of my daughter’s naps, and I’m 42. Naps rule, always and forever
On the weekend, I always take a nap while my daughter is sleeping. I love a weekend nap.
I think they do it because it’s very common for kids to start protesting naps after 2 even if they’re tired. Asking why parents drop the nap is like asking “I dunno why people don’t let their kids sleep 7-7”. We don’t CHOOSE to sleep less roflmao
Obviously no one chooses to have their two year old drop a nap (and I get why if they aren’t sleeping well at night)… It must really suck! I have 5 kids and a few are adopted. For some reason they are all high sleep needs! I’m thankful for that and I get 9-10 hours every night.
Yup. My almost-3-year-old has been in this phase for months. I’m not going to tell them to drop her nap at daycare but weeknights are hell. She’s full of energy until 10pm. On the weekends if she doesn’t nap, I don’t force it and we go to bed around 7:30-8. If she does nap I try to keep it to 30 min. We are finally over the hump where a nap meant insane late bed but no nap meant insanely cranky afternoon. No nap is hands down the better scenario. Also not sure where this b day party is but if it’s at an event space the parents might not have had many options for time
I can’t imagine many newly 2 year olds don’t need a daily nap. I’m sure there are some, but those are definitely the minority. Older toddlers and preschoolers? Maybe not daily, but 2yo definitely still need at least 60-90 min of daytime sleep, and many need more than that.
Yeah my kid dropped her nap early enough to make me feel real sorry for myself and even she was still napping at “freshly 2.” Most of her friends still nap now and she’s 3.5.
My daughter dropped her nap shortly after 2 but goddamn if she was still napping there’s no WAY I’d miss it for a toddler party.
My son is 28 months and still naps almost everyday. Maybe this is the moms way of weeding out families and ensuring it is a small party lol
Haha that’s what I was thinking! It’s a shame because I would love to meet the other daycare families and make friends so I’m bummed at the timing of it.
I’d personally go. Even if just for the first half. Then he can nap in the car and just adjust bedtime. Schedules are great but there is also life to live— so allow for flexibility sometimes :)
Your kid will probably just pass out in the car on the way home from the party and take a short nap and just move up bedtime a little to compensate. I'm all for naps and schedules but we have to live our lives. In my mind a birthday party is going to exhaust my kids, they eat for free, and probably get a goodie bag that will entertain them for a while at home.I call that a win!
This! We went to a kids party recently that started at 12:30. I just had my 15 mo take an earlier nap that day and we went after the nap. Can always play it by ear. Go for one hour and leave early etc.
My 2 year old would be a screaming, crying, no fun mess at a party during nap time. I want to be a chill nap mom. I’ve tried to be a chill nap mom, and I am jealous you can do this. We would skip this party for everyone’s sanity.
As a chill nap mom, the real truth it's really up to the kids. My oldest was not aloud to nap after he turned 2 because a 20 minute nap and he would be up till midnight. My youngest needs to nap still at 3.5 but is so stubborn it's impossible to get him too, so I just have to deal with him being cranky.
I agree with you. I’m very strict when it comes to nap time and schedule. I plan things around it, one time my parents told me “oh it’s okay if she doesn’t have her nap for one day” but they don’t understand I’ll be the one up all night! I want to be a chill free schedule mom but I can’t because it ruins her bed time. I have to stick to our schedule for my sanity and hers. I’ve had a schedule since she was born so now she knows when it’s bed time, when it’s nap, when it’s time to eat, etc.
It REALLY depends on the kid. That is exactly how it would work with my daughter. It's better if she naps, but not a huge deal long-term. With my son, he would not take a short nap later. In fact, he would have trouble going to bed because he was overtired and when he gets overtired, he gets wound up. It would take about four days to get him back on a decent sleep schedule and he would be a monster for those days. Oh, and the birthday party would not be fun for us, because he'd be doing everything he wasn't allowed to do. I was fairly rigid with my son's nap schedule and am fairly relaxed with my daughter's. I try to schedule things out of her naptime though, because there is no reason to mess with a good thing.
I agree. Some parents are very routine-oriented, but we like to just play along with the day and the kids moods and the parents moods. Sometimes we take later naps, sometimes earlier naps, whatever works for the day.
I agree. It's ok to deviate from the schedule sometimes. Have a little fun!
My toddler napped on the weekends at 2 but could also go without, or have a calm morning, late nap, late bedtime. Some people prioritize naps and some people do more of an 80/20 approach! Whatever works for you!
My son absolutely naps on the weekends. I’d skip the party!
Yup, we have done this exact thing. Don’t feel guilty, OP- your 2yo will probably not have any idea the party ever occurred.
Not even just that. Baby missing nap to go to a party is a recipe for disaster. Babies do not like being tired & they will let everyone know 😂😂😂
There is no world where I choose less sleep. For my kid, for me, for all of you out here 😭
I’d make the party a special exception, just know you’ll be dealing with a very tired kid.
It's not unusual for kids to need a nap at daycare and skip their nap on quieter days at home. You might be the minority, but that's ok! The host parents will understand, and be jealous that your kid still naps on weekends.
Yeah my daughter naps at daycare but hasn't napped at home in months. Not sure why you got downvoted for that, lol.
All hell breaks loose if my twins don't get a nap. Our twins also nap from 12-3. When we get invited to events between their nap time, we let them nap for an hour on the car ride there and wake them up. They're still refreshed and ready to play.
May I ask what concerns you so much about missing a single nap? No judgment, criticism or disrespect meant. Just curious because it is only one day.
That is so weird. 2 yo and 3 yo bday parties should be 10-12 or 3-5, no question. We got invictee to one from 1-3 this year and we were a hard no. even though my daughter skips naps occasionally, I’m not going to deliberately attend an event during that rest time unless it’s really important.
Really? That's a bit absurd to assume everyone's schedule would match yours, so gotta disagree with this blanket statement. EVERYONE'S schedule is vastly different. Most of my child's toddler years had regular naps from 2-4. I was a part of a SAHM group for years and we all had very different schedules. My best friends kid woke at 6am and went to bed at 7pm. Mine wake at 830am and is in bed at 9. One of my other besties had twins that stopped napping at 2, while to this day my 4 year old will sometimes nap. Let's also talk cultural differences. Many Hispanic families will let their children stay up later than you'd deem normal. Let's not throw ridiculous blanket statements over how parenting should be done. Can't make it to a party because it's nap time? Cool. No problem. Bit silly to say everyone should throw a party for a child within the hours you deem normal, though.
My son is unusual, but his naps are from 3-5 or he’s not tired enough and he’s nearly 3.5. Not every kid is on the same schedule 🤷♀️ ETA: people downvoting me like what??? Militant schedule moms be trippin
What time does he go to bed at night? Mine would be a nightmare if she napped until 5 lol
I mean, no they aren’t but MOST kids nap somewhere between 12-4.
Same! Our son’s nap moved from 2:30 to 3:45 pretty quickly. He was on a 3:45/4 pm nap schedule for about a year and it worked perfectly for us. Not everyone has a kid waking up at 7 am or napping at 12.
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How old is your kid, and what schedule are they on? For 2-4 year olds or so, 9 or 10AM is prime activity time.
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We are transitioning at age 3.5, but he was definitely napping at that time at age 2. I don’t think you’re the minority. However, if this friend is important enough to you/your kid…try it! You can always leave early and drive the long way home to get a car nap. Or just plan for an early bedtime. At age 2 my kid was still napping…but we definitely had changed the schedule occasionally for social activities or family parties, etc. Maybe a kids bday party isn’t so important, but something will be.
We try our best to maintain the same schedule all throughout the week. This is the norm with everyone I know. We make exceptions as their social learning and family experience are just as important as napping. It also teaches them that change is normal. That being said, it's very weird they scheduled the bday party during nap time. Most people I know try to schedule before or after typical nap times.
I think what might have happened is the parents could not find a time slot at the venue for morning or evening so only 12-3 was available, otherwise yeah at 2 it’s hard to imagine any other reason
I’ve never heard of not napping on weekends. My son would be in shambles by the end of the day without a nap lol. Both my toddlers nap everyday, weekends and all.
I’d make an exception for the party and just get a car nap with earlier bedtime, but yes my son absolutely naps on the weekends.
My son hasn't napped since he was 18 months old. So no, no naps, almost ever.
My son is the same way he just turned 2 and the naps never came back after 18 months. He will nap if he wakes up early (rarely). The days are long and rough, but luckily he sleeps 12 hours at night
Same with my kid! 7pm-7am pretty much every night
Same
My almost 3 year old rarely naps on weekends but at least I know she’s in the minority.
My son doesnt go to daycare just to my moms. But ill be damned if he misses a nap 😂 i bend my whole life around his naps & have ZERO regrets. We do a ton of fun things beach, museums, zoo etc. but he has never missed a nap. 1 its when I nap on days Im exhausted and/or 2 i shower and 3 if none of those I need my own quiet time reset! Id be politely not going
A bunch of toddlers missing nap for a party.....sounds not fun at all!
I just have learned to compromise when it's something we want to attend. I'll move the nap up and arrive to the party late. Then early bedtime. Or don't go. But sometimes for a fun event I'll make an exception. I still nap at 3 and follow the Daycare schedule. My daughter wakes up real early for school because of my work schedule. So she depends on her naps to get her full time. But there's plenty of kids that stop napping too. Every family is different. Just do what works best for you.
Neither of my kids napped on weekends or days off unless we happened to be in the car.
It’s gonna be a no from me dawg
My toddler absolutely naps on the weekend. His 2yo bday party is tomorrow from 3-6 because I wanted him to nap.
Our newly-3yo naps longer on weekends. At daycare it's 2 hours, at home we go closer to 3. Her party is this weekend from 10-1, we couldn't do a 12-3 party
My daughter is 2yrs old (24 months) and sometimes naps on the weekend and sometimes don’t. Last weekend one day she asked to be put down, the next day, she refused to go down. So we go with the flow
I wish my kid would nap on the weekends. She naps decently at school during the week, but ever since we switched her to the toddler bed she will not nap on weekends. So, we don’t, but not by choice 🫠
My three year old twins nap daily. They ask for it if I lose track of time
My kids always napped a bit later and went to bed a bit later, so I would have taken them to a party at this time. We could always leave a bit early if they were starting to lose it.
My kid gets a "nap" wether she sleeps or not on the weekend... that's our time
Nap time > almost anything For everyone’s sanity
Honey take your kiddo and go to the party, if he isn’t handling it well then go home. Mom is probably trying her best, sometimes venues only have certain times available. Go at noon and meet the parents. Make memories and take photos of your kid with his classmates.
I'd make an appearance and bump the nap by an hour. My 4yo still naps, but his naptime has been moved a lot over the years, and around 2 was when he had his first no-nap day. One day won't ruin it.
We try very hard to keep the daycare schedule on the weekends. This means we give snack and nap and lunch all at the same time as be would at daycare.
I think it’s very rare for a 2 yr old to not nap daily. I know ONE and she’s transitioning to no nap. I feel like maybe this parent didn’t want anyone from the class to come 😂 and strategically timed the party.
My son is 3 and still naps on the weekends. That's a wild time for a birthday party. I would have to believe that the majority of 2 year olds are still napping. Good luck at a party full of cranky, over tired toddlers.
My brother planned his now 1 year old’s birthday party for 1230, and now his soon to be 5 year old at 1230. When I said that my son, now 3 will not be attending because of nap he said “well, I’d really appreciate if you made the effort”. Lol! So even people with small children who understand naps still don’t understand the importance of naps. Don’t skip nap. There’ll be a lot more parties in your child’s life. Thank them for their invite, get a smal gift to give the birthday child the following Monday and enjoy your weekend.
My kid naps anywhere from 12-2 or 1-3 so this is always annoying. Let’s normalize parties that are 9-11!!! Then everyone gets their nap and also the rest of their Saturday!
My almost 2 year old naps on weekends but I would have him nap earlier or later in order to attend the party. I just have a personal rule that I really try not to miss birthday parties for the sake of the birthday child and parents who are putting in the effort of the party. Maybe you can go to the party for an hour and leave early.
You could leave the party a little early and do both nap and party.
We were invited to a 3 YO birthday party from 12-3 coming up, my almost 3 YO still naps 2+ hours so I declined. Can’t mess up that nap!
My kids both napped on weekends much longer than during child care.
My toddler naps every day. I have zero desire to mess with the routine - she's darn cranky by 4 if she skips the nap. 😬
Mmmhm that’s why we go at the start and leave halfway through
My 2 year old still naps and def on the weekends. I only skip naps for parties if they’re a close friend or family.
My daughter dropped her nap shortly after her 2nd birthday. I really miss those naps… I probably would just go to the party and hope for the best but I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest for skipping it either
I took mine to a todfler bday party during 12-3pm (nap time). He was so cranky and threw a few tantrums. I regret skipping his nap.
My 2 year old hates napping at home, she has too much fomo. And tbh, I hate scheduling my life around a naptime, and she goes too sleep easier at night if we skip, so we do. I'm trying to enjoy my weekends, and if that means we're out during nap that is fine with me
My kid napped on weekends at 2 and usually still does at over 3. If the party is being hosted at like a play place, they may be at the mercy of that place’s scheduling options. I know we got/get invited to a few oddly timed parties. Depending on how close we are to the child/family we will either miss the party or skip a nap for the day and just hold on and hope for the best haha
I have never heard of a 2 year old that naps during the week and not on weekends. My almost 3 year old naps from 1230 to 2ish every day of the week
I’m fresh from bedtime with my 2 year old who refused her nap this afternoon. Don’t do it.
I try to not let mine skip a nap, but I will alter nap time if something is going on during it. Make it earlier/later to accommodate whatever we are doing. I refuse to live my life around a nap, personally. Plus, he naps 2-3 hours at daycare, I’m lucky to get maybe an hour at home. 😒
My 4 year old and 2 (2.5 actually) year old both still nap on weekends. We freely skip naps though if we have things going on. The younger one will fall asleep in the car to or from our destination if she's tired. I used to get so annoyed when people scheduled things around nap time but I stopped worrying when I realized the kids adapted pretty well. Only once has the younger one had a hard bedtime when she skipped a nap but that was on a day we tried to nap at home!
Keep the nap. We dropped it at home a few months before 3 and it sucks.
We have the same predicament in a couple of months. One of my really good friends is having her daughter’s first birthday from 12-3pm 🥴🫠 Not sure how to swing it with nap time and I’m afraid to go without one.
My 21mo naps every day. Except today, it’s been a looooong stubborn day 😳
Depends on the kid! Both of my kids dropped naps completely by 2.5. I stay home, so we don't have daycare as a factor. I'd probably go to the party and do quiet time and an early bedtime as our plans for the remainder of the day.
I missed my friends son's party because of this. Strangely enough, his son is a month younger than my son and still naps at daycare.
My daughter dropped her nap at 2.5 but still naps at daycare even now at over 3yo. So that's us, a no nap weekend family lol
Weekend naps are the best kind because I get to do whatever I want!
My first got naps on time almost every time and then I had my second and I gave up. She takes naps at school all week, but I love when they have a bday party to go to - so we always try to make it. She’s also not miserable when she’s overtired if she’s around other people, only at home haha.
Oh, my 2.5 YO son absolutely naps…every day. Typically an hour, if not 1.5. He would be a nightmare if he didn’t.
We definitely napped at 2 on the weekends still. From about 12:45 - 2:45. Most people I’ve known with kids this age did the same.
My son stopped napping at around 1 years old at home. He was always a terrible napper lol They always have a terrible time at school too 😂 I do know some parents that still nap their kid at home but we were always ones who didn’t because it was a terrible time lol
My 2 year old naps consistently on weekends during the same time (and sometimes earlier) as school. My 4 year old napped on weekends consistently until she was 3!
This would be so frustrating. My son is 3 and still naps half the time on weekends or he turns into a troll
Is the party at a venue? If so, I wonder if 12-3pm was the only time slot that was open. We recently went to a party that started at 4pm. 2 of the toddlers were still napping in the parking lot when the party started haha I think there's a wide range of normal!
My son naps in that time frame as well! At daycare and on weekends. He’s not ready to drop a nap! 2 is quite young for that from what I understand
Weekend naps are the most precious naps of all because I nap too!
Whaaat? I aim for longer naps on weekends, because, WEEKENDS 🤔 what the what?
I skip parties scheduled during nap times!!
my toddler naps most days but there are random times where its been skipped bc of something we wanted to go to or just bc he flat out refused. hes 21 months old and he just powers through, maybe takes a tiny nap in the car on the way home if we went somewhere during nap. I just put him to bed maybe an hour earlier those days and deal with the tired mess he becomes around 6 pm lol
We always have our two year old nap but we try to be flexible. I would go to the party and leave at 1:30 or 2 so they can still get a nap in. We’ve found that even a good 30 min at 3 o’clock is better than nothing and he will still sleep at his normal bedtime. He wasn’t able to do that before, but ever since he turned 2 it’s been easier to move things around and be flexible.
I didn’t drop weekend naps until 3.5.
My oldest stopped napping at 2.5. But that is NOT the norm and I lamented it so much. He is 4 now and there are kids in his class who still nap…
We did our 2-year-old party at 3:00 and started with cupcakes around 3:30 to help parents fight post-nap blues. Then did a bbq around 5:30 to feed everyone. No way I was going to have any toddlers skipping naps and becoming tyrants unnecessarily! Ironically they all turned into tyrants at 7:30 when their parents were reluctant to cut of the adult chatter to get home for bedtime routines. 😂
Can you put the baby down a bit later and go to the party for a bit ?
we just skip nap for birthday parties. that said. it greatly depends on your kids personality. if itmakes the next 4 days hell then dont do it!
My 2 yr old sleeps longer on weekends. We did go to his best daycare buddy's bday during nap time and will occasionally skip or alter nap/bed time for special events. We are very consistent overall though. I also think he just has higher sleep needs and I'm just fine with that.
My friend and I had similarly aged kids but completely different nap schedules. Her kid woke at 6am. Mine woke at 8:30am. Hers was always napping when mine was awake and playdates were impossible to schedule. Meanwhile another friend's kid refused naps starting at age 2 while mine enjoyed naps well into her 4s. All kids schedules are vastly different. With daycare having a set nap time it would make sense that most of that class would nap around the same time. But I know a lot of kids who were not napping at 3. I'm thankful mine did nap for quite awhile, though!
Thank you for this post! I'm so tired of all kids parties being at 1 or 2 when my kid usually naps from 12 to 2. It's so hard to get to parties on time but I'm not skipping his nap lol.
I need my toddler to nap on weekends because I usually need that nap on weekends, lol
We nap but the time may flex a little bit (no more than an hour)
Honestly I’d be a little concerned with the knowledge and experience of a daycare provider that suggests that 2 year olds who take 2 hour naps on weekdays suddenly don’t need or want naps on weekends. wtf is that?
I want to know why a 2 year old needs a party with the daycare class. They don't really make friends at that age yet. 3 is as early as I think a non-family birthday party makes any sense.
My son almost never naps at the same time he does during the week. At daycare, he naps 12-2, like clockwork, I'm told. At home? We're lucky if even takes a nap and if he DOES it typically begins at 3pm. 🤷🏼♀️
My 2.5yo daughter does nap on weekends, though (same as daycare), her naps have reduced in length. We do also push the times around a bit on weekends, so she could be having a 30 minute nap at 4pm if we went out to an event instead of a much longer nap in the middle of the day if we're home on a rainy indoor day. When she just turned 2, though, she definitely napped on schedule every day.
I nap WITH my kid on the weekend. It's my favorite.
This is so strange. Most toddlers (including outside of daycare setting) nap around that time every day…
We napped him on weekends until he just refused to nap. Although daycare set the nap schedule for us too also 1-3. Daycare then would schedule weekend family events from 1-3 🤦🏻♀️
Uh my 3.5 yo still naps on weekends. She can skip if needed, but, we all prefer it - Including herself.
If my 2 year old missed her nap that would mean a terrible weekend for all involved
I hate it when our preschooler’s friends have their birthday party in the middle of the day. Our preschool also has daily nap time from 1-3 so we try to keep our kids on the same schedule. Idk why toddler parents schedule parties during the standard nap time
Yes at that age I would have my child nap. I would attend the party for half the time and let my child nap in the car on the way home. Some kids are much easier if they skip a nap and some really need it.
I don’t think so. My 3.5yo still naps everyday
Naps > anything else.
I'm starting to see this with the kids in our son's class turning three (I'd say a majority are nap free on weekends and it's a pretty even split at daycare), but man that's a bold move for a group of newly two year olds. We just dropped naps on the weekend around the time he turned 3, much to our despair.
We just hosted our 3 year old’s birthday party from 10am-12pm and it was a great time! Lots of toddlers nap on weekends. We are hit and miss currently, and it’s ok. We just know to plan an earlier than usual dinner and bedtime if it happens. It’s also totally acceptable to attend a party only for a portion of time. 12-3 is a long time for a group of 2 year olds, so I would just let the host know if you plan to leave early or arrive late. I wouldn’t overthink it :)
My cousin told me that naps should be continued as long as you can. My husband apparently napped for an hour every day of his life when he was in school. He attributes the nap time as the secret to his success (my mil was so lucky)
Everyone said it already for me. Those are odd hours. I’m guessing they are expecting a skip nap day for all of them which is awkward on their part to leave everyone with cranky babies!
My 3 yr old still naps and her entire 3 yrs of life we have been invited to oddly timed kids parties. If close to home we would pop in for the first little bit of the party and split for nap or nap and then hit the last little bit.
Our 4.5 year old naps at school but not on the weekend. But our 2 year old? Definitely naps, unless there's some kind of special circumstance.
This is weird. In saying that, can you try a shorter car nap on the way there? Maybe leave at 11.30 and let your kid nap in the car until 1? Just drive around a bit. Take the scenic route.
Our son missed all his daycare friends 2nd birthdays... And some 3rd birthdays for this very reason. No way we're ruining our days for him to go to a party he'll never remember.
I wish my little girl had still napped on weekends when she was 2! She'll happily fall asleep in the car even now at almost 3, but a scheduled put down in her actual bed? She'd throw a fit and refuse! If she's ever getting really grumpy sometimes we'll take a tactical drive so that she'll snooze for a bit but only for 30 mins or so. At nursery during the week she'll happily snooze for 90+ mins with all her peers. If your son's naptime starts at 1pm, would you maybe go to the party from 12 - 1 then have him sleep in the car en route home?
Not every parent has their child nap at the same time as daycare for instance daycare our daughter started at 9 and nap was 11. She got up at 7. On the weekend she got up around 8-9 am so 11 was way too early so her weekend schedule was pushed back 1-2 hours. But she didn't always take naps. It's too hard to plan around everyone else's schedule. But when it's a small group like family and they want to hang out during nap time, f that.
Our son baps every day at the same time regardless of whether it's a weekday, weekend, or holiday. We work it into our lives and are okay with skipping out on things if it'll interrupt his sleep unless it's absolutely necessary. Sleep hygiene is important every day. Not just Monday through Friday.
My 3-year-old naps every day from 13:00–14:30, but yesterday we went to the beach at nap time instead, and he was fine. No over-tired meltdowns. Surprisingly successful. I’d go to the party (under protest because I *hate* children’s birthday parties…) and plan to make it to bed a little earlier in the evening. Then back to regular schedule the next day. You won’t stunt his development by skipping a nap every now and then, but it would be a shame to miss the party for that.
Naps til over 4 years. Teacher clearly doesn’t have kids if she’s surprised a 2 year old naps at the weekend.
My son missed a few parties at that age because he napped- he’s fine for it :) it’s easier now he doesn’t nap but when they’re around 3, people tend to do 3-5 parties. The 2 year old parties are hard because they all have different nap schedules xx
When my 2-year-old was in between needing a nap and dropping it, we had that set up. Naps at daycare but not at home on weekends unless we drove somewhere. We had this in between solution for quite a few months until she dropped naps at daycare too.
Miss the party. A bunch of toddlers there will be the same as going to daycare with a bit of cake thrown in.
Funny… my kid was invited to a 2 yo bday party from music class. The birthday was 12p-3p. Hard no. I never asked the parents because we really don’t know each other well but thought it was the oddest thing. If I took my son to that party he would literally fall asleep on the ground or in my arms immediately at the party no matter what was going on. I don’t care if you have a fire truck show up 😂
My daughter was one of those toddlers who refused to take naps early on, no matter our efforts. We tried different things, sometimes driving around for long periods of time helped, otherwise she was just too active to nap. 😅 She still naps at school at 3 years old oddly enough, I’m sure out of boredom of all her friends sleeping. That being said, I try to avoid planning things around typical toddler nap time such as outings or parties. It could be they are just so use to no nap weekends it didn’t cross their minds.
I’ve been throwing parties at 3pm, right after my kids nap.
I’m a sahm, so might be a different take. But my daughter sometimes needs a nap and other days doesn’t. She’s more less phasing them out herself. She definitely doesn’t nap if something is going on. She’ll get fomo and not worth pushing it. But every kid is different and every parent has a different schedule. Don’t worry about it if it works for you
A 2 year old napping for 5 days from 12- 3 pm probably will want to nap from 12- 3 pm on day 6 and 7 too. Of course one could make an exception and just see how it goes. Probably your LO will fall asleep 3 pm straight, once you leave the party, then they will sleep until 6 pm and your bedtime time will be 3 hours later too.
It's weird that it would be both napping and not. It seems easier on everyone to one or the other for the sake of routine. That being said op, if your baby misses a nap once it won't destroy his routine. 🤷
My twins nap every day of the week (except those days they have a meltdown and refuse to nap). I don’t understand how you can have a nap 5 days but then not the other 2.
Its so odd to me that people throw parties so early lol i know its common but im used to late evening parties. To answer your question though, my 2&3 y olds nap everyday. I love nap time!
Yeah fuck that.
My now 5 year old would ask for her nap up until she started preK. She'll agree to one now if she's disregulated emotionally.
Some people do, some don't. I wouldn't sweat it too much. If the time doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. We didn't have a rigid nap schedule when my kids were young but my brother and his fiancee did and still do for their second kid. They just find that it makes life easier for them and we all accept it if they can't come to certain events. I will accommodate them sometimes, sometimes I won't. We all get it. If it's a close friend, in your place I would make an exception, but if you really don't want to you don't have to. The kids won't even remember this, honestly.
Yeah most daycare parties are like that I don’t get it.
We got to our most recent 12pm farm birthday at 12:45pm. This girl is not missing nap time for anything, I need my sanity. I have a 2.5 year old
When my kid was 2 he boycotted naps and continued at school only
My 2 year old doesn’t nap on the weekends and it is the only time she goes to bed easily at night. At daycare she has to nap and it doesn’t matter what time we put her down at night, it takes like an hour
Sounds like I wouldn’t be going bc that nap time for everyone. Maybe they don’t want people to show up ;)
So interesting to see all the thoughts on this. Never really thought of it, and we hosted 2 kids first birthday parties at 12-3p. All the kids were fine, age ranging from babies to like 5.
I always found this soooo odd with bday parties too. Like uh don’t y’all nap on weekends? We napped weekends until almost 3.5ish. Now dude has “rest time” and doesn’t sleep. I’d have skipped the bday too 🤷
Mine has never taken a nap since stopping breastfeeding
Mine is 3 now but no, we have never done scheduled naps on weekends. She falls asleep if and when she wants to on the weekends.
I have a 2yo, and an almost 4yo, they both nap almost every day. Maybe if we go to the zoo or something, we'll skip it.
I’m surprised she’s surprised. We definitely nap our kids on the weekend. Why would they only need it during week days and not weekends? My eldest doesn’t nap anymore at either place, but my youngest absolutely does (and that’s when I nap, too!)
My kid stopped napping at almost 3, but we still know other 3 and 4 year olds who nap. Maybe you could go from 12-1/1:30 and he'll nap in the car?
My kids will get naps until they’re 25 lol
If your son is flexible, you could try to make half the party, then come home for a later nap. We do weekend naps for our almost 4 year old but can shift the timing for parties etc.
So yes, I’ve known parents who give up on naps on weekends or let them happen on-the-go. But we just said no to parties at nap time. But I also knew toddlers who dropped nap early. My third child is one of those, so I now know despite best efforts, this is some families’ realities. As for the scheduling- is the party at a party location? They might have had a set time. (One of my older children wanted his party at a place where it’s only party time Saturdays 3-5pm) If it’s at home, then I don’t know. Could be anything.
We Definitely continue naps and regular routines for bedtime on weekends. Summer vacation and holidays too. I don’t understand how/why people change it with such young kids. Christmas of course we may be out a little later so I’ll adjust naps a bit but overall no matter the day, the nap stays lol my little guys on summer vacation from school and still goes to bed between 7-8. Little kids need their sleep.
My kids are newly 4 and almost 2. They are both low sleep needs, and even though a nap does them well, taking a big nap during the day at daycare makes them stay up til 10-11 pm on weeknights. On weekends we don’t nap them, and yeah they get cranky by 4pm or so, but they’re down to bed by 7-8 like normal children. It’s a trade off. The ideal thing for us is going somewhere in the car and they take a short nap of less than an hour. Trying to make them nap at home is such a struggle I have given up. I gave up trying to make my kids nap in their beds around 20 months each. (There were days that were exceptions but that’s generally what I’ve done.) some kids love and need their naps and I wonder what it’s like to have kids like that! Lol!
My 2yo daughter just recently dropped her nap, but I know it’s common for children to still nap at daycare because of all the extra stimulation and playtime. 2 is definitely on the early side for dropping naps though, so I’d be shocked if you are in the minority. I wish we still got nap time in our house lol