Three Hacks to Get Your Child Napping

Getting my daughter to take a nap has been a nearly impossible task since the day she was born. She had a severe case of infant FOMO, needing to see and be a part of everything going on before her eyes could even focus, and it’s transitioned into frequent episodes of toddler no-nap-itis. For those of you struggling with these issues, know you are not alone.

Over the past few years, I’ve developed some sure fire ways to ensure she gets a nap so as to avoid tantrums and disasters later in the evening. Below are three strategies I hope you, too, can find useful!

1. Plan a fun activity that will require your child to be awake!
   I always find that if I’m really excited about a specific activity - be it a play date or family photos - my daughter will without hesitation take a nap during that time. The key to this is you have to genuinely be excited about the activity, and, thus, feel torn between your disappointment that you cannot do said activity and joy that your toddler is napping. Daniel Tiger calls this “feeling two things at the same time.”
   
   
2. Go for a drive!
   When I found out I was pregnant with my second, we bought a mid-sized SUV, which has been great for carting along a tandem stroller and all the other accessories two children come with. It’s also been a real gas guzzler because every other day, I use it as my instanap secret weapon. Turn up the lullabies, strap in your babies, and drive around the city for hours on end imagining what it would be like to live in the nice, big houses with children who nap in their beds! Bonus: I use this as an opportunity to drive through my favorite coffee shop and get a very fancy caffeinated beverage! With gas and lattes, is this method a bit pricey? Sure! But it’s an investment in my children and I’m a good mom.
3. Forget about the nap!
   Sometimes I get so caught up in cleaning up toys and preventing my children from sticking markers in our dogs’ ears that I forget about naps altogether! Usually when this happens, I am reminded around 4:00 when everyone has a meltdown at the same time. Never fear! Turn on Curious George, hand over a cheese stick, and kick your feet up. The day is almost over and they’ll get a nap tomorrow. You scheduled your family photos, so it’s a guarantee!

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