Child Won't Nap

[mbullette]

I have a little boy who I watch FT. He will turn 2 on Saturday. He has been really good about taking a nap until this week. He used to take 2- 2 hour naps each day but he is down to just one nap now. He is a night owl and not a morning person. He sleeps in a pack n play here but at home he sleeps in a bed. His parents asked me to try this but he would not stay in the bed so he went right back into the pack n play. He is now climbing out of the pack n play and refuses to nap. He goes to bed at 10pm when his parents do and he wakes up between 6-7am. He gets here around 8am. Yes I am aware he is not getting enough sleep. We eat lunch around 11am and he will fall asleep most days eating lunch. Once I put him in the pack n play he climbs out of it and will not nap. Today I tried the pack n play, toddler bed, regular bed and also a nap mat. I spent the entire 2 hours putting him back in his nap area. This child NEEDS a nap and for my sanity he NEEDS to nap. With him not getting enough sleep at night he is ugly by 11 am. I put the baby gate in front of the door but he just climbs over it. I brought his nap mat in the area I was in but he would not lay on it.
I have not been doing this long and I am just asking for help or ideas. I have the kids sleep in bedrooms. I have 2 extremely fussy babies and they are in the main area while the toddlers nap. Bringing him out in the main area just made things worse. Does anyone have any tricks? I have tried a dark room, light room, music, no music, a stuffed animal and nothing has worked. He normally sleeps in my room and will play with everything in there. Today I tried the other bedrooms which are my kids. They have their toys in there that they dont want the daycare kids to play with. He played with the toys and destroyed the rooms. I am lost!! He was such a good napper until this week. I still have him 2 more hours and he is just a total crank because he had no sleep. I am sure he will sleep on the way home and then be up late. If anyone has any advice please let me know. I am not terming this child so that is not the advice I am looking for.
Thanks!!!

[Blackcat31]

I think you are on the right track.

I would tackle the first issue...getting out of the PNP or off the nap mat (I think you should have him nap where ever it works best for you).

I know you spent the entire nap time putting him back and then putting him back again, but I honestly think that is your only course of action.

If he gets up, put him back. Don't get upset and don't show him you are frustrated or exhausted....just say "sorry little guy, nap time" and walk away. If he gets up again, repeat the same actions.

You will probably wear a hole in the flooring but until he gets that you are going to last longer than he is, he will just continue doing hwat he is doing.

It might be two hours of repeatedly putting him back today but I bet tomorrow will be 1 hour and 59 minutes and the next day will be 1 hour and 58 minutes......just rinse and repeat until you have the desired results.

I won't lie though....it IS hard and it IS frustrating but it CAN be done.