Nap Time Dilemma

[tenderhearts]

I have a 3 yr old dcb who has always been a very good napper. He always fell asleep great, was a hard sleeper so nothing woke him up. However, the last 3 months or so nap time has been so challenging. It's not like he lays there quietly but he down right now messes around, is loud, standing on his head ect. I take things away from him as he keeps doing this but NOTHING works, he doesn't care. Problem is I don't like to place him in a different room for a lot of reasons and his parents want him to nap. I do not feel he is entirely ready to give up his naps because when he doesn't nap he is a nightmare in the afternoon and his parents say that he is horrible at home therefore they want to still push for the nap and I can't say I blame them. I have tried putting him to sleep 30 min before everyone else which worked for awhile but not anymore. I would let him get up after an hour IF he lied down quietly but I feel that the way he messes around he shouldn't get the privilege of watching a movie or doing quiet activities.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I have sat in the room, taken blanket, pillow, nap mat everything NOTHING works. His parents said he does this at home as well at bedtime, messes around for over an hour or longer, they are trying new incentives but what can I do here?

[Ariana]

The parents need to either put him to bed an hour later or wake him an hour earlier. My guess is he sleeps in? It sounds like he has outgrown his nap due to too much sleep at night but still needs that little rest during the day to keep his mood regulated.

Another option would be to have a basket of quiet toys that you give him, one at a time in 15 minutes intervals. He loses the toys when he is loud or disruptive.

[CeriBear]

I have a couple of kids who don’t nap either. I don’t require them to sleep but I do ask that they lie quietly and rest for 30 minutes. If they are not asleep by that time I allow them to sit quietly on their cots and play with a quiet toy like a doll or a puzzle. If they talk or make loud noises I give them one warning and then they lose the toy.

If the parents want him to nap have you tried patting his back? I’m not sure if this will work with your DCB but it has worked for me in the past with a challenging napper.

[tenderhearts]

Thanks for the tips. They do put him to bed earlier and they have the same issues at home, they said even if he doesn't have a nap he does the same thing so it isn't dependent on if he's tired or not, he just doesn't want to go to sleep. This boy NEEDS his naps most days, he starts to get very rough, clumsy, doesn't listen, you name it when he is tired. I do set him out with quiet activities but every single time he starts doing something, such as throwing them, or if someone goes near him he will poke them and he ends up getting most taken away. It's really frustrating because he is a nightmare most days he doesn't take a nap. He used to be one of the best and easiest kids until the last couple of months. I don't know what is up, nothing has changed at home either.

[flying_babyb]

make it special. "Hey little x! I got this cool spot for you to rest today! Why dont you check it out? If you can lay quiet till this timer beeps, you can do X"
I had a child that was rotten at nap, downright disruptive. I told him he could sleep under this huge fake leaf thing in our classroom if he promised to lay nice. I made it all cool with battery powered lights and a toy monkey. If he rested he got to take monkey and watch a movie. Worked like a charm and he started sleeping.

[tenderhearts]

I kind of doing something like that. I tell him that if he lays quietly (however I should get a timer) for 45 min then he can come and finish watching the movie with the other kids that lay quietly for quiet time. It never works. I started something last week he always ends up getting his blanket and lovey he brings taken away because he is throwing them, swinging them during nap time so I started making him earn them. If he lays quietly he will get them one at a time, and as soon as he starts goofing around with them he gets them taken away. It seemed to work the 3 days I did it last week. We will see but I like your idea therefore I think a timer would be great. I just need to find something that wont wake up the others in that room with him.