Tips for How to Transition Your Child From Playtime to Naptime
Anyone else struggling to transition their child from two naps to one? Many toddler milestones come with their fair share of adjustments, and this is one of them! It can take weeks to get a routine set, so when you finally hit the right rhythm, all involved can finally breathe a sigh of relief! In today’s post, we’re sharing how we made the 1-nap transition and how we help our daughter go from playtime to naptime without a fuss. We’ll be highlighting tips for pre-nap skincare with Aveeno® Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream and Aveeno® Baby Sensitive All Over Wipes. Additionally, we are tackling ways to start the settle-down process so your little one isn’t wide-awake when she should be getting shut-eye!
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How to Transition From Two Naps to One
First things first, you need to be able to make the 1-nap leap, especially if your toddler is ready for it! When Evie started to show signs of not requiring a second nap, we knew it was time to make some adjustments to her schedule. At first, these signs weren’t overly noticeable. Initially, we associated them with teething or just the fact that she wasn’t tired or was just that and was “overtired.”
We aimed to give ourselves a few weeks to ease her from morning and afternoon naps to a single late morning nap. In full transparency, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. She was out of her routine, and so were we, understandably we second-guessed this decision quite a bit at first. Eventually, she grew to know her new timeline and adjusted fine. We could push an extra hour in the morning to accommodate her lunchtime, which helped her get a good rest, rather than waking up early and over-hungry.
Set a “Settle Down Time”
Toddlers and children are great when they know the routine, so adhering to a “settle down” time will only help things go smoothly. This process typically happens after we feed Evie lunch. After she finishes eating, we’ll clean her hands and face with Aveeno® Baby Sensitive All Over Wipes. These are great for face clean-ups thanks to the ultra-sensitive 99% naturally derived formula and soft texture of the wipes. We stash these all over the house and always keep one in the pouch behind her highchair.
Once clean, we begin to tone down our environment, so she is less tempted to want to run around or continue to play. We turn off any electronics, including TV or music. Usually, Kevin or I will ask Evie to help us put away some toys and ask her if she’s ready to nap.
I know this may sound weird (asking a toddler if they want to sleep? Crazy?), but it works every time! She will grab her blanket and head straight to her room, where we start the pre-nap changing and skincare routine.
Pre-Nap Change & Skin Routine
We always make a point to change Evie after a meal and before a more extended rest period. We utilize this changing time to also hydrate her skin with Aveeno® Baby Eczema Therapy Cream. This cream has been a constant in our changing station and even has a new look (same, great formula!). This cream is perfect for sensitive skin and works well to blend nicely into the skin. During this time of year, we often run the AC quite frequently, and this air can be incredibly drying to the skin.
This cream is intensely nourishing and helps prevent the recurrence of extra dry skin from eczema. So much so that it’s clinically proven to relieve itchy, irritated skin due to eczema! Are you looking to add these products to your toddler’s skincare routine? Both Aveeno® Baby products can be purchased at Safeway and ABSCo retailers or your local retailer. Since this is our primary store, we find it very easy to pick these up during a typical grocery run. Please note, due to the new look of Aveeno® Baby the packaging you see in the store may vary.
Aveeno® Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream and Aveeno® Baby Sensitive All Over Wipes can be purchased at Safeway stores and found on the Baby Aisle.
After a pre-nap change and lotion application, it’s time to hit the crib. Invite your toddler to “help” get his/her room ready - turn on the sound machine, close the curtains, help gather a lovie or something else that may help baby with sleeping.
Prepare your Little One for Rest.
Give your child a chance to settle in and relax, and eventually, fall asleep. Sometimes it can be challenging for a little one to switch gears from play to rest. Give them some time to settle into their crib and adjust to this new naptime. We often give Evie a buffer of time before we enter the room. This allows her to get her wiggles out, get comfortable, and go to sleep. Suppose you're tempted to run into the room right after the first sound of frustration, don’t.
Remember to give them a minute. It may be all your child needs to get settled! Currently, our 1-nap schedule is the following:
6:20 - Wake, bottle, and change
7:30 - Breakfast
8:15 - Play
10:00 - Late Morning Bottle & Snack
11:30 - Lunch
12:00-2:45 - Nap time (this can adjust every so often depending on the day)
3 - Afternoon Bottle & snack
3-5 Play
5:15 Dinner
6:15 - Bathtime
7:00 - Bed
Have you made the transition to a single nap? If so, we'd love to hear your tips or suggestions!
Cheers ~
Kelly
