Napping Age

[KingstonMom]

At what age do you 'require' children to nap, or at the least to lay quietly while the others sleep?

And why is it that parents insist their child does not need to nap when clearly they do?!

[mlc1982]

So far all of my kids have been good for naps except my almost 4 year old. That's understandable as I see my own almost 3 year old starting to fight off naps more and more each day.
On days I have non-nappers I have them go down to the play room and play with 'quiet toys.' I will put on the tv and they catch watch, play with dolls or read books ...that's it. I don't really require them to lay quietly as I've tried that and it was more of a hassle than anything. I enjoy my quiet time as well and with trying to get the kid(s) to lay down and stay required me to miss out on my own time.
So to answer your question, I would say by the age of 3 I no longer require them to nap or lay down for quiet time.

[Play and Learn]

There is a required nap/quiet time for min an hour in my home. Then they must play quietly or read while the rest are napping.

[Sandbox Sally]

Between 12:30 and 2:30, everyone lays down. I am only interested in caring for those 4 and under, so if they come here, they are expected to nap.

[playfelt]

All kids lay down for the full two hour period - no toys just resting quiet bodies. They can wiggle on their mat if they must but all body parts stay on the mat. Naptime is about resting not about sleeping. I am resting from the kids too eating and doing my own thing.

[sunnydays]

I agree....rest time is mandatory. You can't force them to sleep, but they must stay in their beds for the entire quiet time. I have parents of a child who will be 2 next month who said the child is no longer napping at home and I don't need to make her do it here, but I am not letting an under 2 year old run around and play during quiet time! We went through a couple of rough days and now she is back to sleeping.

[FS2011]

I have a 2.5 year old that "doesn't need a nap" says the parents and they question if he has slept if he comes home with "too much energy", he also the one wirh behavior issues. I require all the kids including him to lay down on mats. Most of the time it results in sleeping, some days reading or watching a movie. If they are older 4years and up then parents must be okay with a movie during nap time. It is quiet and keeps the little ones sleeping and I get my "break".

[mom-in-alberta]

Under 3 = nap. Over 3 = quiet time. This lasts from about 1pm to 3pm. Or, immediately after lunch for two hours.
During quiet time, we play.... quietly!! Lol. Books, games, puzzles, we may watch TV or a movie. But not running, shouting, jumping, etc. (We don't usually do that inside anyway, since we use "walking feet" and "indoor voices" while in the house)
This is explained to parents, and is not negotiable. I need that break!!
In general, when parents have issues with this, it's because the sleep habits at home are not great.