What's really frustrating is that the parents ACTUALLY think eliminating a daytime nap will make bedtime earlier and easier!! It will do the exact opposite in a 2-year-old. After going all day and not taking a rest, she's going to be over-tired and exhausted, and way too wired to go to sleep at 6/7...she's going to be up till at least 8/9 anyways. I love it when parents of small children think this. On the surface, sure, I see how they come up with it, but don't they see what happens to their child when she misses her nap on the weekends? Do they not make the connection between missed naps and hell at bedtime?

The vast majority of 2-year-olds still definitely need a nap. You could try to explain this to the parents, but I doubt they'll listen. I had a 3-year-old with serious behaviour issues to begin with, who the parents said hadn't napped in a year and a half. After a few weeks, I changed "quiet playtime" to "quiet rest time," and laid her down on the couch downstairs with a book and some stuffies and a blanket. Nine times out of ten, she'd be asleep in seconds. Most definitely still needed a nap. The behaviour difference was crazy, so much so that the parents started commenting on how much easier she was to go to bed. They never quite knew just how long she was napping here, but you can't force a child to fall asleep - if they fall asleep on their own in 2 minutes and go to bed easier and earlier, it's a win-win, and they obviously need the rest.

I'd enforce a "quiet time" at least, and quiet time can very easily include having to lie down and read books for at least half an hour. If they're still awake after that, they can play quietly. Chances are, she'll sleep, and parents may be mollified if they hear "quiet time" vs "nap time."