Quiet Time Boxes

A few weeks ago I posted a plea for help on transitioning Spencer from one nap to none.  Only one person commented (thanks NaDell!)  So what do you do when you're in need of advice?  Google, of course.  I found this idea on another blog and thought it was a great idea.  Quiet time boxes. One for each day of the week.  Spencer loves them, I love them, and they (mostly) keep him occupied in the afternoon while Jordan naps, giving me time to work, read, fold laundry, whatever.  It's my "quiet time" too!

My mom found the containers at Costco, and they've been perfect.  Granted, there's a few things that don't fit in the containers, like a big wooden train, but that stays in a special place until it's that day's quiet time (and a sticky note goes in the container that says "train").  I got some new things to fill the boxes, raided my mom's old toys and some fav's of Spencer's.  Puzzles, coloring rolls, etch-a-sketch, finger-paint, shapes, playdoh... just a few of the things that are stashed in the boxes.  Now every afternoon he asks me if it's time for "quiet time" because he loves the boxes.  Wahoo!

Tell me how... to phase out a nap

Alright friends, I could use some advice.  My struggles with Jordan being a terrible sleeper are well documented, thanks to me ranting on facebook.  But... now we've got another problem.  Spencer turned 3 in April and he's decided he's done with naptime.  It really depresses me, but at 3, I guess he's lasted longer than some.  But... he's turned into an afternoon NIGHTMARE.  He throws tantrums (which is unusual for him).  Cries like a diva (also unusual).  Turns into a bully with Jordan and is intentionally mean to him (and he's normally so sweet with Jordan).  By 4:00-5:00, I'm so done and ready to put him in his bed and leave him there.

Now... I'm sure I'm not the only parent to have gone thru this.  I remember the transition from 2 naps to 1 was fairly rough for a while.  So it only makes sense the transition from 1 to 0 would be rough too... but jeez.  Did I mention he's a nightmare?  By 7:00, he's usually thrown into bed 'cause I can't take it anymore.  And neither can Jordan.  There's only so many times Jordan can take golf ball thrown at his forehead from only 1 foot away before he's gonna have problems.

So... how do I transition Spencer from 1 nap to none?  Keep putting him to bed earlier than normal until he levels out a bit?  Keep early bedtime forever?  (ha, part of me would love kids bedtime at 7:00, but it's kind of impractical if you ever want to do anything)  Make bedtime early for a few weeks and then slowly move the time back to normal bedtime (which was 8:00-8:30)?  Maybe just sell him?  (I'm kidding... kinda)

And what do I do with him now that he doesn't nap?  I need that time in the afternoon when they were both asleep to accomplish stuff.  Household stuff.  Work from home stuff.  Sometimes just catch up on a 45 minute show (pretty soon my DVR is gonna stop recording stuff cause it's so full).  I know it may sound selfish to some, but I miss that small break I used to have in the afternoons.  It *almost* kept me sane.  Now Spencer's always there.  And before you suggest that I make him play quietly in his room... he and Jordan share a room, so he can't play quietly in there since Jordan is in there napping.  So he's in the living room with me, begging me to play with him (even though I spent all morning when Jordan was napping playing with him).

If you've got any advice, anything that worked for you, please share.  I'm desperate :)