In this will-she-wont-she nap phase

DD is 2 and 3/4 and for the better part of the summer she has been trying to give up her nap. I still try every day because I don't think she is really ready. When she doesn't nap, which has become pretty often now, she is often dozing off 5 pm. Or gets cranky/moody. Or if we have to run errands late afternoon, she falls asleep in the car and is impossible to wake up, throwing off bedtime. Or, she falls asleep right after dinner. Last night, I could knew that would happen so I gave her an early dinner and bath and she conked out at 7 pm. But then she was up at midnight and wide awake a 5 am.

She will often tell me around nap time that she is tired and ready to sleep, but then she gets in her room and starts playing with her books and stuff (she is in a toddler bed now so I can't confine) and abandons the idea of a nap altogether. We try just having "quiet time" or I'll let her watch a show on the couch. Sometimes she falls asleep, but sometimes she won't.

I just hate this phase. I wanted to take her to the beach yesterday evening for dinner but I knew she would pass out the minute she got in the car and either be super cranky at the beach or sleep through it and then be up all night. I feel like I'm stuck waiting for her to sleep or desperately trying to keep her awake.

Is this a natural transition period that happens when they are ready to give up the nap? Or should I keep trying? I wouldn't mind an 8 pm bedtime (on nap days it's 9ish), but 7 pm is too early for us.

Re: In this will-she-wont-she nap phase

My daughter just turned two and seems to be going through the same phase. Some days she takes a 2+ hours nap, some days she rolls around in her crib talking to herself for 1.5 hours and never falls asleep. I definitely think she still needs one, so I keep trying. She hasn't napped since Sunday. My son napped until a little after 3, so I'm hoping this isn't the end of napping for her.