nap time at school when your preschooler no longer needs a nap

[Anonymous]

My kids have only ever down morning preschool but I'm considering full day for my third (starting at 3yo). Most of the schools i've talked to require a 2 hour quiet time in their cot, whether or not the child sleeps. They can do quiet activities provided by home.

My other two kids both stopped napping around 3 so while my 3rd currently does, I don't see him needing it for another two years. He's already down to 1.5 hours and that nap pushes bedtime back to about 830 so I definitely don't want bedtime getting pushed back more.

If your non napper similarly had to stay in their cot for 2 hours - was it as boring for them as it sounds? In general I'd never expect a 3yo to stay quiet and in one place for that long or think thats an ideal thing for them, but the only preschools I can find that don't require this are much further away. Am I giving it too much weight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have only ever down morning preschool but I'm considering full day for my third (starting at 3yo). Most of the schools i've talked to require a 2 hour quiet time in their cot, whether or not the child sleeps. They can do quiet activities provided by home.

My other two kids both stopped napping around 3 so while my 3rd currently does, I don't see him needing it for another two years. He's already down to 1.5 hours and that nap pushes bedtime back to about 830 so I definitely don't want bedtime getting pushed back more.

If your non napper similarly had to stay in their cot for 2 hours - was it as boring for them as it sounds? In general I'd never expect a 3yo to stay quiet and in one place for that long or think thats an ideal thing for them, but the only preschools I can find that don't require this are much further away. Am I giving it too much weight?

Depends on your kid and whether the school will actually allow quiet activities or just activities on the cot.
I won't allow myself to go through this with my second. It made bedtime go until 930-1030 regardless of whether he napped or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have only ever down morning preschool but I'm considering full day for my third (starting at 3yo). Most of the schools i've talked to require a 2 hour quiet time in their cot, whether or not the child sleeps. They can do quiet activities provided by home.

My other two kids both stopped napping around 3 so while my 3rd currently does, I don't see him needing it for another two years. He's already down to 1.5 hours and that nap pushes bedtime back to about 830 so I definitely don't want bedtime getting pushed back more.

If your non napper similarly had to stay in their cot for 2 hours - was it as boring for them as it sounds? In general I'd never expect a 3yo to stay quiet and in one place for that long or think thats an ideal thing for them, but the only preschools I can find that don't require this are much further away. Am I giving it too much weight?

Depends on your kid and whether the school will actually allow quiet activities or just activities on the cot.
I won't allow myself to go through this with my second. It made bedtime go until 930-1030 regardless of whether he napped or not.

Yikes - are you thinking morning preschool and afternoon nanny instead?

[Anonymous]

Yes you’re giving it too much weight. You’re unlikely able to find a full day daycare/ preschool that doesn’t enforce this. It is many times a local/ state requirement.

My child was almost 6 (October birthday) when I pulled her out of daycare for kindergarten and she still had to comply.

Ive picked up several times during nap for my 4 year old and some kids sleep, some are looking at books on their cot, some are coloring. It’s normally dark in the room and is actually pretty relaxing. The kids all follow their peers and no one has been upset.

Does it screw up bedtime, yes. Ongoing issue but I need full day care and my kid still falls asleep if given the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Too much weight. Our daycare provides each child with a "rest time paper." Some days our daughter naps, other days she draws on her paper. It makes it a lot easier to enforce a "quiet time" (we don't call it "naptime") on the weekends, which we find pretty critical for knocking out chores in the middle of the day and preventing melt-downs by the end of the day.

Also, in a group setting the kids comply shockingly well with the requirement that they sit on their cots, and I think it's only a good thing for them to learn to wait and entertain themselves (without any electronics).

[Anonymous]

Op 'll be honest the people who reply to your people who were not up until 10:00 10:30 every night because their kid had to have two and a half hours of rest time.
If they did they wouldn't say you're putting too much weight on it. Only you know your kid and whether a 5-minute nap and a 2-hour nap are the same. Almost all kids when told to sit still and lay on a cot with music playing will eventually fall asleep but it will take them 2 hours. And when nap time or rest time is until 3:00 3:30 there's not enough sleep pressure for a low sleep needs kid.
And don't get me started on how my kid felt bad because he couldn't sit still for 2 and 1/2 hours while everybody else napped. And how we provided bags for activities quiet activities every single day and he's only provided them sometimes
It's not a required regulation it's not in comar. And for some kids it's not appropriate. Make sure your preschool has options for kids who no longer nap and the option cannot be they have to sit on their cot quietly.
There are definitely preschools although they are few and far between that either offer a reduced time for nap so like 1 hour or they have a policy where if a kid doesn't fall asleep within 30 minutes and they're allowed to quietly play on the other side of the room or just don't have nap time at all.
Unfortunately for us none of them had openings.

[Anonymous]

My son was the only one in his preschool class who didn’t nap once all year while in his 3s class. He would usually spend the time drawing or coloring, and it was fine.

[Anonymous]

Our small preschool in Arlington allows kids to do other quiet activities in a separate room.

[Anonymous]

This is a huge issue for us and I’m considering switching my kids over it so no I don’t think you’re giving it too much weight.

[Anonymous]

In DC nap is required until PK. My son is 5 and they do quiet time for 45 minutes (I think). A few kids still fall asleep, but most just relax and listen to story books.
If you are so concerned, keep him home in the afternoon like you have been doing until now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was the only one in his preschool class who didn’t nap once all year while in his 3s class. He would usually spend the time drawing or coloring, and it was fine.

Yes thats part of it though. Some places make the kids stay on the cot in the dark and dont give them anything to do. My son couldnt draw or color or anything like that. He wasnt even allowed to sit up and do puzzles. He couldnt read so picture books only kept him occupied for so long.

OP- you have to determine if they will allow activities that are restful or if they expect complete silence and no movement.

I even asked if we could bring headphones and tonies/stories and was told no because other kids might want them too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op 'll be honest the people who reply to your people who were not up until 10:00 10:30 every night because their kid had to have two and a half hours of rest time.
If they did they wouldn't say you're putting too much weight on it. Only you know your kid and whether a 5-minute nap and a 2-hour nap are the same. Almost all kids when told to sit still and lay on a cot with music playing will eventually fall asleep but it will take them 2 hours. And when nap time or rest time is until 3:00 3:30 there's not enough sleep pressure for a low sleep needs kid.
And don't get me started on how my kid felt bad because he couldn't sit still for 2 and 1/2 hours while everybody else napped. And how we provided bags for activities quiet activities every single day and he's only provided them sometimes
It's not a required regulation it's not in comar. And for some kids it's not appropriate. Make sure your preschool has options for kids who no longer nap and the option cannot be they have to sit on their cot quietly.
There are definitely preschools although they are few and far between that either offer a reduced time for nap so like 1 hour or they have a policy where if a kid doesn't fall asleep within 30 minutes and they're allowed to quietly play on the other side of the room or just don't have nap time at all.
Unfortunately for us none of them had openings.

Yes my kid is up to 10pm. But he reads quietly in his bed. Is it ideal, no. However I can’t afford a nanny in the afternoon to pair with morning preschool. Thats just the hand I’ve been dealt and we roll with it.

[Anonymous]

Two hours would be way too long for us. It would seriously mess up bed time. Up to an hour is manageable, but no nap and early bedtime is also okay. 3.5.

[Anonymous]

OP don’t do it!
This is literally the reason we left our daycare at 3.5. Our DD stopped napping at home and would be in bed at 7/730. On daycare days ( 10 days per month) she would be awake until gone 10pm. It was awful. Had to be quiet in a dark room for 2 hours.
I would have been fine with them throwing on a Disney movie or something for the non mappers in a separate room but wasn’t an option.

[Anonymous]

I haven't experienced this exact situation but no, I don't think you're giving it too much weight. 2 hours is a long time. I would be fine with 1 hour of quiet time for my 3 yo non- napper, but def not 2.