Nap time at daycare (3-4 years old)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a common problem. Can you ask daycare to give the kid a book/silent toy to play with on her cot so she stays awake? One way to fix this would be to eliminate the nap at daycare since she doesn’t seem to need it.

Her teachers claim she does need it no matter how much they try to get her to stay awake. She had a good idea though, to stop bringing in the nap mat. Maybe if she isn't blanketed she won't sleep as long. I know I nap much longer and deeper in my bed than on the couch.

Of course she needs it. I recommend wearing her down after daycare and getting her tired, putting her to bed early (and being diligent/ firm about it) and see if that helps.

[Anonymous]

Really depends on the kid and energy level. Mine is 4.5 and slept at daycare for 2 hrs and at home if we let her. Still goes to bed and asleep around 8:30. We wake from nap no later than 4:15. But the evening is a lot of activity, jumping, running, walk, dance party etc etc. she wakes at 6/6:30 am though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a common problem. Can you ask daycare to give the kid a book/silent toy to play with on her cot so she stays awake? One way to fix this would be to eliminate the nap at daycare since she doesn’t seem to need it.

Her teachers claim she does need it no matter how much they try to get her to stay awake. She had a good idea though, to stop bringing in the nap mat. Maybe if she isn't blanketed she won't sleep as long. I know I nap much longer and deeper in my bed than on the couch.

Of course she needs it. I recommend wearing her down after daycare and getting her tired, putting her to bed early (and being diligent/ firm about it) and see if that helps.

We try so hard to wear her out but she comes home at 3 and we work until 530. We make her run around between then and bedtime with the exception of dinner.

[Anonymous]

Ask teachers to slowly cut the nap down in time - 10 min every few days. Make a “quiet time” box to send to school with quiet activities.

I.e. keep her up 10min into quiet time with a book, let her fall asleep... 20 min 3 days later etc. until the nap is cut completely.

It works. Eventually the kid will want to stay up and as the year progresses most of the kids will be up during “rest time”,

[Anonymous]

We had a daycare provider who said "if your child has outgrown their nap, they have outgrown my daycare." Ok, Bye!

The next daycare had a shorter rest period for older kids. They had quiet play (not on mats) for 1/2 hour and then the mats came out for them.

[Anonymous]

This is normal. Ask for quiet time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a daycare provider who said "if your child has outgrown their nap, they have outgrown my daycare." Ok, Bye!

The next daycare had a shorter rest period for older kids. They had quiet play (not on mats) for 1/2 hour and then the mats came out for them.

Your daycare provider was right, kids out grow some environments.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand the American obsession with naps. The majority of kids I know stopped napping between 2 yr 10 months and 3.5 years. They go to bed at 7.30pm and wake up at 7am. That’s enough sleep. They don’t need a nap too. Never heard of 3-5 year olds napping at school/daycare until I moved to the United States. My kids were little in my home country. After 2 years old it is up to the parents if kids nap or not if they ate in a daycare setting. After 3 or 3.5 no one naps anymore as that is a preschool or school setting. Of course some kids nap longer, they are all different. But why do so many daycares force it? OP I’ve had many friends fa in your situation. As soon as they stopped napping the kids went to sleep at a normal time again. It is not about tiring them out, it is because they don’t need a nap!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the American obsession with naps. The majority of kids I know stopped napping between 2 yr 10 months and 3.5 years. They go to bed at 7.30pm and wake up at 7am. That’s enough sleep. They don’t need a nap too. Never heard of 3-5 year olds napping at school/daycare until I moved to the United States. My kids were little in my home country. After 2 years old it is up to the parents if kids nap or not if they ate in a daycare setting. After 3 or 3.5 no one naps anymore as that is a preschool or school setting. Of course some kids nap longer, they are all different. But why do so many daycares force it? OP I’ve had many friends fa in your situation. As soon as they stopped napping the kids went to sleep at a normal time again. It is not about tiring them out, it is because they don’t need a nap!

The daycare does not force it. The daycare is required by licensing law to offer the nap. Some will let them do quiet time instead though. But you must have a scheduled nap time per licensing rules.

[Anonymous]

My soon to be 5 YO (misses k cutoff) is required to be on a cot for 2 hours per dc regs. So she sleeps and is then up late. We are in the same cycle but the nap time is required by reg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My soon to be 5 YO (misses k cutoff) is required to be on a cot for 2 hours per dc regs. So she sleeps and is then up late. We are in the same cycle but the nap time is required by reg.

Your 5 year old is required to lay down on a cot for two hours a day? Do you have a link for this regulation? Do you mean the facility is required to provide a nap time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My soon to be 5 YO (misses k cutoff) is required to be on a cot for 2 hours per dc regs. So she sleeps and is then up late. We are in the same cycle but the nap time is required by reg.

Your 5 year old is required to lay down on a cot for two hours a day? Do you have a link for this regulation? Do you mean the facility is required to provide a nap time?

Yes, in VA they are required for kids who are in all day care.



2. Sleep or rest.

a. Centers operating five or more hours per day shall have a designated rest period for at least one hour but no more than two hours.

(1) Cribs, cots, beds, or mats shall be used.

(2) After the first 30 minutes, children not sleeping may engage in quiet activities.

b. A child who falls asleep in a place other than his designated sleeping location may remain in that space if comfortable and safe.

c. Sleeping toddlers shall be individually checked every 30 minutes.[b]

From here:
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title22/agency40/chapter185/section380/#:~:text=Sleep%20or%20rest.,no%20more%20than%20two%20hours.&text=A%20child%20who%20falls%20asleep,space%20if%20comfortable%20and%20safe.

[Anonymous]

Talk to the teachers and ask them to either limit nap time or allow your child to stay up.