Daycare naptime is SO long, is this normal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an almost 5.5 year old still in full day daycare. Her whole class is 5 (just missed K cutoff class) and they are all required by local DC regulation To nap/ be on a cot for no less than 2 hours. Talk about messing up nighttime sleep. It’s totally normal and can be frustrating but not much you can do to fight it.

It’s seriously messed up that you’re keeping your kid in this situation and convincing yourself it’s normal. A 5 year old doesn’t need any nap! It’s so lazy that you’re just accepting treating your kid like a toddler because it’s easier. Why not find a transitional kindergarten program? A nanny share? Something. At least try.

In PP’s defense, if DC is otherwise happy and assuming DC will go to kindergarten in the fall, it would be nuts to just pull her from daycare. With daycare, it’s always *something*. That’s just the reality of group care. Also, there’s a pandemic. Even pre-pandemic you couldn’t just snap your fingers and find childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaah those damn lazy daycare workers. Why do they need to pee, take a lunch break, clean, plan or do paperwork during the day? I mean they get paid so much they should be happy to hold off and do it at night when they get home.

As I already pointed out above, it is a matter of understaffing, not lazy workers. The workers are not responsible for understaffing, but the daycare is.

Great! So you won't mind paying the extra costs for extra staff to cover for teachers to take breaks, plan, clean, etc. You should let your administration know.

[Anonymous]

It is perfectly normal. Are you saying your kid doesn't sleep there at all?
Are you watching your kid awake the whole time?
What are the other kids doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaah those damn lazy daycare workers. Why do they need to pee, take a lunch break, clean, plan or do paperwork during the day? I mean they get paid so much they should be happy to hold off and do it at night when they get home.

As I already pointed out above, it is a matter of understaffing, not lazy workers. The workers are not responsible for understaffing, but the daycare is.

Great! So you won't mind paying the extra costs for extra staff to cover for teachers to take breaks, plan, clean, etc. You should let your administration know.

Is that supposed to be a gotcha? My children's daycare is staffed with a comfortable margin and they don't force children to nap for 2 hours if they don't want to. Yes, we pay for it, at least I presume it is built into the cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaah those damn lazy daycare workers. Why do they need to pee, take a lunch break, clean, plan or do paperwork during the day? I mean they get paid so much they should be happy to hold off and do it at night when they get home.

As I already pointed out above, it is a matter of understaffing, not lazy workers. The workers are not responsible for understaffing, but the daycare is.

Great! So you won't mind paying the extra costs for extra staff to cover for teachers to take breaks, plan, clean, etc. You should let your administration know.

Is that supposed to be a gotcha? My children's daycare is staffed with a comfortable margin and they don't force children to nap for 2 hours if they don't want to. Yes, we pay for it, at least I presume it is built into the cost.

Not a gotcha, just reality. People complain about the high cost of day care all the time and staffing is one of the reasons-the main reason, really, for the high cost. I am genuinely happy to hear that you don't mind paying for sufficient staffing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an almost 5.5 year old still in full day daycare. Her whole class is 5 (just missed K cutoff class) and they are all required by local DC regulation To nap/ be on a cot for no less than 2 hours. Talk about messing up nighttime sleep. It’s totally normal and can be frustrating but not much you can do to fight it.

It’s seriously messed up that you’re keeping your kid in this situation and convincing yourself it’s normal. A 5 year old doesn’t need any nap! It’s so lazy that you’re just accepting treating your kid like a toddler because it’s easier. Why not find a transitional kindergarten program? A nanny share? Something. At least try.

In PP’s defense, if DC is otherwise happy and assuming DC will go to kindergarten in the fall, it would be nuts to just pull her from daycare. With daycare, it’s always *something*. That’s just the reality of group care. Also, there’s a pandemic. Even pre-pandemic you couldn’t just snap your fingers and find childcare.

+1. My 5yo doesn't nap during the quiet time anymore, but will color or work in an activity book. Most of the other kids do the same, but there are a couple who still nap every day. FWIW, while I don't think DS needs a 2hr nap every day, life is so much better when he does take the occasional nap. I think he just gets progressively overtired and cranky and needs a "reset." But it's rare that he'll actually lay down and try.

We still have a "quiet time" at home on the weekends where he needs to stay in his room and do quiet activities for an hour or so.

[Anonymous]

At our Va daycare/preschool our child’s 3 year old class has a 1 hour scheduled nap time. Children who can’t sleep are allowed to get up after 30 minutes and play quietly/look at books.

My daughter has refused naps (regardless of bedtime) for over a year and I would absolutely pull her from a center that made her stay idle on a cot for 2+ hours each day.

[Anonymous]

Was the worst part of daycare. My DD’s night sleep was screwed for two years and she’s was grumpy and weepy every morning.

Get a nanny or find a new daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaah those damn lazy daycare workers. Why do they need to pee, take a lunch break, clean, plan or do paperwork during the day? I mean they get paid so much they should be happy to hold off and do it at night when they get home.

Stop the high drama. My kid’s daycare was a large center that had lots of breaks for the teachers built in plus a full hour’s lunch break. They force the kids to sleep in these unhealthy patterns because it’s easier for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaah those damn lazy daycare workers. Why do they need to pee, take a lunch break, clean, plan or do paperwork during the day? I mean they get paid so much they should be happy to hold off and do it at night when they get home.

Stop the high drama. My kid’s daycare was a large center that had lots of breaks for the teachers built in plus a full hour’s lunch break. They force the kids to sleep in these unhealthy patterns because it’s easier for them.

LOL How do you think they're managing the one hour lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaaah those damn lazy daycare workers. Why do they need to pee, take a lunch break, clean, plan or do paperwork during the day? I mean they get paid so much they should be happy to hold off and do it at night when they get home.

Stop the high drama. My kid’s daycare was a large center that had lots of breaks for the teachers built in plus a full hour’s lunch break. They force the kids to sleep in these unhealthy patterns because it’s easier for them.

The nerve!!! Right?

[Anonymous]

My kid's daycare had a simple rule: If your child has outgrown nap time, they have outgrown this daycare. Nap time was 2 hours.

2 1/2 hours seems excessive for a lot of kids

[Anonymous]

In VA children under the age of 5 must be offered 2 hours of time to sleep if they are in care for a full day.

My 4.5 year old does not nap and doesn't particularly enjoy that part of the day. But the downtime is not harming them. They can work on their imaginative play while rolling around on their cots. I send a stuffed animal he can play with.

If he's tired, he may sleep, but mostly he doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's daycare had a simple rule: If your child has outgrown nap time, they have outgrown this daycare. Nap time was 2 hours.

2 1/2 hours seems excessive for a lot of kids

Well then where would I put my kid until it's time to go to kindergarten? Mine is currently 4.5, but he has an October birthday so he wont' start K this fall. So we have another 1.5 years of preschool/daycare where they will offer naptime that he doesn't need. My other child desperately needed the naptime, so I never minded it. He doesn't. Kids are different!

Also it's a state law, so not sure why a daycare center would make that rule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In VA children under the age of 5 must be offered 2 hours of time to sleep if they are in care for a full day.

My 4.5 year old does not nap and doesn't particularly enjoy that part of the day. But the downtime is not harming them. They can work on their imaginative play while rolling around on their cots. I send a stuffed animal he can play with.

If he's tired, he may sleep, but mostly he doesn't.

+1

Same situation - I'm not exactly sure what happens, but I think she does let him get up and do puzzles etc after a certain amount of time. I really don't think having down time is the worst thing in the world and kids figure out how to entertain themselves. On weekends he stays in his room quietly playing (usually legos) for an hour and a half and I think it is great!