Needing cuddling after naptime

[Anonymous]

DD, as well as all of the other toddlers/preschoolers in my family and friends circle I’ve observed, likes to be cuddled and held for 10-15 minutes after naptime. After that, they shake off their sleepiness and become active and start running around. They do this even if they’ve had nice long naps. Is this common in your experience? Also, how do daycares handle it as I am assuming there wouldn’t be enough caregivers to hold all of the kids?

[Anonymous]

You’re assumption is correct , the children do not get cuddled after nap.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. Depends on the daycare. The daycare I worked at cuddled the still sleepy ones after nap for a few minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the kid. Depends on the daycare. The daycare I worked at cuddled the still sleepy ones after nap for a few minutes.

Right. Not all kids need an extra cuddle after napping. And there's middle ground between one-on-one cuddling and jumping up ready to go immediately to the next thing. When my kids were in day care, the caregivers seemed able to give the kids what they needed. (I sometimes arrived right around the end of nap time to pick up my kid(s) early gor various doctor appointments so I saw what went on. Also, most of the kids in the day care lived in our neighborhood and the families knew each other well, so I had a pretty good idea about kid personalities and how things went regarding naps at home on the weekends.)

[Anonymous]

It also depends on the day. Sometimes my toddler wants to be cuddlesld, sometimes he immediately wants to run off to do something.

[Anonymous]

just adding, the "depends on the child" anecdotal evidence of the opposite side. 20M DD has NEVER liked cuddles after a nap. She wakes up and GOES. Regardless of if nap was 1.5hr or 3hr. There is a quick hug when i pick her up, then "down" and starts playing with her things, or walking around. But i think she gets this from me, i am not a "slow start" waker

[Anonymous]

I worked in a preschool and while some kids need to be cuddled not all do. And kids whose parents tell us they need to be cuddled after a nap at home don’t always need that in school. They see other kids up and playing and want to join them. Out of a class of 10 maybe 2 really need the cuddle, and we have enough laps for that. I used to set up the snack, get the kids up that didn’t need a cuddle, and settle them with a snack or toy and then go back and get the cuddle kids up.

[Anonymous]

Having worked in a great daycare, there was just no way to cuddle ten toddlers when they woke up.

[Anonymous]

DS is 22 months and definitely needs the fifteen minutes of cuddling and my singing after a nap. It’s so sweet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having worked in a great daycare, there was just no way to cuddle ten toddlers when they woke up.

It's a good thing all 10 don't need cuddles. I worked in great daycare and what pps are saying is true, not every kid wants a cuddle everyday or at all, and it's pretty easy to accommodate those that do need a little extra time.

[Anonymous]

My kid (2.5) wants books after nap and she tells me to go away. I would love a nice cuddle! We cuddle before bed, which I think is mostly procrastination but I'll take it.

[Anonymous]

My 19 month old wakes up in a RAGE after most naps, she normally throws a huge tantrum. We have tried to mitigate it by eating a big lunch beforehand but it doesn't always work. Is this what she needs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 19 month old wakes up in a RAGE after most naps, she normally throws a huge tantrum. We have tried to mitigate it by eating a big lunch beforehand but it doesn't always work. Is this what she needs?

How does she get woken up? Naturally or at a set time? Do you let her sleep as long as she wants? If you wake her to follow a schedule how do you wake her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is 22 months and definitely needs the fifteen minutes of cuddling and my singing after a nap. It’s so sweet!

I think your kid is getting pretty old to "need" the cuddle and singing. Most likely she just likes it, and it is part of your routine with her. Is she in daycare? Kids have different routines with different adults. It is likely she would not need the cuddle everyday at daycare, especially at 22 months. By that age, a lot of kids are ready to engage with peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 19 month old wakes up in a RAGE after most naps, she normally throws a huge tantrum. We have tried to mitigate it by eating a big lunch beforehand but it doesn't always work. Is this what she needs?

How does she get woken up? Naturally or at a set time? Do you let her sleep as long as she wants? If you wake her to follow a schedule how do you wake her?

She wakes up on her own. She is ok when I go in and get her, even in a good mood but the minute we get downstairs she will 50/50 have a massive tantrum. I've chalked it up to low blood sugar but maybe she needs a lower transition up.