Making child nap

[Anonymous]

My 4 year old has been home / out of daycare since the pandemic started. I’m thrilled she’ll be able to return to daycare / preschool next week. She mostly doesn’t nap, but on busy days will fall asleep. The schedule is unpredictable but is often if we put her in the stroller in the afternoon. It’s rare that she’ll fall asleep even if we lie down and rest for a bit.

She will be required to lie down from 12:45-2:30 at her new school. We’re in CA, which has pretty strict nap rules, and the preschool space is small (for other reasons she had to leave the center she was in and switch to a home daycare) so they just don’t have the ability to let her “read” or color or do stickers instead. I’d like to spend this week helping her get ready for her new schedule. Do I just start having her lie down for a little bit at 12:45 each day? Or not worry about it and let the preschool deal with it?

I wish it weren’t the case - she goes to bed at 7:45 and our older one would stay up to 10 at this age if she napped - but I think I’m stuck with the nap.

[Anonymous]

I’d let the preschool deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure your daycare won’t let her read it or have quiet time just to play? We’re in CA too and our daycare lets the older kids read or play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4 year old has been home / out of daycare since the pandemic started. I’m thrilled she’ll be able to return to daycare / preschool next week. She mostly doesn’t nap, but on busy days will fall asleep. The schedule is unpredictable but is often if we put her in the stroller in the afternoon. It’s rare that she’ll fall asleep even if we lie down and rest for a bit.

She will be required to lie down from 12:45-2:30 at her new school. We’re in CA, which has pretty strict nap rules, and the preschool space is small (for other reasons she had to leave the center she was in and switch to a home daycare) so they just don’t have the ability to let her “read” or color or do stickers instead. I’d like to spend this week helping her get ready for her new schedule. Do I just start having her lie down for a little bit at 12:45 each day? Or not worry about it and let the preschool deal with it?

I wish it weren’t the case - she goes to bed at 7:45 and our older one would stay up to 10 at this age if she napped - but I think I’m stuck with the nap.

You should start working with her right now and explaining to her daycare expectations. She may not nap for you but at least you are teaching her what will happen next week. Please don’t be one of those parents who just what’s a daycare “deal with it”. It’s so hard for your kids and for the other kids in the care and staff as well. She is four so this may be unlikely but be ready to be called to pick her up at naptime if she screams and cries for an extended period of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 4 year old has been home / out of daycare since the pandemic started. I’m thrilled she’ll be able to return to daycare / preschool next week. She mostly doesn’t nap, but on busy days will fall asleep. The schedule is unpredictable but is often if we put her in the stroller in the afternoon. It’s rare that she’ll fall asleep even if we lie down and rest for a bit.

She will be required to lie down from 12:45-2:30 at her new school. We’re in CA, which has pretty strict nap rules, and the preschool space is small (for other reasons she had to leave the center she was in and switch to a home daycare) so they just don’t have the ability to let her “read” or color or do stickers instead. I’d like to spend this week helping her get ready for her new schedule. Do I just start having her lie down for a little bit at 12:45 each day? Or not worry about it and let the preschool deal with it?

I wish it weren’t the case - she goes to bed at 7:45 and our older one would stay up to 10 at this age if she napped - but I think I’m stuck with the nap.

You should start working with her right now and explaining to her daycare expectations. She may not nap for you but at least you are teaching her what will happen next week. Please don’t be one of those parents who just what’s a daycare “deal with it”. It’s so hard for your kids and for the other kids in the care and staff as well. She is four so this may be unlikely but be ready to be called to pick her up at naptime if she screams and cries for an extended period of time.

Adding that you can’t force or make a child nap. It is surprising that they won’t let her lay down quietly with a book, as long as she’s not just repeating thank you they should allow that.

[Anonymous]

My DD stopped napping at home around 2. I warned her teachers when she returned to daycare that she wasn't napping at home anymore, which surprised them, because she never fights a nap at school. I would talk to both DD and her teachers. Let DD know that during school she's expected to have quiet time to lay down and rest. Work with the teachers to see if she can have a book or toy during that time. At 4, she won't be the first child they've encountered who has fought naptime.

[Anonymous]

At daycare they just want my son to be quiet during nap time if he doesn't nap and he does fine. I wouldn't stress it.