Zombie thread. Ignore.

Not having nap time is a staffing issue along with a space issue. Traditionally, this is also the time when the teacher and the aide take lunch -45 minutes each. If you are expecting kids to separate based on napping status- who would watch/teach/supervise the kiddos? You would need twice as much staff and another classroom. Just not realistic, but would be nice.

I just read this thread in search of whatever support I can get to advocate for my child who does not nap in preschool. They require 2 hour naps for 3-4 year olds, and my son is miserable. He started there last year, at age 2.5 and stopped napping around the time he turned 3. As you all know, kids mature at different times and outgrow afternoon naps between 2-5 years of age. We negotiated with his teacher last year to let him read a book if he could not fall asleep in 30 minutes. It wasn't easy, she singled him out as the only one in a group of 8 kids who didn't nap (later I found from other moms that he was not the only one), he was acting out during the entire 2-hour period when the room was dark, he was on his cot and constantly being shht to keep quiet. In the end, the teacher gave up and let him read a book while the others napped.

This year, in the older classroom, the teacher insisted that no exceptions will be made for anyone. Whoever didn't want to sleep would have to stay quiet, no fidgeting, on his cot for two hours in the dark. This is pure torture if the child does not end up sleeping in the first half hour. I read the law (we are in VA), and it says the daycare provider should provide toddlers and preschoolers with at least one hour rest time, but not more than two. It doesn't say it should force them, it says it should provide them with the opportunity. It also says, that it is forbidden to force food or rest on kids. How is this being interpreted by anyone to mean that preschoolers SHOULD be required to sleep or stay awake in their cots for two hours, no moving, no talking, no reading, etc?

Has anyone successfully managed to change their school's policy in this regard, i.e. to require the preschool to provide a separate space where kids who have matured and outgrown their afternoon naps can spend some quiet time and not bother the rest? How did you do it? Changing schools would be the last resort for us as we have paid a huge deposit and a number of non-refundable fees, plus the year is just starting.

My dd stopped napping at 3 when she was in part-time preschool and I thought she was over them. We switched her to a full time charter where the pk4 napped and I was probably like you. During orientation I asked if she could skip naps. Guess what, she started napping again once school started and it didn't dramatically alter her night time sleep. She goes to bed at 830 and is sleep by 9. This actually works very well for me as a working mom because it gives me more quality time with her in the evenings. Just give it a try, they will be so simulated that they need a little quiet down time during the day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CT's cut of is Dec 31.

Right and there are MANY more states with earlier cutoffs than DC.

This is dead wrong and has been debated hundreds of times. There are a handful of states that have Dec bday cutoff and even fewer that offer all day PK for 3 year olds. If you think there are MANY please name me 5 states that have Dec cut offs for all day pk3, heck even all day pk4.

Back to the original question-
My DC is in prek at CMI (which is what OP was curious about). There is one hour of rest time a day. For the first half of the year the children were expected to rest. Some parents opted to pick their kids up early if they weren't napping and they went home. By winter, the kids who didn't sleep, after 30 minutes of resting quietly, are allowed to color or look at books or other quiet activities. Does not seem to cause the slightest problem in the classroom.

Our child had a bad experience in PK4 since the teacher expected all students to nap for an hour, or at least lie quietly without fidgeting. Most days, this was very hard for our child, who also stopped napping at 2.5 (his private preschool and PK3 teacher were much more flexible about alternative quiet activities).

Anonymous wrote:You guys who refuse to make your precious snowflakes nap and want special treatment are the exact definition of over involved helicopter parents. Very strange that you are accusing others who support following the school rules and policies.

You have to be a troll. This has to be a joke. No one is this ignorant of child development.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys who refuse to make your precious snowflakes nap and want special treatment are the exact definition of over involved helicopter parents. Very strange that you are accusing others who support following the school rules and policies.

This is ridiculous. My child stopped napping before age 3. When she naps, she is up all night and can't fall asleep. Kids stop napping when they are ready to. Requiring quiet time is fine. But the pp who said the school they went to that requires an actual nap and laying there with no books to look at shocks me. I am surprised schools that end at 3pm require napping for 4 year olds?!?! It's one thing for a day care when they are there until 6, but this seems extreme.

I can't imagine a school (a real school - not a daycare) doing this.

Anonymous wrote:You guys who refuse to make your precious snowflakes nap and want special treatment are the exact definition of over involved helicopter parents. Very strange that you are accusing others who support following the school rules and policies.

The school policy is that those who have outgrown a nap are free to do other activities. Many schools do not enforce a one size fits all rules for kid (as they should, as kids develop at different speeds). If your kid learns to read faster than mine, should he be held up because mine hasnt learned yet? Should there be no differentiates reading and math because all kids must be at the same level?

Your kid still naps. Some kids don't. Pretty much everyone else understands this but you.

Anonymous wrote:You guys who refuse to make your precious snowflakes nap and want special treatment are the exact definition of over involved helicopter parents. Very strange that you are accusing others who support following the school rules and policies.

This is ridiculous. My child stopped napping before age 3. When she naps, she is up all night and can't fall asleep. Kids stop napping when they are ready to. Requiring quiet time is fine. But the pp who said the school they went to that requires an actual nap and laying there with no books to look at shocks me. I am surprised schools that end at 3pm require napping for 4 year olds?!?! It's one thing for a day care when they are there until 6, but this seems extreme.