5yo and naptime

[Anonymous]

I'm an after-school nanny for a little 5yo in kindergarten and his older sister and when I started, I was surprised to learn that he still takes a nap most days. This seemed very unusual to me as in my experience kids generally drop the nap by age 3-4.

The usual daily schedule is: pick him up from school at 11:30, finish snack by 12, playtime until 12:30, then he goes right down for a nap (usually eagerly). He will sleep the entire 1.5 hours until I need to wake him to go pick up his sister at 2:30.. and even then, sometimes he is still so tired that he refuses to get up and will throw a tantrum.

In all my experience, sleeping is the part that gets resisted, not waking up to play. I have no idea what his nightly sleep habits are. Does anyone else have experience with children over 4yo taking naps?

[Anonymous]

*to clarify, I wake him around 2pm... especially since his tantrums can last quite a while and I try to provide a time buffer so we're not late to his sister's school

[Anonymous]

I let children have their naps until it's no longer possible, due to school schedules. Most children you see are sleep deprived.

[Anonymous]

Does he go to bed late? He may need it if he's not getting enough hours at night, but that is an unusual sleep schedule for a 5 year old.

[Anonymous]

Why is he having a snack at lunchtime and not lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is he having a snack at lunchtime and not lunch?

It's food. This is about nap, not what she calls the kid's eating time.

[Anonymous]

If he wants to sleep, he needs the sleep.

[Anonymous]

He may not be getting enough sleep at night, which is why he still wants to nap. If you don't want to the school to pick up the sister, it is easier to just pick him up while he is sleeping and put him in the car. I've done this many times. If you walk to get the sister, is there a stroller you can use to put him in while he is still sleeping?
Would he respond to an alarm clock? Let him know that when the alarm goes off it is time to wake up and get the sister.
I would also have a talk with the parents about this and find out how much sleep he is getting at night. If he isn't getting enough, talk with them about the importance of sleep at this age.

[Anonymous]

Could you gradually shorten the half hour of play time so he naps earlier? Then have a quiet activity (like reading) ready when he wakes up? This would allow him a short transition period before leaving to get his sister..

I'm picturing it like this, get home and have a snack until about 12, play till 12:15, then nap.. At 1:45 you go in and sit on his bed or somewhere and start reading.. If he's anything like the 5 year olds I've nannied, he will slowly get up to see the pictures... Then when the book is done it's time to leave to get sister..

[Anonymous]

Some kids, just like adults, are just not happy to be woken up, regardless of whether or not they are well rested. My charge can sleep for 2.5/3 hours for her nap (she is 3.5) and still wake up and be a terror for 15-20 minutes.
I have found that waking her up very gently eg; making noise outside of her room (like emptying the dishwasher), then going and opening the door with the hall light on, then turning on a lamp...you get the point, is the best way to go about it. I have a snack ready for her (as I have found the source of her crankiness is she is usually super hungry!) and let her take her time getting out of bed. I will usually start an activity within earshot of her and in 10 or so minutes of waking up, she is ready to go again.

Your charge might just need to get up on his own time. If you need to be out the door by 2 (for example) start waking him by 1:40-45 so he can have some time to just lay around and be fully awake by the time you are out the door.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like he is sleep deprived. Probably not getting enough sleep at night. You might mention to the parents that even the 1.5 hour nap doesn't seem to be enough as you are having to wake him, and is it possible for him to have a longer night.

[Anonymous]

Some kids need alot of sleep. Mine just started all day kindergarten we had to push bedtime to 6 pm dd sleeps 6pm-7 am sometimes 8 am

[Anonymous]

I think many kids could nap for longer than they do. DD would have easily kept napping all pre k 4s year even though she is a fall bday except the school really discouraged it by not having rest time for 4s and letting the kids pick whether to rest or not.

[Anonymous]

Does he have sleep apnea? (is that how you spell it?)

My nephew slept long and a lot come to find out he had huge adnoids and it affected his sleep causing sleep apnea. Sometimes his naps could be 4 to 5 hours

[Anonymous]

If he has to be wakened up during the day, then that is a sign he is not getting enough sleep hours at night.

I would discuss this with his parents.

It is quite unfair for you to have to deal with this tantrums daily and it is even more unfair for this poor child to have to endure all of this disruption to his sleep. Poor thing.