Three Year olds - do they sleep?

Hi Just wondering about what the general consensus seems to be as far as 3 year olds go. I had a person call me for a prospective spot but she had a 3 year old and I hesitated and dragged my feet to even call back because I am thinking it is harder to get 3 year olds to sleep than the younger ones that you can train for nap time.

I have one child who is 3 and who I got after they were already 3 and I have never had luck getting this child to nap. I usually put a video and some colouring for the 3 year old and leave the child awake during nap while everyone else naps. The 3 year old also plays with my older children when they are home but even with a video - it still doesn';t give me much of a break because one ear and eye is always sort of on the child and constantly telling them to play quietly and talk quietly. The child still asks me questions and talks to me so it doesn't make for a quiet break like I have when I have only 1 and 2 year olds

Do you have 3 year olds and do they nap?

I have 3 year olds and I made it very clear to them that it is QUIET time and that they are to watch their movie quietly. They know that it is MY time and that if I hear them, they go immediately into time-out outside of the room so that they miss a chunk of the movie. I deal with any noise immediately so that there's no chance of it escalating to the point where they wake the babies. It only took one time-out when they were all here to have them learn their lesson. p.s. does anyone else find that on days when you only have one older child that it is brutally difficult to keep them entertained? I have a couple of families on vacation and have only one child over 2. I'm making less money and he's constantly bored. boo!

I have also found (in my own 3 kids and with d/c kids) that once the third birthday comes and goes, so too does the golden hour(s) of naptime. :(
Not that you CAN'T get them down for a nap, my 4 yr old will still sleep in the afternoon, sometimes. But I don't expect them to sleep everyday anymore. It's not unreasonable, though, to have quiet time. A movie or some cartoons, coloring, puzzles, independent play with cars/trains, etc. As long as it is QUIET and relatively calm, it's fine with me. I have also taken the non-nappers outside for some extra play, just bringing the baby monitor or checking every 5 min or so.
Set up the expectation that it is time to "play gently and quietly on your own" and you should still be able to have a little bit of time to yourself.
waterloo: i hear ya! when i only have my 5 yr old d/c kid, and the little ones are napping or something, he mopes around like his dog just ran away!! I feel like I should always be "hey, hey, hey... let's do this now!!" but he should be able to play on his own, too, no??

Yes 3 year olds can nap. They don't really get a choice here. They must lay down for at least 1 hour of "rest" time and if they're still awake after that then they can get up and finish quiet time with a movie or something very very quiet. I've had 4 year olds that napped here EVERY DAY and it's in my handbook that quiet time is mandatory.

Anyone in my daycare lays down on a napmat for at least an hour. 9 out of 10 days they fall asleep in which case they stay obviously. I will get up anyone that has rested properly and let them look at books, colour, or do quiet games at the table. I get an hour where I am not responsible so to speak. Even once they are up they are on their own as in I am not available to get them anything other than what I put out for that day. Any misbehaviour and they loses the privilege of getting up the next day.

I have two hours of quiet/nap time a day. I don't care if you sleep or not but you are out of sight and quiet.

Hi,

I have 2x 3 year old's and mine do and don't! They both get to take turns picking the quiet time movie and they both know that they must lie down with a blanket and watch the movie quietly. At times they both nap and some days only one or neither. I have a great routine set up for them, they both get milk to drink and they must be quiet. Sometimes after an hour they end up in the play room and if they play quietly then i'm ok with it!


I usually sneek away and take a computer break for 1/2 hour or so but i'm always listening for them!

Do you let your 3 year old pick there own movie? This usually helps them settle better, on days where mine both are a bit resless they both get to pick!

My children range from 1 yr to 9 yr old. When the older ones are here they are allowed to play quietly, watch a movie, or go outside while the younger ones sleep. My daycare is set up that the door to outside is close to the sleeping room. and I can monitor everyone. I find that some of the parents of the 3year olds do not want them to sleep, but they must stay on a mat for at least 1 hour, they usually end up napping for at least 1/2 hour. If they get up off the met they will be put in a playpen and they don't like that.

I have a 4.5 year old that still naps for the entire time. Rest time is mandatory here for anyone 5 and under, although I usually don't have anyone that age because once they go to school they are gone.

lol. I totally thought you meant a tongue in cheek way of "do these kids ever slow down?" and I was thinking, well mine doesn't.

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Originally Posted by Skysue

Hi,

I have 2x 3 year old's and mine do and don't! They both get to take turns picking the quiet time movie and they both know that they must lie down with a blanket and watch the movie quietly. At times they both nap and some days only one or neither. I have a great routine set up for them, they both get milk to drink and they must be quiet. Sometimes after an hour they end up in the play room and if they play quietly then i'm ok with it!


I usually sneek away and take a computer break for 1/2 hour or so but i'm always listening for them!

Do you let your 3 year old pick there own movie? This usually helps them settle better, on days where mine both are a bit resless they both get to pick!

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I do let them pick a movie and we have tons to choose from but unless it is a brand new one - they watch for 10 minutes then look at each other and say "let's play" and they'll play with the toys that are near the TV (blocks, Littlest Pet Shop and any Barbies or stuff they have dragged over from the playroom) and then when they play there are always disagreements or escalating noise. Then I ask if they want to colour but then there are issues about who has what marker first etc. There is always something.
That is why when people call me now with anyone over 2 years old I feel a moment of panic and resistance to even giving the family a chance.
Eeks lol

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Originally Posted by Spixie33

I do let them pick a movie and we have tons to choose from but unless it is a brand new one - they watch for 10 minutes then look at each other and say "let's play" and they'll play with the toys that are near the TV (blocks, Littlest Pet Shop and any Barbies or stuff they have dragged over from the playroom) and then when they play there are always disagreements or escalating noise. Then I ask if they want to colour but then there are issues about who has what marker first etc. There is always something.
That is why when people call me now with anyone over 2 years old I feel a moment of panic and resistance to even giving the family a chance.
Eeks lol

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Have you thought about signing a few new videos out from the library weekly! At my library there free and some a $1.00 to sign out!

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Originally Posted by Spixie33

I do let them pick a movie and we have tons to choose from but unless it is a brand new one - they watch for 10 minutes then look at each other and say "let's play" and they'll play with the toys that are near the TV (blocks, Littlest Pet Shop and any Barbies or stuff they have dragged over from the playroom) and then when they play there are always disagreements or escalating noise. Then I ask if they want to colour but then there are issues about who has what marker first etc. There is always something.
That is why when people call me now with anyone over 2 years old I feel a moment of panic and resistance to even giving the family a chance.
Eeks lol

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You give them to many choices! When I had a child that may or may not sleep...they had no choice but to lay on the couch and watch the movie. I never give them opportunities to make noise. Quiet time is MY time and no one messes with my time...it's the only piece of the day I get.

I only accept older kids here(2 and up ) and I have only ONCE had nap time issues. Everyone including my own has a Quiet time. I can not make them sleep but they do need to lie there quietly until nap time is over. They usually end up falling asleep just like the others. Quite time is very important, their body needs it to develop and my sanity needs it too lol

Great suggestions and good to hear how different everyone's experiences and nap times are.
I am HOPING that the little 2 year olds I have now will keep ons leeping at nap time with me because they should be seeing it as their routine even if they turn 3 but it is hard when you get a 3 year old into daycare who tells you that they don't nap and aren't tired and you haven't set up that nap history with.

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Originally Posted by fruitloop

You give them to many choices! When I had a child that may or may not sleep...they had no choice but to lay on the couch and watch the movie. I never give them opportunities to make noise. Quiet time is MY time and no one messes with my time...it's the only piece of the day I get.

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You are my hero. lol

I find what works really great for me at this moment is having a special sleeping bag for them, I get it out lay it on the floor and my dck is really excited about getting in her own special sleeping bag to watch one hour of tv, then they always fall asleep at 2-2:15, I find they just are not ready at 1 like the babies. If I would like her to nap that day I turn the tv off at 2 and say I would like you to try and sleep. They understand getting out of the bag is not allowed. This way I still have my 2 hrs, which like fruit loop I'm not giving up either! 3 year olds need even a half hour to an hour of nap because believe it or not this will help them go to sleep at night, their not wired from being so tired from the day. Mine sleeps on the family room floor where I am usually doing my housework so I can always see her. This works well for me and I ususally keep the tv on teletoon.
You can buy great sleeping bags on sale Bob the builder, Dora, whatever, they love it and will not leave it if you make it clear this is lay down time.

I have a 3.5 yo dck who naps every day, I leave her for 2 hrs, if she wakes up before the 2 hrs she stays on the bed and just kinda quietly talks to her doll. I've never had an issue w/ her. I've found the same when looking after other 2-3 year olds. I'm kinda thinking if the child has been to another daycare before me, they have done the hard work of instilling the habbit!! LOL! On the otherhand, I have a 14 month old who does not nap for more than an hour and screams bloody murder when she wakes up... So I guess I'm getting mine, its my turn to do the hard work of instilling the habbit into this one! LOL!. Everyone else is 5 and older, when they are with me during the day, they go for quiet time, which is a movie or quiet play in our playroom, it took a bit to get through that they need to stay quiet and sometimes, esepcially with the boys, they get rambunctious. I told them if they dont settle down and play quietly, they will have to come and sit with me and watch me eat my lunch and then help me clean up the kitchen! LOL! they settle down right away!!!