Napping Question???

[gottseal]

I have a 2.5 year old girl. Her mom doesn't want her napping so I have stopped doing so. However, every day during quiet time, she falls asleep anyway. Some days it takes me 4 or 5 tries to finally keep her awake. She obviously so desperately needs a sleep. Would most of you providers keep her awake or what are your suggestions? I have no other early morning nappers and she is quite a stubborn little thing so I am not sure if she would actually lay down for a nap in the morning without a fight or not and if I did, it would mean interrupting our morning outdoor activities. What would you do???? Do I just let her sleep?

[Judy Trickett]

I refuse to care for a child that doesn't nap or that a parent doesn't want to nap.

If your child has outgrown their nap they have outgrown my daycare.

Yep, that's the line I use. And I mean it. Kids nap here or they are gone. Period.

I think all children under school age NEED a nap. We have become this society of sleep-deprived people and children suffer the most. Children NEED to nap. If they are not napping it is simply because it works better for the PARENT and not the child.

Most parents claim that napping makes their child not go to sleep at night. Not true. Lack of parenting causes bedtime battles - not a nap. In fact, research clearly shows that children who nap actually sleep BETTER at night and for longer. Sleep begets sleep.

The short answer to your question is, YES, I would let her nap. It is cruel to not allow a tired child to sleep. Just tell the mom you have all the children "rest" each day. So, when she shows up and asks if the kid napped you say, "X had a great rest today". And leave it at that.

[dodge__driver11]

My policy is SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT only SLIGHTLY different than Judy's if a child cannot stay quiet on a cot in a pack and play for the duration of quiet time then they have outgrown my daycare as well...IF THEY FALL ASLEEP I WILL NOT WAKE them. I let them wake naturally if they sleep longer than expected I just say they had a nice nap.

[Momof4]

Oh Judy is so right. The child is falling asleep. She obviously needs sleep. I don't wake any sleeping child and let them sleep as long as they need. If they sleep over 3 hours I start opening curtains though. Everybody lays down at my daycare and if it takes them a while to fall asleep when they are 4 or 5 that's ok, but they always fall asleep.

[gottseal]

Thanks everyone! That is exactly how I feel and have not actually done any waking after the first week it started happening. I believe she needs it as well. It is just nice to hear others feel the same especially since I am so new at this

[momofnerds]

I had an interview last week for a 16month old. apparently he doens't nap, gets up when he feels like it and goes to bed when he wants. I couldn't believe it. He aint coming here thats for sure.

[Robyn]

If the child falls asleep on their own I let them sleep. I tell all my parents this. I have had my 4,5 & 6 yr olds all fall asleep at some point!

[sunnydays]

I don't let parents tell me if or how long their child should nap. I tell them that all children in my care have naptime and are expected to rest or sleep quietly for a minimum of 2 hours. I have had parents want me to wake the child up after 2 hours, but I don't even do that. If they are still sleeping by 3:15 (so close to three hours of nap), I wake them up so we can have snack and move on with the day. I have one parent who actually recognizes that her child sleeps better at night when he naps for 3 hours (he is 2.5 as well) and encourages me not to wake him up unless I have to. Sleep begets sleep. Sometimes if parents don't know the child has slept longer than usual, they have no problem getting them down at night...it is often psychological because parents think kids work the same way as we do...more tired means earlier bedtime. It is not true! Overtired equals sleep problems for kids!

[Fun&care]

I just want to say that my son is 5 and in SK and THEY STILL TAKE A NAP AT SCHOOL! Not sure if all schools follow this but this is how it's done at my son's. i think its like 30 mins, my son doesnt sleep but he rests. So if one of my clients tried to get out of nap time they would get a firm reminder that they will not be able to get out of nap time for a LONG time!

[monkeymama]

I dont wake children. At 2.5, she certainly still needs a nap, especially if she is falling asleep. I have 2 kids in my program ( my dd and dcb) at 4.5 who dont nap very often. However, they are required to have an hour rest period. If they arent asleep at that time, they can get up and watch a movie or do a craft with me.