GeoffM

According to both the previous daycare and the one in our new area, California insists on nap time for kids. DS is 5 years old and hasn't napped during the day for at least a couple of years. Does anybody else outside CA have this enforced nap time at that age? How did you get your kids to adapt if they suddenly started to have to nap again?

DS is playing up and he blames it on the 2-hour nap time. Apparently they're allowed to look at books but they have to stay on their mats generally. He's overactive and constantly needs stimulation otherwise he gets bored and starts playing up.

In his previous daycare we changed to half days to avoid nap time but can't do that anymore as we both work day times now.

slummymummy

Yes in FL too. But not for 2 hours, that's a bit crazy! My almost 5 year old doesn't fall asleep during nap time luckily. Think it's only for about 45 mins. My 3 year old falls asleep even though I have asked the teachers to give her lots of books to look at. They say she has to stay on her mat for 30 mins then she can get up (if she's awake).

Try to find out if 2 hr naptime is a legal requirement. If not, protest.

N1cky

We had major problems with this when we moved too. They wouldn't even let her sit quietly and read a book. Utterly stupid.

Sorry, I know that doesn't help at all

Cardienscarf

2 hours? Who wants their children to sleep for 2 hours during the day?

I love naps. It would work for me

Suz16

We are having problems with this too! Our 5 year old hasn't napped for over 2 years and it's causing big problems for us here. Her preschool makes all the kids nap for 2 hours, and will not even allow her to have a book to look at!

There is also a kindergarten class and I've asked if she could possibly go and sit in there while the others are napping, but have been told no, as it would set a precedent and then other parents would ask for it. I think it's ridiculous they are expecting 4 and 5 year olds to lie still for 2 hours when they're clearly not going to sleep!

However, today I looked up the New Jersey Department of Education guidelines about napping, and although it does say that all preschoolers are to lie down for a nap, it also says that if, after 30 mins they are still not sleeping, they should be offered an alternative quiet activity instead. So it might be worth checking your state's guidelines? I am going to speak to the head teacher at my daughter's day care tomorrow.

slummymummy

This is exactly what my kids' school told me.

In the daycare where my youngest went before she started their current preschool, they told me that the 2 year olds had to sleep for 2 hours. We hated this as she was up until 10 pm at night. Where she is now she only sleeps for 45 mins. So it can't be the law? (She was still 2 when she started where she is now.)

The OP needs to find out what the actual regulations are about this where he lives. When I was googling before about FL regulations, I was struggling to find out, it seems to be a bit of a mystery surrounding this...

Alan17

We're in CA and asked DC to stop their naps (3 & 5) as they were getting hyper at night. They did so with no problem although I think there's still a quiet time.

GeoffM

Protesting wouldn't help much if 23 kids do one thing and the other one gets allowed to play. I have looked up the regs and all I can find is http://www.ccld.ca.gov/res/pdf/CCCRe...Highlights.pdf which seems authentic enough as it's on a .gov website. It doesn't state a time, only that nap time is to be provided for under 5s. I read elsewhere that it was 5 or under but when you have a class of 24 kids at pre-K age then there's going to be a mix of 4 and 5 year olds anyway.

Actually it does because I know we're not the only ones having issues!

[quote=Suz16;10623798]We are having problems with this too! Our 5 year old hasn't napped for over 2 years and it's causing big problems for us here. Her preschool makes all the kids nap for 2 hours, and will not even allow her to have a book to look at!

There is also a kindergarten class and I've asked if she could possibly go and sit in there while the others are napping, but have been told no, as it would set a precedent and then other parents would ask for it. I think it's ridiculous they are expecting 4 and 5 year olds to lie still for 2 hours when they're clearly not going to sleep!

To be fair to the school, they have conceded that he can go and join the "big kids" if he isn't going to settle down. But it's still that 10 minutes or whatever that seems to freak him out. Goodness knows why, though we did have him evaluated for ADHD - something I've always regarded with suspicion in the past - and unfortunately he sails right into every category . Too young to do anything with, except Melatonin at night to calm him down - which does work though I do have my reservations about "drugging" a kid, herbal or not.

Seems some daycares are more flexible than others! One of the managers is more accommodating than the other though I do think they ought to be a bit more tolerant for a kid that only started 2 weeks ago. On the one hand we can't pick him up just because they summon us; on the other hand we can't expect them to have staff on hand to catch a child that is determined to run out the door! (Though I do think it's all too easy for kids to run out the front door and in to the car park)

There is a possiblity that he could start K early - he has a December birthday anyway, which around here would mean he would be one of the oldest in the "right" year; only slightly younger in an "advanced" year. I'm not quite clear on what happens in September though, whether he would repeat the year.

Thanks everyone. It's a tough time at the moment.

naomi

The same law applied when my daughter was in daycare (WA state). At 5 though the teacher just let them have quiet time, where they could chill, flip through books etc. Most of them weren't napping at that age.
Naomi.

goldenstate31

yep this is one thing i just cant get my head around

sir_eccles

With a ten month old in day care right now who does need his naps I was curious what the AZ regulations were. I haven't found anything definitive but did come across this that seemed to give a link to each states' child care regulations.

http://nrckids.org/STATES/states.htm

Mummy in the foothills

My Dd stopped naps at 18months and in all day Preschool they did the 2 hour nap and she was 4. I told them she will not sleep unless she's getting ill. They used to put her by the night light in the room with a pile of books and quiet toys and she read and played quiet. Only one teacher didn't let her I had words with her and she started doing what the others did.

GeoffM

Thanks - the CA ones link to PDFs on a non-gov site but does appear to be the same as what I linked above.

sir_eccles

That's probably the key, talking to the right person and working out a sensible compromise. Sometimes it will be one of the teachers because they know what the kid is like.

Though sadly it does make me think that this is why too many kids end up drugged to the eyeballs. Poorly trained teachers working to overly rigid rules. Hey, it's easier to say they have ADHD and should be drugged into submission rather than being a good teacher.

yellowroom

As a non-parent, this makes me ask - if US kiddies in daycare and kindergarten are used to having a 2 hour nap time in the middle of the day, do they have a later bedtime to compensate? It sounds a bit Mediterranean/siesta like.

Or do they go to bed at the same time as UK kids too?