to think there’s something a bit sad about toddlers napping so easily at nursery?

[TawnyHabenero]

Feral wild beasts at home that say NOOOO NEVER to naps.

Compliant little submissive creatures at nursery who will just lay down on a mat and go to sleep.

Is it just me or does it feel a bit sad, like they’re out of their comfort zone/inhibited at nursery that they just lie down and comply?

Or they’re just rascals with their parents and secretly they love to nap

I think they’re just copying the others. I’ve never considered it sad.

Mine never napped, home or nursery. Stubbornly awake. All the bloody time.

Depending on the age of the child I think it’s probably more about wanting to do what the other children are doing. But I have worked in a nursery and they definitely don’t all nap when they’re supposed to.

Kids need rest and play.

Mine always napped fine at home. Never napped at nursery! He stopped napping completely at 2 and a half.

They just go along with the others - the same as most children eat better and are less fussy at nursery than home.

They're just fitting in with the routine. Maybe they are being more submissive in choosing to lie down (not lay down, they aren't chickens) but realising in certain situations there are rules and routines to fit in with isn't a bad thing.

Mostly they're just happy to do what their friends are doing.

Children follow what others do and like boundaries and routine. Children at home act how they like without others to model good or less desirable behaviour.

Life at home often doesn't have strict routines and boundaries, parents are inconsistent and flex their routine to what they need to do. Rightly or wrongly that impacts a child's behaviour.

Equally my DD was never a rascal and loved to nap but we had a pretty set routine and if we were out would nap in the buggy. She was also an only child, I dare say if she had similarly aged siblings they would have riled each other up. She has however continued to love routine and rules (and sleep) well into the teenage years so perhaps it's personality.

This^

Ds is FLAT OUT at nursery playing with his friends and he loves it. His days with me are probably more chill by comparison. He also eats things in nursery he wouldn't eat at home. He's seeing the others doing it and learning from them and wanting to join in with what they're doing... same applies to learning new skills like singing songs with actions or playing games or climbing etc. I don't see it as sad at all, they're learning how to interact as a group.

Haha, I remember this stage but as others have said, it's group mentality.. maybe adopt 20 other children of the same age to get the same effect 😄

I actually have a memory of nap time at nursery. I remember not wanting to rest, but knew that I had to do as I was told.

I remember being very fidgety

Ha. My daughter naps for between 4 to 21 minutes at nursery 🙃🙃 and is now dropping them at home too, since she realised she doesn’t need them at nursery 🤣😭😭 help me

Or another interpretation could be bored witless at home, satisfyingly worn out and fed at nursery. Just stop it.

I was a childminder had my fair share of babies that napped happily for me .

they are physically and emotionally exhausted at nursery.

there are probably more routines than at home - we always did quiet time which some of the coming out of naps would have a doze , quiet rest .

its not sad , compliance -

Compliant little submissive creatures at nursery who will just lay down on a mat and go to sleep.

This language is what I find sad ☹️.

Boundaries and routine are good for children. Being allowed to be feral beasts at home - not so much.

I think for mine they were just so busy at nursery. At home there are lots of moments of down time during the day but it is constant playing and interaction at nursery that it zapped them. Neither napped well at home. Eldest still has very happy memories of nursery and youngest loves going.

At nursery it’s all to do with routine, at our nursery the children know it’s lunchtime, quiet time, then nap time. It’s the routine they have followed since they started nursery and it works well.

i think most children just act up for their parents as these routines aren’t necessarily in place at home eg they might have an activity on, their friends aren’t there, they may have a late lunch or visitors at home so lots of distractions but at nursery they know the routine.

It's more likely a case that yes it is part of the routine, it's quieter/ darker, their friends are lying down. Nursery is also very busy and stimulating so may need a break. However, If they really don't want to then they won't. Speaking as someone who works in a toddler room and as a parent of a toddler who has just refused to sleep in his bed for naps at home.

My 3-year-old clearly still needs his nap. Refuses half the time, both at home and in nursery. Goes to sleep immediate in the car seat. Little rascal. I can't drive around for hours just to let him sleep!

Neither of my kids were any good at napping at nursery either. My older one would try to make all the other kids laugh instead of go to sleep and so they had to keep her out of the room in the end 😬

I work in a pre-school, we take children from 2. We find the opposite. Children will nap at home but not with us. We don’t have a set nap time or area but if a child is tired we have big cushions they can lie on or they often fall asleep on us.

First of all you're his mum so much easier to say no to you than another adult. Also, they follow what the others are doing. Even if they don't sleep they lie down and rest.

Or they are appropriately stimulated and tired enough for a nap?

I’m a nursery teacher but not in the UK. It’s about routine and also that they are pretty tired by all activities. Our children sleep outside in outdoor sleeping bags all year. They are also outside playing many hours a day, climbing trees and running around, or cycling. They sleep well.

Yes, how dreadful that these young free spirits comply and submit in a nursery setting. Clearly you should stay at home with yours and home ed them so they can stay free spirits and grow up to become trapeze artists rather than boring tax accountants.