Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Rest time at daycare

5 replies

SkyBlue1987 · 19/07/2023 09:01

My son, 3.5 years, goes to daycare four days a week. He is in a room with about 15-20 other 3-4 years olds. They have rest time after lunch for about an hour with the room darkened. I understand some kids nap and some don’t but those who don’t are encouraged to rest quietly in their beds for the hour.

Daycare has started raising concerns with us that our son is the only child at rest time who constantly disrupts the other children, talks and gets up from his bed. Other than that they have no issues with him. I’m not sure what to do about it, he hasn’t napped at home for about a year (and doesn’t need to as when he did he was up until 9pm at night). He’s told me the beds at daycare are uncomfortable (they are the plastic stackable type) and he doesn’t know how to stay still. He’s the same at home at bedtime, as in he can’t relax by himself, if I leave him alone he takes an hour or two to settle but if I lie next to him he’s asleep in 10 mins or so at 6.30pm and sleeps for 12 hours. Is this something I should be concerned about and trying to help fix so he doesn’t disrupt the other kids or does daycare need to come up with a better solution for non napping kids?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Caravanvirgin · 19/07/2023 09:05

Are you in the USA? In the UK it isn’t the norm for children of that age to nap.

MsSquiz · 19/07/2023 09:06

I find it odd that they try to make non napping children stay quiet and still for an hour while others nap. It sounds like a recipe for disaster!

DD1 is also 3.5 and at her nursery, any children who still nap or just need a nap, can go to the nap room/quiet area while the others can still play or go into the garden.
Most kids at that age would struggle to sit still and quiet when they're not tired.
I deliberately sent her on half days only while she still napped in the afternoon for 1.5-2 hours because I refused to pay for her to nap there when she could nap at home for free 😂 so I definitely wouldn't be ok with them trying to get her to nap or sit silently for an hour

I would speak to the nursery manager to ask if someone could take him to a different room or area to play while the others nap.

TropicalTrama · 19/07/2023 09:08

You’ve said daycare so I’m going to reply as if you’re in the US. If you’re not then please ignore as it won’t be relevant…

Your state might legally mandate that all daycare kids have to be offered a nap. Obviously they can’t make him sleep but if the others are disturbed by him and don’t get their nap as a result then they’re legally on shaky ground. But they need to find a solution that works for all. Are there quiet activities he can do? Could he go up to the pre-K class over nap time?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

SkyBlue1987 · 19/07/2023 09:27

We are in New Zealand so I don’t think there are any legal requirements. I’m not sure the room is big enough to have a separate quiet area for sleeping kids and kids doing a quiet activity (it’s quite open plan) and I guess if some kids are awake playing then they will all want to be. I think the only option would be for him to go to the room for 4-5 year olds for rest time but then they might have issues with teacher/kid ratios. Just trying to get an idea of what other daycares do - I’m sure he’s not the only kid who refuses to rest.

OP posts:
Peachespeachesohpeaches · 19/07/2023 09:33

My 3yo hasn't napped for ages but she sits quietly with one of the team and does colouring, reads books or plays with not noisy toys while the others nap. They don't expect her to lie still and do nothing

New posts on this thread. Refresh page