Naptime For 5 Year Old

[MsMe]

A DCB I have had since birth turns 5 tomorrow. I have never had a 5 in care full time.

I tell him everyday he doesn't have to sleep but he does need to rest. This is the first day I offered to let him up early (policy is you only have to take a full nap rest untill age 5). Normaly 10 minutes of laying still and he falls right to sleep which lead me to believe that he still needed the nap.

A hand full of times in the last week he has been all over the place...can't lay still, talking, touching anything he can get near. Since he is 5 now I told him today if he laid on his mat for an hour he could get up and play quietly. Hasn't been still for even one minute of the last 2hrs16min. Even with me watching him every second.

I want him to still have a quiet time 30-60min before he gets up. He is my DCB that I post about often that I have so many troubles with (talking back, not listening, being too physical, and just downright mean nearly all day). I think he still needs to 'earn' his quiet play by resting for awhile.


Would you have him rest alt all before getting up tp play? If so, how long? If not, Why?


Terming isn't an option I am concidering as I only have him untill school lets out.

[Kaddidle Care]

Here they are required to rest on their cots for 30 minutes. At that point I would let him have a couple of books to look at or quiet puzzle to play. After an hour (that 30 minutes more) it's to the table for quiet coloring or play doh. They must be quiet so the others can sleep.

We have several 5 year olds. Some still take naps and others do not. It's usually pretty boring for that first 30 minutes though and if they really need a nap, they will take one.

[WImom]

yep, I have a 5 year old DCG here and she has to rest 30-45 minutes and then gets books for 15 minutes and then I give her a quiet bin to use for the rest of nap. Luckily she is very quiet. I have a few others that are 3y that sometimes don't nap and it will take most of nap for them to stay still and rest.

If a child can't be quiet enough for others to nap then they've outgrown my program.

[MsMe]

What if they are not quiet? Wiggling on and off of mat trying to get to toys/objects around them, humming, singing and mostly doing al of this with a 'idon't care what the rules are' smile on their face? Do you make them stay on their mat for just 30 minutes or 30 'good' minutes (even if it takes and hour or more?)

[LittleD]

What if they are not quiet? Wiggling on and off of mat trying to get to toys/objects around them, humming, singing and mostly doing al of this with a 'idon't care what the rules are' smile on their face? Do you make them stay on their mat for just 30 minutes or 30 'good' minutes (even if it takes and hour or more?)

What about a loss of privileges following nap? He's not following your rules, there has to be a consequence, IMO. Give him a heads up "If you stay on your cot, and you are quiet for 30 mins, I will let you play with play doh/legos/puzzle (or something else the little ones can't do) " If he doesn't, when it's time to get up, make sure to mention "It's to bad you didn't follow the rules, now I can't let you play with the big boy toys"