Tweet
Okay today is the second day out of school here and I am seriously ready to pull my hair out!! The energy is high I am assuming because Schools Out For the Summer and everyone missed eachother and they are all excited to see eachother, in which I expected would be the case!! But, what do you do with the School Agers during naptime? I am seriously at my witts end!! I added just 3-4 little girls ranging from the age of 5 - 8 years old and NOTHING I do makes them QUIET!! We nap from 1-3 each day and I have NOT had a problem with this ever until Schools Out For the Summer! LOL Everyone is awake and gee I wonder why, it couldn't be because there is 3-4 yacking, cackling little girls!! How do you keep them quiet?? I am looking for ANY IDEAS!! We have done arts and crafts, movie, puzzles, books, quiet time, outside time (in which lasted about 5 mins) grrrrr, I am at a loss, don't know what else to do, but they seriously need to be quiet! I feel like for the last 2 days from 1-3 I have been a broken record of constantly reminding to BE QUIET!!! K sorry vent over, need advice! Thanks Megan
-
-
School aged kids and nap
I have them do quiet activities to start with if they are over 6 years old. If I have to tell them even once to be quiet, then they no longer get the priviledge of doing anything during nap time. They get to lay quietly and read books. It's not fair to the nappers for the SA kids to act like they've lost their minds during naptime! -
I found the best thing to do is designate spots far away from each other. I typically do boy girl boy girl but it sounds like you only have girls. Most days, I give the nappers 30 minutes to get to sleep before allowing any activities. And, I have to admit...I pop in a movie (I get them from the library) for them for naptime almost every day. None of my parents have an issue with it. If they don't want to watch the movie then they have to read.Comment
-
WORKBOOKS!
My schoolagers work in their workbooks, read for 10 to 20 minutes depending on age and then they play outside until nap is over. If the weather is bad then I have them watch a movie. If they are noisy then I assume that they too need a nap.
Comment
-
We only have 2 rooms to work with for daycare, so at nap time everyone (toddlers through school age) are in the same room, crammed together. Today was the first day of having the school agers this summer, and it went really well with them at nap. They all know we have nap time after lunch (notice I didn't call it "quiet" time? Here it's "nap" time). They brought a blanket and pillow, with the understanding that everyone lays down and tries to go to sleep. They didn't argue it, they all laid down, and after a few whispers (and I have to brag on them, they were very quiet whispers. The promise of a back rub if they're quiet helps!) After just a second of rubbing their back, two of them zonked out immediately. One little boy couldn't go to sleep, so I allowed him to lay quietly on his cot and read books. After a little while he zonked out too. And NONE of the school agers wanted to get up when it was time! I was SOO proud of them! But it probably made a difference in this case: All 3 school agers I had today were 6 yrs old. Still young enough to be ready for a nap by 1:00! But the understanding that everyone naps helps. If the child is too old to need a nap (Usually 7 & up, depending on the child), they know they have to lay quietly without talking until the other children go to sleep. Once they all go to sleep, the older ones are allowed to do a quiet activity while laying on their cot. NO TALKING at all. Usually they end up going to sleep too. Good luck with your little chatty Kathys! Like someone else mentiond, keeping them all seperated may help and if you keep on to them with a no talking at all rule. If I have a couple who like to talk at nap, I make sure I seperate them the next time, making them think it's something special to have a new nap spot!Comment
-
They either play outside or only do things that are quiet. No toys that make noise. We have one that loves to do puzzles. We also have playdoh, workbooks, or they watch a few TV shows.Comment
-
Mine journal while I do circle time with the younger kids. While I'm getting the little ones down for nap they are to read quietly with the threat of having to sit with me in the napping area if they get loud (that usually only takes one follow through before they decide they don't care for that too much).
We then do a little bit of math based on grade level (I have 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th, so it's kind of hard to have them play a math game), a short literacy based activity (like mad libs or write the next sentence) and then they can play quietly for the next hour or so. I put out paints or watercolors, and they have access to the art cart and everything else.
I have other grand plans, but will see if they work out, it's hard when everyone is here on sporadic days, or at least not all at the same time.
I guess my big threat is that if they get loud they will have to come sit beside me to do whatever quiet activity they choose. I must smell pretty foul, because that always seems to work (I also generally luck out, or it may be because I have weeded out, with pretty well behaved children).Comment
-
when i worked with schoolagers it was in a center and every other class would be taking naps - which meant i had to keep mine quiet.
i would read a chapter from a Goosebumps book. i know you mentioned books, but GOOSEBUMPS books are different! i aimed for one chapter, and they'd always ask me to keep reading. after reading 1-2-3 chapters, i'd let them watch the video that went along with the book and make popcorn. then, if there was still time, i'd let them pick a buddy and spread them out to play a game - or if they had a DS they could play those. if their parents let them bring them and they didn't care - neither did i. i had a few loners who would bring walkman's or uhh whatever they're called now.Comment
-
My technique may be "mean", but it works...
I don't do naptime since I have all school agers, but in the afternoon we have quiet time while everyone is trying to get their homework done. The kids know that if they make noise, we're going to spend some time sitting spaced apart, with our hands in our laps, making no noise, not moving, just looking at one another. It's like a group time-out. If anyone makes any noise or giggles or anything, it adds a minute to the time that we sit there. I stand there with my arms crossed and look around at them all sternly. It is SO incredibly boring for them that they HATE this, and usually just the threat of it keeps them quiet! I only had to do this twice in a year.
I'd make them lie down and draw or read a book, and make sure that they understand that you mean SILENT and not just QUIET during naptime, because if you give school agers an inch, they'll take ten miles!Comment
-
I started doing daycare and I would allow them to go outside, do crafts, etc. but it got way too loud, they can't keep quiet!! Now on- I have them go outside(if they come in for anything, they have to stay inside), then it's off to reading silently, then when they are done, they watch a movie or tv, til naptime is over!! It has been a chore this last week, keeping them quiet!!!! I will say to them, you guys have one more chance at being quiet, then everyone is being seperated!!!!!!!!!Comment
-
My own daughter is the 5 year old and she hasn't napped honestly since she was like 2.5 - 3! She is the one who I believe stirs the pot!! I have put her in her room for not being quiet several times, which results in her SCREAMING and usually waking up the entire household! I feel like no matter what I do with these girls it lasts about 5 mins and they are off and wanting to do something else!! I am sure this is also part of just getting back into the routine of things, once we get settled maybe their attention spans will lengthen! I am going to try the seperating thing and see how that works, if my own daughter will listen and stay in her spot I am sure everything will be just dandy!! I have been taking a quarter out of her piggy bank each time she doesn't listen and she has to earn them back, I will just add this into being quiet at naptime as well!! Does anyone else feel like thier kids are the worst ones at daycare?? I love my children dearly, but they sure know how to make life chaotic when you want it not to be! I call this the mother factor when all the daycare kids act up when mom comes, but quite honestly my own daughters do it to me, in which seems ALL day long!! : IComment
-
oh yeah, my youngest son is 7, and he's the ONLY one who gives me a hard time...
i usually have 4 or 5 SA here, so when the younger ones are napping i send them in to another room to play quietly (books, puzzles, art supplies) to watch t.v., or they are allowed to go in my son's room only if the are quiet and dont horse around. they know after the 1st warning, the mats come out and they lay in silence with the rest of the nappers.Comment
-
Oh how I remeber the school agers during the Summer it was a pain in the butt and this is why I only do ages 6 weeks to 5 now didnt wanna deal with it anymore I use to make them lay on the mat during nap time from 12 to 2 they where allowed to bring a Ds from home, books, coloring books, etc. for quiet time and they stayed on there mat and played with what they brang and I also had a movie playing if they got loud then they got there Ds or whatever they brang taken away when it wasnt nap time we where outside if it wasnt to hot and on Fridays we would have waterplay no pools just a slip n slide and a sprinkler and I mean we where outside from 9 to 11 then back out 2 to 5 or else I would of gone NUTS I also didnt teach the little ones during the Summer time.
Comment
Comment