Well, Crud, I Knew This Day Was Coming

[SilverSabre25]

DCM told me that for awhile now, each time DCB has napped at my house (whenever he's here, ) he's up past ten that night. He's 4 and has dropped nap at home, so I knew this day was coming.

I'm NOT an "all nap" program. I can't afford to be that strict :P but I do have to scramble now to come up with a plan for him not napping. I told her we'd start by cutting it to 1 hour only for a few days and see how that goes. Otherwise he'll probably watch a couple shows with DD--which will cut her TV time down which is probably a good thing.

I knew it was coming. I knew that before he went off to kindy (fall 2013) he'd probably drop the nap. I just...didn't expect it to be quite this soon.

[youretooloud]

I make them lie down, but not in a room with only sleeping kids. We turn on the tv every day for all the kids. Some sleep, some watch the movie. I get all the beds out for all the kids, but, keep the big kids up til most of the nap is over, then send them in to watch a show, then everybody gets up at the same time.

But, if I let one or two big kids get up after 30 minutes, the little kids think they can get up too. Then I end up frustrated, so I do it in reverse.

[daycare]

I am in this saME exact situation......I am a nap only and am going to lose a 4.5 year old in about a month here. I have no where for them to go if they are not sleeping and this child is keeping everyone awake

[SilverSabre25]

Luckily I have a separate napping room for daycare kids, so waking people up isn't much of an issue. DCB still falls asleep easily every day, but I understand DCM not wanting him up so late. That's why I don't mind adjusting my program.

I'm thinking that I'll keep him and DD up at first and do some kindy prep with DD and pre-k-type stuff with DCB, stuff I can't do so easily when DCG is up--she's only 3 and is not ready for the stuff the other two are. She thankfully desperately needs her full nap everyday. So we'll do handwriting worksheets and work on counting with DCB and letter recognition, letter sounds, etc.

Then I'll let DCB and DD watch two short shows (so, ~40 minutes) and then send DCB in to lay down until nap is over. If 1 hour of nap still proves too much for him then I'll figure something else out.

[daycare]

Luckily I have a separate napping room for daycare kids, so waking people up isn't much of an issue. DCB still falls asleep easily every day, but I understand DCM not wanting him up so late. That's why I don't mind adjusting my program.

I'm thinking that I'll keep him and DD up at first and do some kindy prep with DD and pre-k-type stuff with DCB, stuff I can't do so easily when DCG is up--she's only 3 and is not ready for the stuff the other two are. She thankfully desperately needs her full nap everyday. So we'll do handwriting worksheets and work on counting with DCB and letter recognition, letter sounds, etc.

Then I'll let DCB and DD watch two short shows (so, ~40 minutes) and then send DCB in to lay down until nap is over. If 1 hour of nap still proves too much for him then I'll figure something else out.

I lay all of the kids down in the same room. The ones that I know will sleep well are placed closer together. The one that does not, i move to a different part of the same room.

I think that this kid still needs a nap, but since the mom has been out of work, the child started sleeping in until 9am and does not get here until 10. So before this was happening, the kid got here at 8:30 and was always the first one to sleep.

My issue is that the kid needs a nap. He's on melt down mode from 330 on....AND everyone pays the price for it.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I think that this kid still needs a nap, but since the mom has been out of work, the child started sleeping in until 9am and does not get here until 10. So before this was happening, the kid got here at 8:30 and was always the first one to sleep.

My issue is that the kid needs a nap. He's on melt down mode from 330 on....AND everyone pays the price for it.

I'd tell the parent exactly this. (Well, maybe phrase the melt-down part a bit gentler. ) I'd suggest arriving earlier. I'd also suggest outside play after leaving in the afternoons, and an earlier bedtime (in my experience, going to bed way late often means you've missed the window and they've gotten a second wind).

Makes me crazy when they drop a nap at home when you've got them most of the time and are dealing with the effects.

[countrymom]

I would call it quiet time, if he falls asleep, well then he needed it. Maybe cut his nap shorter. I only allow children who are in jk/kindy to be up, otherwise everyone has quiet time.

[jojosmommy]

I do something similar with my own son. We do preschool stuff while the other kids start falling asleep. Then he gets 30 min to read or play his learning computer gma got him. Then he is expected to rest until his "time timer" lights up and he can get up. When he is awake he helps with snack and we do more preschool work.

He still needs nap, but has never napped as long as the others.

Could your dck be staying up later because of the amount of light at night? My son always stays up later in the summer, and has more trouble with getting to bed at a decent hour. Just a thought