No Napping Childcare

[Meeko]

Please! I want one of those!

Walmart/Kmart etc usually have them in the area they sell the candles etc. Usually with a machine that lets you hear the first few bars of the tracks. They are inexpensive and worth their weight in gold!

[MissAnn]

It's called Native American Flute on iTunes.

[MsCathy]

I agree with MissAnn. I live for rest time.... I used to sell Discovery Toys And i use a cd from them called Sounds of Learning. It puts everyone to sleep.....even my husband.

I may try the flutes though (thanks for the idea)

I also find that tv keeps the older ones (over 2) from sleeping. So I allow tv for the first 15 min or so but no more than that. Then the cd goes on...

[coolconfidentme]

I have mine play hard before lunch & have a story, then go down for a nap. It's sad I have to be the sleep police, but I need a break & I'll be the heavy when when it comes to naps. They get one warning & are outta the naptime room & get placed somewhere else. I can go weeks without an issue, then outta the blue, everyone is a clown. This week I have a circus full of clowns, UGH!

[Jewels]

I decided a while ago when alot of my kids stopped napping to go this route, I do not want to make nap time a battle, I have 6 3 and 4 yr olds, that do not nap, I still need quiet time though, and I still think they need some quiet rest time, My room is a nice wide open room right upstairs in the main daycare area, so they all go in there, and I turn on a movie, the rule is they need to be good and quiet for 1 hour, and after the hour, I bring in large floor puzzles, building sets, crayons papers, geo boards, tag reader, I pick like 3-4 different things everyday, and everyone is happy, I still have a quiet time right out in the living room, where my little ones nap, and I hang out with the baby generally watch a couple TV shows on my laptop if the baby is awake, and clean if he is sleeping, I have no TV any other time of the day except early morning(6:30), and none of my parents mind the movie, the kids get their "rest" they are all falling asleep great at night, however if a kid is misbehaving to much in the morning, my first warning is generally "you will have to lay down for nap today" and I dont have to get stressed battling the kids that just wont fall asleep, and I have never had nap time start to early...12:30-12:45. Now in the summer I send all my school aged kids outside for the first hour or so, since they are allowed to play unsupervised. I try to hold off allowing the no naps until age 4, but I do have to 3 year olds that don't nap.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

3-5 year olds. 4 of them are up by 6 every day if not earlier.

We lay down right after lunch (12:30 and lay down till 3:00). You would think they would be tired by this time but no, they are ready to go for the afternoon.

I have tried earlier, later, black out curtains, seperate rooms, music, outside time, etc. Nothing works!

One of them didn't take a nap one day and fell asleep on the way home till 8:00 the next morning (16 hours). They need to sleep!

This group has been this way since the beginning-non nappers. I have more days of non napping with this group then days of napping. I would say 3 out of 5 days a weeks someone is not taking a nap!

How much physical activity are they getting? How much outdoor time? How much dancing time that includes jumping/walking/skipping/etc.?

If you could increase the physical activity and make naptime start at 1:00 after a calm down period of JUST reading books quietly for 15-30 minutes (depending on how much your kids can handle) then you may be able to help them get to sleep. Even my most difficult children fall asleep before an hour has passed and they never nap at home, none of them wake up at 6:00am, etc. They are all 3-5 with the exception of two 2's.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I play this Native American flute music every nap time. They get sleepy as soon as they hear it. I think it hypnotizes them!

I play the same version of "The Lord's Prayer" and as SOON as they hear it they start yawning. ::

[Jewels]

How much physical activity are they getting? How much outdoor time? How much dancing time that includes jumping/walking/skipping/etc.?

If you could increase the physical activity and make naptime start at 1:00 after a calm down period of JUST reading books quietly for 15-30 minutes (depending on how much your kids can handle) then you may be able to help them get to sleep. Even my most difficult children fall asleep before an hour has passed and they never nap at home, none of them wake up at 6:00am, etc. They are all 3-5 with the exception of two 2's.

I know for me even this past summer after playing outside and swimmimg all morning and even after going back out for 20 minutes after lunch, my non nappers still half would not sleep, now some of mine would still fall asleep within the hour half the time, but I just dont push it, they go to bed early enough at home, I know my own daughter will sometimes have to go down for a nap, but the times she does she is awake in her bed for 1-2 hours before falling asleep. I do believe some children grow out of naps. my kids get lots of activity inside , and like I said half would fall asleep sometimes, but I just don't battle it.

[Country Kids]

How much physical activity are they getting? How much outdoor time? How much dancing time that includes jumping/walking/skipping/etc.?

If you could increase the physical activity and make naptime start at 1:00 after a calm down period of JUST reading books quietly for 15-30 minutes (depending on how much your kids can handle) then you may be able to help them get to sleep. Even my most difficult children fall asleep before an hour has passed and they never nap at home, none of them wake up at 6:00am, etc. They are all 3-5 with the exception of two 2's.

Lots of physical activity!!! We have been doing work out videos in the moringing/sometimes right before nap. We will be outside for 30 min or mor also.

Even my parents are telling me that they either aren't napping at home or falling asleep around 2-3 if they can settle down.

One of mine has been laying awake for 1-2 hours everynight after bedtime (staying in bed) but not being able to sleep. So falling asleep time is getting later and later and they are 2.

We have the same routine and always have. This group (2-3 years of being here) have always had issue's with naptime for some reason. I don't expect them to have to fall asleep right away but with the dark curtains, soft music you think they would be extra tired.

Also, its not 1 or 2 but the majority of them and I can only remove 2 of them somewhere else and that doesn't always work either.

[countrymom]

I have a feeling that on the drive home many of the kids are falling asleep. So they are going to bed later. So they get up early and the processes begins over and over again.

[Country Kids]

I have a feeling that on the drive home many of the kids are falling asleep. So they are going to bed later. So they get up early and the processes begins over and over again.

I know this sounds weird but at least 3 of the families have something going on in pretty quick after pick up (dance, gymnastics, things like that). So they are going from here to these activities, then home for dinner, then bed. Some of them, not all but even the ones that don't, pretty much have a strict routine of home, dinner, bath, bed.


Three of them will be doing afternoon kindergarten but the funny thing is, those are the ones that do sleep the most! Its the younger ones (3-4) that aren't sleeping-:confused:

Anyway, I'm going to really think up some things to do in the afternoon that is quieter but still engaging. I'm also going to send out a letter to my parents letting them know so we are all on board with this!