At What Age Do Your DCKs Stop Taking Morning Naps?

[CedarCreek]

I have a dcb who is 14 months. He arrives at 7:15 and goes down at 9:30. He sleeps until 11:00. He then plays, eats lunch, plays some more and goes back down at 1:30. He is up at 3:00 and then Mom picks up at 4:45.

Yesterday she was looking over his daily report and she gave sort of a "tisk,tisk" and said, "Man, he's still taking those morning naps, huh? I guess wherever we end up going is going to be the end of that." (I'm closing my DC on Friday)

I was sort of puzzled. I said, "It shouldn't be a problem wherever you go that he still takes a morning nap. By 9:30 he is really cranky and he WANTS a nap."

She just replied that her nephews are around his age and they don't take morning naps.....

In my head I'm thinking, well those are your NEPHEWS not your SON. But I just ended up repeating that he needs it and she mentioned that on the weekends he doesn't get a morning nap.

I'm not changing anything about his routine for our last days together. I was just wondering at what age your dcks stop taking their morning naps. I didn't think he was too old at all to not need them.

[hope]

I let parents know that kids may not take morning naps on the weekends bc they are allowed to sleep in. Parents don't realize that if they wake their child in the wee hours of the morning that they still may be tired. I have had a parent question morning nap before and I let them know that they can drop off later after the child wakes on their own and then I would try to skip it.

[melilley]

Usually at around 12-14 months I transition the kids to the "toddler" schedule. They stop taking 2 naps and go down to one. Usually in the beginning, they are really tired by nap, but before long they get into the routine.

Before opening my fcc, I worked in a couple of centers and usually when the kids were 12 months and were walking, they moved to the toddler room and went down to 1 nap. Honestly, most kids did great.

[jenboo]

i base it on each individual child. Some children needs those morning naps for a long time! others grow out of them very quickly. Every child is different.

[TwinKristi]

I have a boy who's 22mos and just recently gave up his AM nap but I could probably lay him down at 9:30-10 and he would sleep but then his afternoon nap is thrown off. The other 2 (both 2) take an afternoon nap so it's easier for me to transition him to 1 longer nap so they all sleep at the same time which is amazing. Plus he's going to Jr preschool next month and they nap at 12 so it's better for him to get used to that. But at 14 mos he definitely needed 2 naps! Every child is different but they all need at least one nap here!

[MamaBearCanada]

Between 15 & 18m.

[Lucy]

(correction below. I read it wrong)

Sometimes by age 4, but normally we quit or taper off sometime during the summer before Kindergarten.

The general "rule" for me is the summer before they go to Kindergarten. But that depends A LOT on the kid. I've had some who just didn't NEED the sleep at age 4. On the opposite end, I had one boy who went to AM Kinder, and napped an hour when he got back here. He was just one of those kids who needed a little extra. I go by the kid's need.

Disclaimer: No, the kids DO NOT get a say in whether or not they nap. And neither does the parent. It's MY call. Period. Some just don't benefit from it at about age 4. They lay there wide awake. So yeah, depends on the kid is my answer .

ETA:

Oh my goodness.... you said MORNING naps!! My bad. Guess I should read the whole thing before I respond!!!

Ok, so I'd go by the kid's need on that too. Gosh, it's been awhile since I had one that young, but in my almost 20 years of daycare, I'd say about 18 months was my average for transitioning to one nap a day. That being said, I probably had some who did it at 15 months, and some at like 22 months. Just depends. I'm shocked this mom wouldn't think hers needed one at age 14 months. Is it her first kid?

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

depends on the child and what time they arrive at my house Usually between 10 months and 18 months. If they are here early I do a morning nap 8- 9:30 range but generally not later than 9:30. Around that year mark they are generally to one nap. But I put down between 11:30 and 12.

[DaycareMom]

It definitely depends on the child, but I usually stop at around 15-18 months.
I have a 14 mo old and he still gets a morning nap too!

[LaLa1923]

Sometimes by age 4, but normally we quit or taper off sometime during the summer before Kindergarten.

The general "rule" for me is the summer before they go to Kindergarten. But that depends A LOT on the kid. I've had some who just didn't NEED the sleep at age 4. On the opposite end, I had one boy who went to AM Kinder, and napped an hour when he got back here. He was just one of those kids who needed a little extra. I go by the kid's need.

Disclaimer: No, the kids DO NOT get a say in whether or not they nap. And neither does the parent. It's MY call. Period. Some just don't benefit from it at about age 4. They lay there wide awake. So yeah, depends on the kid is my answer .

I think your answer here is to when do kids stop taking naps. I do think you're correct btw.

BUT OP was talking about just the am nap....not naps all together....


I think it depends on the child and when they get up for the day. I have a little one that needs an am nap BUT he gets up at 5 am....
He's almost 16 months.


A dcg that I have naps in the am too...she's 17 months. I'd love to quit the am nap all together.

However, they are all up by 9am at the latest. Maybe 9:30 If they get here late. They get 45 mins to 1 hour and then I wake them. They'd sleep longer but I don't want them to.

I want everyone to lay down by 12 for pm nap. happyface

[Lucy]

I think your answer here is to when do kids stop taking naps. I do think you're correct btw.

BUT OP was talking about just the am nap....not naps all together....


I think it depends on the child and when they get up for the day. I have a little one that needs an am nap BUT he gets up at 5 am....
He's almost 16 months.


A dcg that I have naps in the am too...she's 17 months. I'd love to quit the am nap all together.

However, they are all up by 9am at the latest. Maybe 9:30 If they get here late. They get 45 mins to 1 hour and then I wake them. They'd sleep longer but I don't want them to.

I want everyone to lay down by 12 for pm nap. happyface

I did correct my answer. You must have seen it before I posted the edit. Yes, I'm a dork!

[Patches]

Usually at around 12-14 months I transition the kids to the "toddler" schedule. They stop taking 2 naps and go down to one. Usually in the beginning, they are really tired by nap, but before long they get into the routine.

Before opening my fcc, I worked in a couple of centers and usually when the kids were 12 months and were walking, they moved to the toddler room and went down to 1 nap. Honestly, most kids did great.

Same here.

[Heidi]

I think my just 12 month olds are transitioning themselves. I put them down for morning naps, but they are just partying in there instead of sleeping lately.

Well, one parties and keeps the other one up, anyway.

As a matter of fact, I had to move the other one back out of the room because of he's in the binky-throwing stage, so today it's a really unhappy party. I am NOT giving it back, and I would have to go through her room to get to him. not happening!

[TheGoodLife]

i base it on each individual child. Some children needs those morning naps for a long time! others grow out of them very quickly. Every child is different.

Today my 18 month old took an AM nap. Yesterday my almost 3 year old did- each child is different and a good provider will do exactly what you are doing and cater to their needs (when it works for everyone involved ) Some kids still need an AM nap and as long as it works for the provider- why not?!

Good luck on the closing!

[CedarCreek]

(correction below. I read it wrong)

Sometimes by age 4, but normally we quit or taper off sometime during the summer before Kindergarten.

The general "rule" for me is the summer before they go to Kindergarten. But that depends A LOT on the kid. I've had some who just didn't NEED the sleep at age 4. On the opposite end, I had one boy who went to AM Kinder, and napped an hour when he got back here. He was just one of those kids who needed a little extra. I go by the kid's need.

Disclaimer: No, the kids DO NOT get a say in whether or not they nap. And neither does the parent. It's MY call. Period. Some just don't benefit from it at about age 4. They lay there wide awake. So yeah, depends on the kid is my answer .

ETA:

Oh my goodness.... you said MORNING naps!! My bad. Guess I should read the whole thing before I respond!!!

Ok, so I'd go by the kid's need on that too. Gosh, it's been awhile since I had one that young, but in my almost 20 years of daycare, I'd say about 18 months was my average for transitioning to one nap a day. That being said, I probably had some who did it at 15 months, and some at like 22 months. Just depends. I'm shocked this mom wouldn't think hers needed one at age 14 months. Is it her first kid?

Yes, it is her first child.

Thanks everyone! I was just sort of wondering what everyone else's little ones did. Like I said, I'm not changing anything in our last days but who knows what the next provider will do!

I don't think Mom was taking into consideration that he does not wake up as early on the weekends. Oh well.