Help With Nap Time - I Don't Know What Else To Do

[WImom]

This is my nap time - The kids range from 28m to 5y and we are all in one room.
(1)we eat lunch
(2)After they eat they go potty and go on their mats and get quiet bins (sewing cards, coloring pages and crayons, small puzzles, books, etc)
(3) Bins get picked up and I read a story or two
(4) I turn on my fans and nap music and they are required to lay down and rest or sleep.

I have one child that can not do this. She is 3.5y old starts up as soon as lunch is over. Can't be quiet with her bin, then hums, talks during story, and then bounces around at nap, rolls off her cot, makes noises with mouth, sits up, try's touching buttons on toys to make the music go off, etc.

I have removed her from the room, I have taken away "game time" (we do games every day at 4:00 - if you are not quiet at nap you don't play and you sit at the table with a few items I choose until your picked up- Kids are picked up between 4-4:30). She talks back, yells and wake up kids, if I just put her back on her mat and tell her it's nap time, quiet, etc. I've talked to her mom daily about it. She suggested I let her paint during nap because she likes to paint! UMMM NO!!! I also give the kids nap bags with quiet items after 30-45m of laying resting but the problem is she is never laying down or resting! I have moved her all over the room. I just can't find a consistent spot for her.

The only thing I can think of besides her either being terminated or picked up before nap is to put her right outside my daycare space in the front hall. The mom would need to reimburse me for a gate for my basement stairs though. I'm not paying for one. Also, if someone comes to the door or my dogs which are gated near that area are being loud, or the phone rings she will be up. I also do really want her there since that is my own personal home space then.

This has been going on almost daily for 2-3 months now and I've had enough. She is okay when it's not nap besides the normal bossiness and high pitch screaming when she doesn't get her way (Oh wait...maybe that's not normal. I'm so used to it now I thought it was....LOL)

Wanted to add she will eventually fall asleep after about 1-1.5h of screwing around.
Am I missing something that I haven't tried?? I feel like I've tried everything.

[Josiegirl]

I hate to even suggest this but does she have a Kindle or something she could bring from home, just for nap time? 3 1/2 seems to be on the cusp of needing a nap or not(I say this because right at this moment I also have a 3 1/2 yo dcg talking to herself, humming, somersaulting, in her space).
Does all that noise wake the others up or prevent them from napping? How about music for her and some headphones?

[Heidi]

Sounds like she's done napping to me, too. I'd move her away from the group (and I would not charge the mom for the gate, but that's me). Give her a quiet basket of quiet toys or books and story tapes.

It's one thing to have a parent request their child not nap. It's another to have a child outgrow napping. Still, you're entitled to a break, the other children need theirs (and she is not entitled to disrupt that).

My very p.t. 4 & 5 year olds still nap, but in the past I've done the above, and I've also gotten one of those bed tents (or made one). Something about boundaries really help kids quiet down, and it also make them feel like their special place. I do always try to present things in the most positive way I can...but firmy, KWIM?

One of these types of things on a crib mattress:

https://www.google.com/search?q=toddler+bed+tent&rlz=1C1KAFA_enUS546US546&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Mcj7UsPFMemh2QW-lIH4AQ&ved=0CEEQsAQ&biw=1092&bih=533#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=9gl8Q-TRC7BkKM%253A%3BQIh0kxdGm4G53M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdrprem.com%252Fparenting%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252Fsites%252F19%252F2013%252F10%252Fright-color-tent_6642.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdrprem.com%252Fparenting%252Fbright-color-bed-tent-for-your-adventurous-child.html%3B550%3B374

Or a small pop-up tent with a floor. It could be her "quiet time" fort.

[CraftyMom]

This is my nap time - The kids range from 28m to 5y and we are all in one room.
(1)we eat lunch
(2)After they eat they go potty and go on their mats and get quiet bins (sewing cards, coloring pages and crayons, small puzzles, books, etc)
(3) Bins get picked up and I read a story or two
(4) I turn on my fans and nap music and they are required to lay down and rest or sleep.

I have one child that can not do this. She is 3.5y old starts up as soon as lunch is over. Can't be quiet with her bin, then hums, talks during story, and then bounces around at nap, rolls off her cot, makes noises with mouth, sits up, try's touching buttons on toys to make the music go off, etc.

I have removed her from the room, I have taken away "game time" (we do games every day at 4:00 - if you are not quiet at nap you don't play and you sit at the table with a few items I choose until your picked up- Kids are picked up between 4-4:30). She talks back, yells and wake up kids, if I just put her back on her mat and tell her it's nap time, quiet, etc. I've talked to her mom daily about it. She suggested I let her paint during nap because she likes to paint! UMMM NO!!! I also give the kids nap bags with quiet items after 30-45m of laying resting but the problem is she is never laying down or resting! I have moved her all over the room. I just can't find a consistent spot for her.

The only thing I can think of besides her either being terminated or picked up before nap is to put her right outside my daycare space in the front hall. The mom would need to reimburse me for a gate for my basement stairs though. I'm not paying for one. Also, if someone comes to the door or my dogs which are gated near that area are being loud, or the phone rings she will be up. I also do really want her there since that is my own personal home space then.

This has been going on almost daily for 2-3 months now and I've had enough. She is okay when it's not nap besides the normal bossiness and high pitch screaming when she doesn't get her way (Oh wait...maybe that's not normal. I'm so used to it now I thought it was....LOL)

Wanted to add she will eventually fall asleep after about 1-1.5h of screwing around.
Am I missing something that I haven't tried?? I feel like I've tried everything.

I wonder what time she wakes up? Maybe she isn't ready for nap until a little later on.

[WImom]

per the state they need to lay down and rest for 30 minutes. I have other kids that do not nap the whole nap. They are quiet for 30 minutes and get a nap bag. My main issue is this starts before nap even begins and then continues through 1/2 of nap.

Yes, she keeps the other kids awake.

She is here at 7am so she is up early since they are about 20 minutes from me drive time. Not sure on bed time but I know her bedtime has been a struggle lately because her dad comes home from work right around her bedtime so she doesn't want to go to sleep.

We have nap from 12:45-3:15

She finally decided to lay down and fell asleep almost instantly. Anytime she will lay down then she is asleep so I think she still needs a nap.

I have other kids that wake early or sometimes do not sleep so I really don't want to move her outside my daycare space. They are quiet though which is the difference.

[Heidi]

per the state they need to lay down and rest for 30 minutes. I have other kids that do not nap the whole nap. They are quiet for 30 minutes and get a nap bag. My main issue is this starts before nap even begins and then continues through 1/2 of nap.

Yes, she keeps the other kids awake.

She is here at 7am so she is up early since they are about 20 minutes from me drive time. Not sure on bed time but I know her bedtime has been a struggle lately because her dad comes home from work right around her bedtime so she doesn't want to go to sleep.

We have nap from 12:45-3:15

She finally decided to lay down and fell asleep almost instantly. Anytime she will lay down then she is asleep so I think she still needs a nap.

I have other kids that wake early or sometimes do not sleep so I really don't want to move her outside my daycare space. They are quiet though which is the difference.

Ok...got it!

I thought it was 45 minutes. I should check the regs again, eh? Not an issue right now, fortunately.

Does she LIKE sleeping with her friends? Does it matter to her? If so, then you could use that as a commodity. Set up her normal bed, but put a mat in the hallway, too. Tell her that if she makes noise and keeps her friends up, she will have to move. Then, give her one chance, if she blows it, quietly and calmly move her. Rinse and repeat daily until she gets it.

If that's not important to her, how about a sticker sheet? I'm not a big fan of external rewards, but they do motivate some kids. Maybe you can work out a "prize" with mom for when she gets 5 stickers, or she gets to paint when she gets 5 stickers. My youngest son would be more motivated if you promised NO sticker, because they repulse him. Always have...wierd, eh?

I've also had some kids that age that sleep better if they get to pick a stuffed animal or a small toy to sleep with. I mean, ahem, REST with. Sometimes, it's just a choice of words.

[WImom]

I've been doing stickers this week - not a chart but just that they get one if quiet at nap since I got some Lego Movie ones from Scholastic. All the kids are listening at nap so great because they want one but her. The other kids all want to play games too at game time which she seems to care at the time but it isn't motivation. The reason I started taking away game time was for another kid and her that wouldn't be quiet and it seemed to work for a few days on both but now only for the other kid. She doesn't care.

I don't think she would care if I put her in the other room. I have removed her before and it didn't matter. Then when I tell her to be quiet the next day she will say "Put me in the hall".

I have a new girl starting Monday (2.5y) and I am dreading nap time. I have no idea where I can put my problem DCG so she isn't teaching this new one to fool around.

I really don't want to put a cot out in my hall either because it hard wood floors and I'm afraid the cot will scratch especially with her bouncing around.

We are planning to remodel our basement and move nap down there this spring/summer - depends on how much taxes cost me this year. I would then have more space and another room for the non nappers. It can't come soon enough.

[Play Care]

I have a 4 yo non napper with somewhat similar issues - she's not quite as bad as yours but she is also older. I finally moved her permanently. I have not yet given her toys or books (which I do with kids who have outgrown nap but can also behave so others can rest) she has to earn that with good nap behavior.
I just got tired of sitting in the room with the kids for a half hour just to get them calm and then having her bouncing and purposeful loud sighs, yawns, etc. wake them up less than an hour later much easier to move her out and be done. I've have three solid days of naptimehappyfacehappyface