Oh, This Child.....

[NightOwl]

Is driving me mad with the talking at nap time. What do you do when he won't hush? He's my nephew, almost 5 yrs. PLENTY old enough to follow rules/directions. He talks incessantly throughout naptime, waking the others or preventing then from sleeping altogether. He talks to himself if there's no one nearby. My 2yo just slept for only 39 minutes and will be so cranky this afternoon because my nephew will. not. stop. talking. I'm considering duct tape!

[Heidi]

No duct tape...separate. "you are not respecting your friend's need for sleep. If you choose not to be quiet, you will have to nap elsewhere". Move to nearby hallway. Or, a spot behind a couch will do nicely.

[NightOwl]

It's looking like this will have to happen. But instead of moving everyone else, I'll have to put him in another room and stay there with him. Because lord knows he can't be trusted alone for 30 seconds. I just hate leaving all the others because he can't follow directions.

[cheerfuldom]

I wouldnt even try to put a 5 year old down for nap. I would let him watch a movie or have electronic time or quiet activities during nap

[Leigh]

No duct tape...separate. "you are not respecting your friend's need for sleep. If you choose not to be quiet, you will have to nap elsewhere". Move to nearby hallway. Or, a spot behind a couch will do nicely.

Exactly what I do here. If you can't let the others sleep, you can't sleep with the others. I will move their cot to a hallway or to a corner of my kitchen where they can't see anything going on in the home.

[NightOwl]

The dilemma with him is that he STILL talks. To himself, the wall, whatever. So in order for him to be out of hearing range, he must be in another room with the doors closed. And he can't be trusted. So it's a rock and a hard place. Leave all of my sleeping kids to make sure he doesn't destroy the room, or stay with them and he has a party in there.

[Laurel]

I wouldnt even try to put a 5 year old down for nap. I would let him watch a movie or have electronic time or quiet activities during nap

[NightOwl]

I don't put him down for a nap. He doesn't sleep anyway, so that's a losing battle. He watched a movie and that worked for a while, but the novelty has worn off I suppose.

[playground1]

Maybe an audio book and his own special earphones? Stories require more concentration than a movie.

[Josiegirl]

I have the same problem except with 3 yo and 4 yo girls. I put them on opposite sides of the room, every one is separated by a barricade of sorts. The 3 yo is constantly coming to me and telling me something, showing me something she found on the floor(yesterday it was a grain of rice) or having to go to the bathroom a million times.
They'll push the barricades towards the sleeping children, they'll whisper across to each other, basically driving me bonkers. They lay down with books and I tell them if they can quietly look at their books for awhile, I'll get them some puzzles. So then I've got them asking me every 2 minutes if they can have a puzzle yet.
It doesn't work anymore.
I usually allow the 5 yos up to watch a video or play quietly but they lose that privilege if they cannot stay quiet.

[coolconfidentme]

When I had this problem, I gave the child a book, sat them on a chair next to me & told them it was quiet time, we aren't even aloud to talk. Every time they did, my finger went to my lips & I would shake my head. If they got fidgety on the chair, they say on the floor. Sitting next to me while I do my paperwork or fart around on the computer isn't all that fun after a few days of it. Everyday I would ask them if they want to lay on the couch or sit on the chair with a book. They would eventually take the couch. Now my crew is under 3 & almost fall asleep during story time, .

[coolconfidentme]

When I had this problem, I gave the child a book, sat them on a chair next to me & told them it was quiet time, we aren't even aloud to talk. Every time they did, my finger went to my lips & I would shake my head. If they got fidgety on the chair, they say on the floor. (I never spoke during this process.) Sitting next to me while I do my paperwork or fart around on the computer isn't all that fun after a few days of it. Everyday I would ask them if they want to lay on the couch or sit on the chair with a book. They would eventually take the couch. Now my crew is under 3 & almost fall asleep during story time, .

[Laurel]

Sorry but I just thought of something funny. Teach him sign language and then when he talks he won't make any noise.

I wish I could think of something for you. I have a 3 year old (my grandson) who won't shut up during the day and even talks to himself a while at nap. He does sleep after a while though. What I do is if he isn't settled down by naptime, I give him a book. That doesn't always work so if he goofs around on his mat, I put him in time out in another room. Giving him a book there usually settles him down enough to at least come back in and lie quietly. In your case though, putting him in another room won't work.

Laurel

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I wouldnt even try to put a 5 year old down for nap. I would let him watch a movie or have electronic time or quiet activities during nap

ALL of my 5's nap (some even have to be woken up after 2 hours because we are so active here...) but if they were put in close proximity to one another they would ALL play or talk.

Put him away from others. Make sure you have loud white noise on (sometimes a box fan will work just fine!).