Kids not napping

[permanentvacation]

I have done licensed daycare for over 20 years and every couple of years, I (and some other licensed daycare providers that I have spoken with throughout the years) have noticed that about every 3 to 4 years, some things about children overall change.

Every child (1 - 5 year olds) that I used to have a couple of years ago would NEED and take a nice 2 to 3 hour nap every day. But over the past couple of years, they need less and less of a nap. Even the infants, under 1 year old, only need about a 20 minute nap now! The older children, 1- 5 year olds, only need about 1/2 hour or so of a nap.

I have seen posts on here and on Craigslist about parents wanting their child to have a max of a 45 minute nap.

I did work at a couple of centers a couple of years ago and in order for them to get their kids to sleep for the 3 hour naps they gave them, the teachers would blare the music. I have done that a few times and it does help to keep them asleep longer, but it gives me the most horrible headache! Plus, I simply can't 'think' or focus on getting paper work, preschool education planning, computer work, and phone calls (both business and personal ones) with the music on.

So, here's are questions; How long is your nap time? If your nap times are less then 2 hours, how do you get things done... or maybe I should ask what do you do/get done during your nap time? I am used to being able to make my lunch, eat lunch, make a personal phone call (I don't have co-workers to talk to, so one phone call to one person during nap time is all the adult communication I get), research, plan, and create some preschool educational activities, get some paper work and some computer work done, get some laundry and house cleaning done, watch some tv (most people can watch some tv in their break room during their lunch time), get some business calls made, and, if I hadn't before work, cook dinner.

With the kids only wanting about 1/2 hour of a nap, I barely have time to make and eat my lunch. I work 12 hours a day and am starting to only get 1/2 hour of a break! I can't get any work done other than literally watching/tending to the children. I can't get anything actually done during the work day. It's gotten so that I am focused on daycare from 6 am - 11 pm and some of the days over the weekend. I have to do all paper work, computer work, curriculum planning, etc. before and after daycare kids are here and over the weekends. I have never had to do daycare things other than shopping outside of my daycare business hours. But now that they won't take a long enough nap, I am spending all of my personal time doing daycare things.

SO, with such a short nap, how am I supposed to get everything done during daycare hours?

[Ariana]

I have the opposite problem! my kids nap for 3-4 hours and I have to wake them up every day. White noise might help? It is similar to loud music but way less annoying. I also enforce a strict one hour "quiet time". Kids stay in their cots or on their beds quietly. The ones who are consistently awake (and older than 3) can look at books quietly. My daughter is 2.5 and has dropped her nap most days, however she still stays in her bed quietly playing for 2 hours. Right now though all my DC kids nap like logs

[NeedaVaca]

Napping is not an option at my daycare. Key is consistency and routine. The kids don't get to decide

[Blackcat31]

I have the opposite problem! my kids nap for 3-4 hours and I have to wake them up every day. White noise might help? It is similar to loud music but way less annoying. I also enforce a strict one hour "quiet time". Kids stay in their cots or on their beds quietly. The ones who are consistently awake (and older than 3) can look at books quietly. My daughter is 2.5 and has dropped her nap most days, however she still stays in her bed quietly playing for 2 hours. Right now though all my DC kids nap like logs

Same here... I am sort of feeling bad when parents show up at 3-3:30 for pick up and their child is just waking up...

[Controlled Chaos]

I am lucky with good nappers now. Everyone here is quiet, on their cots 1-3. Some take longer to settle than others, but typically after 30 min of sitting in the room, with a fan and music playing (no loud though) they are all asleep.

I think a lot of it has to do with training, expectation and consistency. Many children here nap 2 hours here and never at home.

[Heidi]

Not an option here either, nap time is from 12-3. Exceptions for young infants and older 4's or SA.

They don't HAVE to sleep, but they can have a quiet rest time. Most of mine sleep 2 1/2 hours of the 3 every day. Those that currently don't lay in their bed and sing or talk.

New guy, almost 1, is working on it. He's used to being bottle fed and rocked to sleep. We are working on it together. He's otherwise a darling.

[childcaremom]

My rest time is 12-3. This group is still adjusting to it but typically 2-2.5 hours. I wake them at 3 if they are still asleep.

[permanentvacation]

I have done daycare for over 20 years. I am consistent with my naps and requirements, but I just can't get the kids to adhere to my demands. I have been busting my butt for 3 months with this baby trying to get him to sleep longer than 20 minutes and with the 2 year old to get him to either sleep or stay still and quiet for nap time. The 2 year old used to sleep very well, then all the sudden, he started sleeping for about 1/2 hour and when he wakes up, he starts crawling/wiggling across the floor to the other kids.

[permanentvacation]

Here's another question...

What time do your kids go to bed at night and what time do they wake up? How many hours do they sleep at night and then how many hours do they sleep at nap time?

Every one of the kids that I've had over the past couple of years, when their parents pick them up, often say something along the lines of, "Let's go home, eat, and go to bed. I'm tired." I've asked many of my parents over the past couple of years (since I started having trouble getting kids to take naps) what time their kids sleep at night and whether they sleep through the night or not. Many of them tell me that they put their child to bed between 6 pm and 8 pm ( different kids and ages have told me different times between 6 and 8) and that their children always sleep all night long until 6 or 7 in the morning. Then many of them have to dress their children while they are still asleep in bed and just pull their children out of bed just in time to come to daycare.

So, they are sleeping a good 12 hours or so straight all night long. Then they don't need a nap during the day.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I have done licensed daycare for over 20 years and every couple of years, I (and some other licensed daycare providers that I have spoken with throughout the years) have noticed that about every 3 to 4 years, some things about children overall change.

Every child (1 - 5 year olds) that I used to have a couple of years ago would NEED and take a nice 2 to 3 hour nap every day. But over the past couple of years, they need less and less of a nap. Even the infants, under 1 year old, only need about a 20 minute nap now! The older children, 1- 5 year olds, only need about 1/2 hour or so of a nap.

I have seen posts on here and on Craigslist about parents wanting their child to have a max of a 45 minute nap.

I did work at a couple of centers a couple of years ago and in order for them to get their kids to sleep for the 3 hour naps they gave them, the teachers would blare the music. I have done that a few times and it does help to keep them asleep longer, but it gives me the most horrible headache! Plus, I simply can't 'think' or focus on getting paper work, preschool education planning, computer work, and phone calls (both business and personal ones) with the music on.

So, here's are questions; How long is your nap time? If your nap times are less then 2 hours, how do you get things done... or maybe I should ask what do you do/get done during your nap time? I am used to being able to make my lunch, eat lunch, make a personal phone call (I don't have co-workers to talk to, so one phone call to one person during nap time is all the adult communication I get), research, plan, and create some preschool educational activities, get some paper work and some computer work done, get some laundry and house cleaning done, watch some tv (most people can watch some tv in their break room during their lunch time), get some business calls made, and, if I hadn't before work, cook dinner.

With the kids only wanting about 1/2 hour of a nap, I barely have time to make and eat my lunch. I work 12 hours a day and am starting to only get 1/2 hour of a break! I can't get any work done other than literally watching/tending to the children. I can't get anything actually done during the work day. It's gotten so that I am focused on daycare from 6 am - 11 pm and some of the days over the weekend. I have to do all paper work, computer work, curriculum planning, etc. before and after daycare kids are here and over the weekends. I have never had to do daycare things other than shopping outside of my daycare business hours. But now that they won't take a long enough nap, I am spending all of my personal time doing daycare things.

SO, with such a short nap, how am I supposed to get everything done during daycare hours?

It is not that kids NEED less naps, it is that parents are not making them sleep and then bedtime comes around and they are wiped out. It is the current style of parenting...let the kid decide!

[mommyneedsadayoff]

Here's another question...

What time do your kids go to bed at night and what time do they wake up? How many hours do they sleep at night and then how many hours do they sleep at nap time?

Every one of the kids that I've had over the past couple of years, when their parents pick them up, often say something along the lines of, "Let's go home, eat, and go to bed. I'm tired." I've asked many of my parents over the past couple of years (since I started having trouble getting kids to take naps) what time their kids sleep at night and whether they sleep through the night or not. Many of them tell me that they put their child to bed between 6 pm and 8 pm ( different kids and ages have told me different times between 6 and 8) and that their children always sleep all night long until 6 or 7 in the morning. Then many of them have to dress their children while they are still asleep in bed and just pull their children out of bed just in time to come to daycare.

So, they are sleeping a good 12 hours or so straight all night long. Then they don't need a nap during the day.

My kids (3 & 6) are in bed 8:30, but probably not asleep till 9, except for my son who just started school and passes out pretty quick. They both wake about 7 and my daughter takes about a 2 hour nap during the day (not everyday, but most days). Parents don't want to parent anymore. They want to wake the kid, bring them to you, pick them up, and take them home for bed. Not every parent of course, but I see so much more of it anymore. It is depressing.

[permanentvacation]

Yes! I have been saying that for the past couple of years; parents don't want to be parents. And I really believe that is a big part of my problem with nap time here. The parents pick up their kids from daycare and do dinner, bath, bed. That's it! No play time, no mommy/daddy/child time, no time for the parents to teach their children anything. Just dinner, bath, bed. And they have no shame in it. They literally announce that is their plans for the night when they pick their child up.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

Daycare is the way I make my living, but believe me, it has become a huge cop out for parents who do not want to parent. They literally wake up, drop their kid, go about their day, pick them up, take them home and put them to bed. Daycare has changed so much in the past decade or so and so has parenting. I feel like instead of making daycare more available and affordable and encouraging people to work, we should be doing the opposite and make it an incentive to stay home. I just saw something about how they want to offer higher tax credits for childcare to help out families and I am like, I stay home with my kids, so I don't qualify for these credits, yet I am parenting my own child and get no government benefit? I would never use childcare just to get a tax credit, but I wish they would offer those types of benefits to those of us who care for our own kids and for the providers (who seem to ever get a raise), not just the working parents who use daycare. End rant

[Ariana]

Yes! I have been saying that for the past couple of years; parents don't want to be parents. And I really believe that is a big part of my problem with nap time here. The parents pick up their kids from daycare and do dinner, bath, bed. That's it! No play time, no mommy/daddy/child time, no time for the parents to teach their children anything. Just dinner, bath, bed. And they have no shame in it. They literally announce that is their plans for the night when they pick their child up.

I am not having this issue with this group of kids so you may be on to something. My own child who is 2.5 goes to bed at 7pm if she doesn't nap and goes to bed at 8-8:30pm if she does nap. If she does nap she naps for 2-3 hours. She is getting ready to drop now any day as my oldest did the same thing.

DCB co-sleeps at home and goes to bed with mom and newborn around 9:30, he is exhausted all the time here. Yesterday he napped at my house for 6 hours. 8-10am and then 12-4pm...I had to wake him up both times. I do this on his first day here and then the next day he is caught up and can stay awake to play. He is only here 2 days a week so no way to get him on a regular routine. I just do what works.

DCG goes to bed at 7 apparently even though she only gets picked up here at 5pm. She wakes around 7:30am according to mom. She naps 3-4 hours here. I'm not trusting this family too much though as they have lied to me about some things and I think they are lying about what time mom goes to work and comes home etc.

[Unregistered]

I have the opposite problem! my kids nap for 3-4 hours and I have to wake them up every day. White noise might help? It is similar to loud music but way less annoying. I also enforce a strict one hour "quiet time". Kids stay in their cots or on their beds quietly. The ones who are consistently awake (and older than 3) can look at books quietly. My daughter is 2.5 and has dropped her nap most days, however she still stays in her bed quietly playing for 2 hours. Right now though all my DC kids nap like logs

Minimum of 2 hour quiet time on cots/ cribs. You don't have to sleep but you need to rest. Also white noise or fans on high setting help with noise reduction