Kids not napping

[littletots]

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.

Exactly!👏

[Cat Herder]

A variable I am noticing is that it is my lower income parents who are asking for no nap and earlier snack.

My higher income parents want the full 2 hour nap and 4 component afternoon snack (meat, veggie, fruit, grain).

My theory? The cost of afternoon sports leagues (dance, gymnastics, hockey, swimming, karate, etc) have gone up here.

My lower income parents have to take the kids straight home and if they are lucky, spend 30 minutes outside before dark/needing to start dinner/helping siblings with homework. Early bedtime is so mom/dad doesn't lose their temper or burn out.

My higher income families have their older kids in after school tutoring programs (homework done there), then a drive-through for dinner, then off to little league. The kids need to be well rested, in a great mood, so they perform well on the field. It is the family social group and full of parent shaming/bonding.

Both scenarios sound exhausting. I am so glad I work from home. happyface

As far as getting the kids to sleep here, that has been a breeze. I serve heavy, protein rich, healthy, balanced meals and keep them moving all day. The only seated time, here, is 3 ten minute art/circle times.

[Annalee]

A variable I am noticing is that it is my lower income parents who are asking for no nap and earlier snack.

My higher income parents want the full 2 hour nap and 4 component afternoon snack (meat, veggie, fruit, grain).

My theory? The cost of afternoon sports leagues have gone up here.

My lower income parents have to take the kids straight home and if they are lucky, spend 30 minutes outside before dark/needing to start dinner/helping siblings with homework. Early bedtime is so mom/dad doesn't lose their temper or burn out.

My higher income families have their older kids in after school tutoring programs (homework done there), then a drive-through for dinner, then off to little league. The kids need to be well rested, in a great mood, so they perform well on the field. It is the family social group and full of parent shaming/bonding.

Both scenarios sound exhausting. I am so glad I work from home. happyface

I agree with you on this! But, I do have one family where the parents do NOT know how to make their kids do anything especially how to go to bed. They allow the child to rule their house. The dcb3 come in with food one morning this week and he was running and mom was behind him saying "stop him, he is breaking the rules"....I didn't stop him and said "what you gonna do about that mom" and I made her take the food from him because I am tired of being the bad guy. She should have never let him out of the car with the food since I have a no food from outside policy! She cannot/won't control him. My biggest pet peeve is parents that won't parent!!!!! :confused:

[daycarediva]

A variable I am noticing is that it is my lower income parents who are asking for no nap and earlier snack.

My higher income parents want the full 2 hour nap and 4 component afternoon snack (meat, veggie, fruit, grain).

My theory? The cost of afternoon sports leagues (dance, gymnastics, hockey, swimming, karate, etc) have gone up here.

My lower income parents have to take the kids straight home and if they are lucky, spend 30 minutes outside before dark/needing to start dinner/helping siblings with homework. Early bedtime is so mom/dad doesn't lose their temper or burn out.

My higher income families have their older kids in after school tutoring programs (homework done there), then a drive-through for dinner, then off to little league. The kids need to be well rested, in a great mood, so they perform well on the field. It is the family social group and full of parent shaming/bonding.

Both scenarios sound exhausting. I am so glad I work from home. happyface

I believe you hit the proverbial nail! Local gymnastics classes for my 2-3's are $250+/month each child. They are evenings. Little league is over $300. I have one family who LOVES that their children sleep in here, then have a later snack, because both small kids are in 2 sports each and older sib is in 2. These parents also have a higher education, better understanding of child development, and enjoy parenting (2 waited to have kids until later in life, 1 spent years trying, 1 adopted)

The lower income families are lucky to have an outdoors- let alone use it. They spend a LOT of time on screens. Unplanned pregnancies, little stability, lack of second parent involvement.

[permanentvacation]

Cat Herder

You are exactly right. I USED to live in a mid to upper class area and I was one of the parents who had their children in all of the sports and extra-curricular activities. Most of my daycare kids were also in activities. In that area, the kids all slept a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours nap every day.

I moved to a low income area a few years ago and I have complained about just about every aspect of doing daycare since I moved here. I have said on here a few times that I really believe that it's due to the differences between mid/upper class (income levels) vs. low class (income levels). I completely agree that the kids not needing a nap in this area is also due to being in a low class area. Here, practically every child I've had has a single mother who often announces that they are going home, eating dinner, and going to bed when they arrive to pick their child up. Whereas in my old neighborhood, they were quickly changing their child into their sports uniform, stopping by some fast food restaurant, and going to their child's sports activity before running an errand and then going home.

Yes, I completely agree that theses children not needing a nap is due to being in a low class (income) area.