Required Rest Time

[MG&Lsmom]

Just curious....
How long do you require a child to stay on napmat or napping area if they aren't falling asleep?
Is it different for a child who normally naps but that day will not for some reason?
And what do you allow a child who does not nap to do during rest time and where?

[daycare]

Just curious....
How long do you require a child to stay on napmat or napping area if they aren't falling asleep?
Is it different for a child who normally naps but that day will not for some reason?
And what do you allow a child who does not nap to do during rest time and where?

I am much like nannyde... I dont offer care to children who don't nap. If you have out grown napping, you have out grown my program.

[WImom]

Depends on the child. Right now I just have one that doesn't nap most days and I have her lay there for an hour manily because she will and doesn't seem to mind it. But if I had a child that seemed to get antsy quickly I'd probably only require 30 minutes.

For a child that normally naps I'd probably say an hour or maybe even a little longer.

I have 4 'nap bins' that are filled with quiet acitivites and each child when they wake up early or for the ones that don't sleep they each get one.

some example of what's in them:

Bin # 1 - washable crayons, 2 coloring books, foam number puzzle, 3 books
Bin #2 - Alphabet Foam Puzzle, 2 books, construction paper, stickers, 2 crayons, 2 my little ponys and brush
Bin #2 - abc flash cards, 1 book, Littlest Petshop figures, small doodle board
Bin #4 - Wondercolor markers, wondercolor book, Memory game, 2 books, 6 piece puzzle

I also have some other stuff and every few weeks I will add something new and take something out to change them up a bit. I also try to give a different bin each day to the DCG that's always awake.

Now if the parent doesn't like that the child has to lay and rest at nap then I don't enroll them.

[Blackcat31]

Just curious....
How long do you require a child to stay on napmat or napping area if they aren't falling asleep?
Is it different for a child who normally naps but that day will not for some reason?
And what do you allow a child who does not nap to do during rest time and where?

My nap/rest time is from 12:30 until 2:00 every day. I play audio books so I really do not care if someone is actually sleeping or not as long as they lie still and quiet so those who do sleep can. EVERYONE who attends has a rest time. NO EXCEPTIONS!! I have a few older kids who will be 5 and 6 in the next few months and they are required to follow the same rule as everyone else...some days they both sleep and other days they don't, like I said, I don't care either way just as long as they are quiet and remain on their mats/cots.

[Meyou]

My naptime is 1pm to 3pm. The kids go potty and go to their beds at about 12:45. The kids have to rest for the first 45 minutes and then anyone awake can do quiet activities in the playroom. We don't nap in the playroom. I rarely have anyone able to stay awake that long. I do have one napper who only naps for an hour now so she gets up around 2, 215pm everyday and plays quietly until everyone else wakes up.

I open the naproom doors at 3:15pm and turn on the hall lights so that anyone still sleeping will wake up gradually. Anyone still sleeping at 3:45 I'll gently wake up so that they have time for a snack before we head outside.

[MG&Lsmom]

I like the nap bin idea! I think I will get a couple ready for Monday when my problem child returns. But I'm hoping that a stuffy and blanket from home will help more than giving her a 'treat' for not napping.

My son is one of the ones who doesn't always nap and with his developmental delays he does not and will not soon get 'required' resting. He is cognitively not able to understand the concept of quiet and refuses to sit for very long. Not that we're not working on this, but it's a challenge.

[SimpleMom]

Rest time is from 1-3 for the most part. Everyone rests, but if they are not sleepy they get to read or do quiet activiies (puzzles, special independent games--things that aren't out at any other time, computer, or a group movie for the non-sleepy kiddos). If I know that they really need a nap that day (just out of sorts or something) I will encourage a stretch of time for those that really need that sleep to get a start on that before I break out the "goodies". Everyone does have 20-30 minutes of quiet time and books before anything else is brought out--just to give everyone a chance to recharge.

[JenNJ]

I have a bunch of LONG nappers so right now my nap time is 12:30-3:30. I have one non-napper. He is allowed to read books, but unfortunately, he must stay on his mat and read or color quietly bc I don't have anywhere else where he can go to play without waking the others. His parents are fully aware of the situation and tell him to just be good and rest. He is on his mat usually for 1.5 hours.

[squareone]

I don't have non-nappers but every now and then I'll have one that just can't get to sleep that day. Everyone rests at least 45 mins to an hour because that's about how long it takes the last child to fall asleep. Then, as long as they can play quietly and independently, I'll let them up to play or read. If they are loud then back to the cot they go.