How To Keep A Child Awake?

[DBug]

So I have a p/t 4 yo dcg who needs to stay awake during nap but keeps falling asleep. I no longer have a cot for her, so she usually falls asleep on a little Dora fold-out couch or just right on the floor. I need her to stay awake because napping is making her stay up later at night, and she'll be starting full day kindy in the fall so she really does need to learn to make it through the day without a nap.

The thing is, I have a tiny house. Babies nap in one bedroom upstairs and the all the other nappers sleep in the main floor playroom. Any non-nappers (including my own dd, and two other dcg's) play either on the stair landing or in the upstairs hallway because there really is nowhere else for them to play during naptime. Dcg has laid down in the hallway and fallen asleep there too. Our basement is off-limits right now because it's unfinished and not safe. Playing outside is a possibility, but once they're outside, they have to stay there, as coming in and out will wake up the nappers. With temps and rain the way it has been, it's just not practical for them to be outside that long.

Any ideas on what to do to keep this dcg awake? Anywhere the non-nappers can play, they have to keep quiet and it's dark, and I think that's what encourages this dcg to fall asleep. Has anyone else had to deal with this?

[nannyde]

So I have a p/t 4 yo dcg who needs to stay awake during nap but keeps falling asleep. I no longer have a cot for her, so she usually falls asleep on a little Dora fold-out couch or just right on the floor. I need her to stay awake because napping is making her stay up later at night, and she'll be starting full day kindy in the fall so she really does need to learn to make it through the day without a nap.

The thing is, I have a tiny house. Babies nap in one bedroom upstairs and the all the other nappers sleep in the main floor playroom. Any non-nappers (including my own dd, and two other dcg's) play either on the stair landing or in the upstairs hallway because there really is nowhere else for them to play during naptime. Dcg has laid down in the hallway and fallen asleep there too. Our basement is off-limits right now because it's unfinished and not safe. Playing outside is a possibility, but once they're outside, they have to stay there, as coming in and out will wake up the nappers. With temps and rain the way it has been, it's just not practical for them to be outside that long.

Any ideas on what to do to keep this dcg awake? Anywhere the non-nappers can play, they have to keep quiet and it's dark, and I think that's what encourages this dcg to fall asleep. Has anyone else had to deal with this?

She can work on the making it thru nap awake at home on the weekends. If you want to help transition her do it the week before school starts. If she has the weekend before that week plus the week ... plus the weekend after that week she will have nine days to adjust. That's plenty of time.

[Unregistered]

Really?!

If she is falling asleep then she is tired. She needs her sleep. Let her sleep! Kindy in the fall is a long way off, worry about that when the time comes.

[momatheart]

I would say if she is napping she NEEDS it. I wonder if mom and dad are putting her to bed too late? They should try putting her to bed earlier and waking her at the time she will be needing to get up for school.

I agree also with NannyD. Transition her a few weekends before school. Maybe mention this to mom and dad that this may be the way to really focus on this and work hard at it as a team.

To keep her awake can she play with play dough? Do a puzzle. give her art stuff to work with. This will keep her busy.

[Live and Learn]

Let her nap.
I would say two weeks to one month max of no nap will be enough transition.
Doesn't school start in September ?

[daysofelijah]

Let her nap. The full day kindergarteners in the schools here have nap at school still the first half of the year to transition them out of nap.

[bgmeyers]

If she's falling asleep, she's not getting enough sleep. Let her parents start putting her to bed earlier. Keeping her awake is not good for her.

[thecrazyisout]

I know that the kindy my two 4 yo are going to in the fall weans them off as well. Every day for the first half of the year, they have quiet time. I would check to see if this is something her kindy is doing and I agree with Nannyde, fall is too far away to worry, she will only need a little while to adjust!

[Meeko]

I have it in my contract that ALL children nap. I tend school age siblings during the summer....some of whom are aged between 6 and 9. They nap too.

[DBug]

Kindergarten here (in Ontario) doesn't have a nap/quiet time at all. I know my own dd is going to be a BEAR when she starts in the fall, full days, everyday. Yikes.

I do want to help this family out and try to make things work the way they'd like. These are awesome parents, and I have no reason to not want to do things their way in this case. However, I've always figured that if dcg falls asleep despite my best efforts, she probably needs it. But I guess her parents are having trouble with her at bedtime when she does have a nap, and I'm okay with trying to help out.

I think I may look around and see if there are any preschool-type options available for her, because I can't really see how to keep her awake here.

My other non-nappers have no trouble staying awake with the darkness and lullabies playing, but I guess this dcg just needs more activity to keep her from nodding off.

[nannyde]

But I guess her parents are having trouble with her at bedtime when she does have a nap, and I'm okay with trying to help out.

There it is.

She has five months before she goes to Kindy. I wouldn't even consider what is going to happen that far out for now.

I don't keep kids that don't need an afternoon nap so I don't have any advice on how to keep them up. I want them to nap.

[cheerfuldom]

Let her sleep and her parents can work out the transition in the fall. Not your problem, period.

[momma2girls]

My children all nap til school agers. THey need their naps!

[MsMe]

I require all children up to the age of 5 to rest. Everyone falls asleep every day. We are very active and I wear them out! If a parent askes (and they have) for me to keep a child awake I tell them that no child is forced to sleep only to lay still. If they fall asleep it is because they need the rest. Their growing bodies require between 12-16 hours of sleep in these first 5 years.

Most of my 5yr olds and SA ask to nap 2/5 days in durring the Summer.

[Unregistered]

Let her sleep and her parents can work out the transition in the fall. Not your problem, period.

Agreed! If she is tired she will sleep. If not then she will have no problem staying awake in the afternoon. Let her K teacher deal with it. She will have plenty of stim in K to stay awake and can take a mini nap after she gets home from K is absolutely necessary.