Weekends, No Naps and No Schedule (Vent and Advice)

[Hunni Bee]

LOL...Mondays are actually my best day. Some of my kids seem to lead lonely, boring lives outside of daycare...lots of tv, videos, and being by themselves...so they're glad to be back.

My kids are sleepers...they nap from 12:45 to 4 everyday, and I usually have to wake them up even then, and they're still tired. I have a 5.5 year old (she's random but that's my heart ) and she even sleeps a good 2 hours and 45 mins, usually longer.

It's kind of starting to concern me though...its only started happening since the really hot weather has started, so I guess hot sun + full bellies after lunch + comfy mats, soft blankies and ac = long nap. I know I'm not supposed to let them sleep that long...but if Im moving furniture and no one's stirring, and I pull their blanket back and call their name, and they dont move - they obviously need the rest and I'm not bothering them.

[sharlan]

disneyland...don't know how you do it... I moved from newport beach to SF two years ago. We used to do Disney ever week when my olders were little.... I don't know how you do it....it's so exhausting...
Mondays I don't plan too much because the kids are so crazy from the weekend...

My husband goes with me. He's also disabled, uses a scooter for DL, so we don't have to wait in long lines most of the time. We get there when it opens, munch on pb&j and apples instead of buying lunch. Once everyone is tired, we leave, usually about 2:30 or 3.

[nannyde]

I would alter my program to a sleep based program for the ones who need it and just do your school thing for the kids who are up.

I have the kids nap until the day the go off to Kindy. I don't try to help them adjust to no nap at school. They all do fine. They just go to bed a little earlier the first few weeks of school.

[Meyou]

I don't adjust naps either for kindergarden or primary here. My dd's both napped until the day they started school and my 7 year old still naps regularly on days off with the littles.

[melskids]

ive learned a long time ago....you cant control what goes on at home. you can send home newsletters, new policy handbooks, articles on sleep(or whatever), talk until youre blue in the face, beg and plead and make your case....none of it matters. parents are gonna do whats best/easiest for THEM. they are not going to change that for YOU. you gotta let it go. i know how frustrating it is, especially when you want to DO things, and you cant cause youre dealing with sleeping kids, or worse crabby kids.

i think, at this point, you have two choices.

let go of the teaching a bit, and deal with their basic needs

or

term and find kids who are a better fit

[daycarelady68]

Mondays are rough for my daycare kids too. They come in completely exhausted from a busy weekend. It happens every Monday. I don't care though, because I feel the same way. I just change my schedule to suit the kids. We have lunch and nap early every Monday and just do free play in the am.

[Blackcat31]

ive learned a long time ago....you cant control what goes on at home. you can send home newsletters, new policy handbooks, articles on sleep(or whatever), talk until youre blue in the face, beg and plead and make your case....none of it matters. parents are gonna do whats best/easiest for THEM. they are not going to change that for YOU. you gotta let it go. i know how frustrating it is, especially when you want to DO things, and you cant cause youre dealing with sleeping kids, or worse crabby kids.

i think, at this point, you have two choices.

let go of the teaching a bit, and deal with their basic needs

or

term and find kids who are a better fit

This^^^^!! Seems with the turn parenting styles are taking, I am spending far more time teaching kids the basics. How to stand in line, take turns, problem solve, use silverwear, pick up after themselves, say please and thank you, stay on their mats, use a tissue/toilet etc etc etc. There is little time left in the day for school-type curriculum.

Melskids is completely right: parents are going to do what is easiest for them. There is NO escaping that. We can only change ourselves and at this point, OP you are not wanting to let the scheduled teaching go so you may just have to let the kids go. Either that or buy a giant bottle of Excedrin Migrain. LOL!! ::

I truly understand where you are at with this and I wish I had an easy answer but it simply comes down to the bolded part in melskids post. BTDT and had to make the changes that worked for me becasue I got tired of having a headache..... Best of luck to you....you are a very caring soul and any kid/family should feel blessed to have someone in their lives that tries so hard.... (((hugs)))

[laundrymom]

I'd send them home,.. If they are too tired to participate they need to go home and sleep. I'd tell mom, sorry but Freddy is laying around, fussy, really tired and grouchy. I think you should take him home, and get him some rest so he won't be tired tomorrow.

[laundrymom]

And if he's tired tomorrow I'd repeat.

[daycare]

guess what... 3 kids were sent home today. One feel asleep at the breakfast table, second one scream cried for almost an hour and the third one threw up. All before 10am. So I have 3 kids today and we are having a great class time today!!

Maybe if the parents see that I am not going to deal with their nonsense sleeping schedules they will get it... NO MORE

[laundrymom]

guess what... 3 kids were sent home today. One feel asleep at the breakfast table, second one scream cried for almost an hour and the third one threw up. All before 10am. So I have 3 kids today and we are having a great class time today!!

Maybe if the parents see that I am not going to deal with their nonsense sleeping schedules they will get it... NO MORE

Yippppppeeeeeeeeee

[daycare]

Yippppppeeeeeeeeee

its like heaven in here!! So one of the moms just called and asked if after her child was done napping at home could she bring her back, I said sorry NO, because then she will be awake while all of the other kids here on schedule go down for our naps. SHe got really mad. So I told her. Every day this week we have had to forgo outside play time as well as our planned Field Trips outtings because her daughter was sleeping from 8:30am until almost 4pm every day this week. I then told her that it was unfair to those kids that are on a sleep schedule and NEED to have their outside play time and exercise.
COntd. to explain that I can't be outside and inside at the same time. AND I CANT force a child to stay awake. AND I will NOT leave a child alone inside so that they can sleep all day unattended!!
She seemed to understand, but was still upset. I told her that if she felt it was not working out here (after 2 years) that she should consider a group care home that will let her child sleep all day long.

that was the end of it.