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Old thread, but I experienced this 13 years ago My kids were in a full-day preschool. When my oldest was 3 and started, he had stopped taking naps a while before. He HATED nap time and could never sleep. They required a 2 hour nap. It was ridiculous, and something that was constantly in conflict between me and the teachers. He began to hate to go to preschool. We finally agreed upon letting him look at book (he loved to read) while lying quietly on a mat for the 2 hours. That worked for him, worked for them, and worked for me. It was ridiculous how hard they fought against that in the beginning. That's all I wanted him to do in the first place- be allowed to read.
It's not that the teachers force them because they want to, but it is a Licensing Law that children have to stay on their mats at naptime. It does have to do with ratios, and because there is usually only 1 teacher supervising, somehow this throws the ratio number rule up. You would have to check with State Licensing to ask why they have this rule, I'm not sure. Most preschool teachers don't really mind if the child isn't sleeping. Some kids don't for whatever reason. They DO want them to do some kind of quiet activity on their mat, only to be respectful of their friends who ARE sleeping. Many of them do lie or sit quietly, playing with their shoes, stuffed animals, blankies or quiet time mat activity. There are sometimes a child or 2 who just isn't having it, and wants to talk out loud, sing loudly, kick the walls, get up and run around (stepping on their sleeping friends, who then wake up crying). In that case, those busy kids, depending on the preschool center, go to a non napper room to play, or may go to the director's office to read books.
It's not that the teachers force them because they want to, but it is a Licensing Law that children have to stay on their mats at naptime. It does have to do with ratios, and because there is usually only 1 teacher supervising, somehow this throws the ratio number rule up. You would have to check with State Licensing to ask why they have this rule, I'm not sure. Most preschool teachers don't really mind if the child isn't sleeping. Some kids don't for whatever reason. They DO want them to do some kind of quiet activity on their mat, only to be respectful of their friends who ARE sleeping. Many of them do lie or sit quietly, playing with their shoes, stuffed animals, blankies or quiet time mat activity. There are sometimes a child or 2 who just isn't having it, and wants to talk out loud, sing loudly, kick the walls, get up and run around (stepping on their sleeping friends, who then wake up crying). In that case, those busy kids, depending on the preschool center, go to a non napper room to play, or may go to the director's office to read books.
Teachers go to lunch at naptime, so they need a ratio that allows for that. Many of the children do need to sleep. The ones who don't need to either stay on their mat and read or color or play quietly or there may be a separate room for the non-nappers. That room may be mixed in age though which some parents do not like.
Also, while some children give up their naps early, most do not. Not only that but many who give up the nap at home, still sleep at daycare because the level and amount of activity tires them out more.
My son had issues with this as he gave up napping at 15 months. Literally WOULD NOT nap no matter what. He slept 12-14 hours at night instead. After about a year of failed attempts and arguments with the teachers the daycare started taking him to the director's office where he could play quietly, help her at the front desk and not distract the other kids. I brought in a note from his pediatrician explaining he did not need a nap and shouldn't be forced to take one. It worked out well. FWIW this was a 5 star center so we definitely paid for it but they were very accommodating.
He's still high energy and won't stop moving. It's just his personality. We've had to get accomodations at school now to allow him to stand or use a wiggle seat during instruction time. Odds are it's ADHD but he can focus fine as long as he isn't sitting and I refuse to medicate our son. Our pediatrician wrote a note to get him an IEP to allow this. As a whole my understanding is that if your doctor suggests it and writes a prescription/note that states it most places have to follow that direction. I know public schools do and our private daycare said they follow that policy as well.
My son had issues with this as he gave up napping at 15 months. Literally WOULD NOT nap no matter what. He slept 12-14 hours at night instead. After about a year of failed attempts and arguments with the teachers the daycare started taking him to the director's office where he could play quietly, help her at the front desk and not distract the other kids. I brought in a note from his pediatrician explaining he did not need a nap and shouldn't be forced to take one. It worked out well. FWIW this was a 5 star center so we definitely paid for it but they were very accommodating.
He's still high energy and won't stop moving. It's just his personality. We've had to get accomodations at school now to allow him to stand or use a wiggle seat during instruction time. Odds are it's ADHD but he can focus fine as long as he isn't sitting and I refuse to medicate our son. Our pediatrician wrote a note to get him an IEP to allow this. As a whole my understanding is that if your doctor suggests it and writes a prescription/note that states it most places have to follow that direction. I know public schools do and our private daycare said they follow that policy as well.
Off topic, but I'm going to put it out there anyway. My son was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. He struggled for years at school. As soon as we put him on meds, he became a near straight-A student. You aren't doing him any favors by digging your heels in like that. He's likely struggling needlessly.
Off topic, but I'm going to put it out there anyway. My son was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. He struggled for years at school. As soon as we put him on meds, he became a near straight-A student. You aren't doing him any favors by digging your heels in like that. He's likely struggling needlessly.
He's 6 (almost 7). I'm not a fan of medicating a child for something that can be addressed with reasonable accommodations. If it becomes an issue when he's older we'll look at medications as part of a comprehensive approach. I've been blessed with ADD/ADHD myself so I get the struggles I just hope either 1) he doesn't really have it or 2) he can find a way to work with it. I've been on and off meds for it and while they help they can also change your personality quite a bit and that's what I'm trying to avoid. But we do regular checkins to make sure everything is working according to plan and make adjustments as needed. At some point that adjustment may be to add a medication but for as long as possible I'd like to avoid it.
He's 6 (almost 7). I'm not a fan of medicating a child for something that can be addressed with reasonable accommodations. If it becomes an issue when he's older we'll look at medications as part of a comprehensive approach. I've been blessed with ADD/ADHD myself so I get the struggles I just hope either 1) he doesn't really have it or 2) he can find a way to work with it. I've been on and off meds for it and while they help they can also change your personality quite a bit and that's what I'm trying to avoid. But we do regular checkins to make sure everything is working according to plan and make adjustments as needed. At some point that adjustment may be to add a medication but for as long as possible I'd like to avoid it.
They can, but you don't know if or how much until you try them. Sounds like you have a plan and have given it some thought.
around here in my town, a lot of preschools offer shuttle services to/from daycares. Alot of preschool programs do have in house enrichment programs or wraparound services allowing the kid to stay on for rest of day. Also, alot of preschools, especially for 4 year old classroom day end anywhere from 1-2:30pm. Making it just 2-3 hours for rest of day to fill in.
OP; i would pull out your kid out of that daycare and put him in a preschool place. look for enrichment and wraparound services to help fill in rest of day after his preschool hours end. My oldest son went to a preschool since 2.5 years old where he would have 90 mins napping time, but once he stopped napping after his 3rd birthday, the place allowed him to sit on cot and read quietly for 30 mins. Most of time he did just exactly that, but would nap on occassional days, and it worked well for him until he got moved up to preschool classroom after his 4th birthday where nap/rest time was only 20 mins. your kid will be 5 soon? and best to get him out of that enviornment cuz at kindergarten grade, its no naps at all and wouldn't want your son to have a hard adjustment time from bad habits from your daycare on napping.
around here in my town, a lot of preschools offer shuttle services to/from daycares. Alot of preschool programs do have in house enrichment programs or wraparound services allowing the kid to stay on for rest of day. Also, alot of preschools, especially for 4 year old classroom day end anywhere from 1-2:30pm. Making it just 2-3 hours for rest of day to fill in.
OP; i would pull out your kid out of that daycare and put him in a preschool place. look for enrichment and wraparound services to help fill in rest of day after his preschool hours end. My oldest son went to a preschool since 2.5 years old where he would have 90 mins napping time, but once he stopped napping after his 3rd birthday, the place allowed him to sit on cot and read quietly for 30 mins. Most of time he did just exactly that, but would nap on occassional days, and it worked well for him until he got moved up to preschool classroom after his 4th birthday where nap/rest time was only 20 mins. your kid will be 5 soon? and best to get him out of that enviornment cuz at kindergarten grade, its no naps at all and wouldn't want your son to have a hard adjustment time from bad habits from your daycare on napping.
Wow! I made that comment 3.5 years ago! Around here, day care is basically all day preschool. There would be no reason to shuttle a kid from one to another. Any program longer than 4 hours requires a rest time. Preschools with enrichment are over 4 hours and require a rest time. People in this forum get hung up on the terms preschool and daycare. They are basically the same except for the hours of operation. Regulations apply to both.
Wow! I made that comment 3.5 years ago! Around here, day care is basically all day preschool. There would be no reason to shuttle a kid from one to another. Any program longer than 4 hours requires a rest time. Preschools with enrichment are over 4 hours and require a rest time. People in this forum get hung up on the terms preschool and daycare. They are basically the same except for the hours of operation. Regulations apply to both.
Preschool and daycare are very different things here. Preschool is school. The child takes the bus and spends the 5.5 hour day in the same school he or she will be going to be in right up through fifth grade. Teachers have master's degrees and are certified by the state.
Daycares are private locations such as a shopping plaza or a church where people babysit the kids and try to keep order. Kids could be there for varying amounts of time. "Teachers" may only have an associate's degree.
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My kids were in a full-day preschool. When my oldest was 3 and started, he had stopped taking naps a while before. He HATED nap time and could never sleep. They required a 2 hour nap. It was ridiculous, and something that was constantly in conflict between me and the teachers. He began to hate to go to preschool. We finally agreed upon letting him look at book (he loved to read) while lying quietly on a mat for the 2 hours. That worked for him, worked for them, and worked for me. It was ridiculous how hard they fought against that in the beginning. That's all I wanted him to do in the first place- be allowed to read.
