SKL Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 My 5yo dd is in KG at a daycare center, so they still have mandatory naps every day. That's good, because she likes her sleep! But next year in 1st grade, what if she still kinda needs her nap? Anyone here have that issue with little kids in full-day school? What did you do about it? I see the homeschoolers talk about "nap time" and feel jealous on my kid's behalf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aCountingHouse Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 :bigear: Yes, I can relate. My 4 year old will start 5 day school next year (January in Australia), and he still can't get by without his 1 1/2 - 2 hour sleep a day. He asks me to go to bed when he is tired, and then goes straight to sleep! Perhaps I'll just have to start 'weaning' him off it in the later part of this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Set an early bedtime, 7:00 (or even earlier, if the dc appears to need it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I am worried about kindergarten next year for my son because the school he will go to has AM and PM kindergarten classes and siblings of current students have priority for the AM slots. He turned 5 in December and still naps everyday at his daycare. Today he took a 2 hour nap. I love that he naps because he stays up until 9:30 pm everyday. Some days I can pick him up at 4 and still get 5 1/2 hours with him. When he stops napping I imagine he will go to bed by 8 which means less family time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 My mom was just telling me the other day that when she was in 1st grade in 1960, she came home after school exhausted and took a 1-hour nap every day. It worked for her family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 My kids will be in after-school care until 6 and then we try to do stuff. Putting her to bed much earlier than I do now would not leave much flexibility. I guess I'll do it if I have to, but I hope she grows out of her need for a nap by fall. Maybe she could learn some relaxation stuff that she could do at after-school care. Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Do you think it's better to "wean" them off naps or let them get the sleep they want as long as they can? Seems to me if a child is sleeping, it's because she needs to sleep. But maybe I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 My younger boy loved his 2 hour naps at preschool last year as well. I was very concerned about the transition to the K as well, but somehow it worked out. He was a bit tired in the beginning and used to go to sleep very early (7pm to 8pm), but now that he is slowly approaching 5.5 years in age, the need for naps is subsiding. Let the school aftercare know that he might need some naps. Ours has a couch and on a rare occasion he needed it, they would let him rest. You can get math and reading afterschooled in K in about 30 to 45 minutes, so I wouldn't worry too much. By the time academic needs increase, so will his age. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Do you think it's better to "wean" them off naps or let them get the sleep they want as long as they can? Seems to me if a child is sleeping, it's because she needs to sleep. But maybe I'm wrong. I start moving towards a "school schedule" a few weeks before school starts. We stay up late in summer (10-ish) and sleep late (8-9 or whenever we get up) and I didn't want an abrupt change of getting up at 6:30. My dd was still exhausted and cranky the first few weeks (and she's a third grader!) So, if they weren't going to get a nap and bedtime needed to change dramatically, I would start a little early to ease into it. But, I don't think I would start months early. I think you are going to end up needing an earlier bedtime. To find out how early, drop the nap. Put to bed at time you hope bedtime will be. After about a week of this, see what time they are waking on their own. For my dd, ASLEEP (not just in bed) by 8:30 means she wakes up on her own. Our soccer practices have pushed that back to 9-ish and she is getting behind on sleep. My younger dd starts first grade next year and she needs about half an hour more sleep every night. So, it will be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 My kids went to private kindergarten and they weaned them off the naps. There was a quiet time. Mats out, lights low. Kids could sleep or do quiet activity. My ds was a napper but by the end of the school year he was no longer napping. This is probably what will happen with your dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyleettu Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 We are dealing with this right now. Avery just moved from a pre-k class with 1.5 hours of nap to a kindy class with 30 mins rest time. She comes home exhausted. We are still working on getting a new routine set but she goes to bed about 30 mins earlier. She can't go any earlier because of other requirements. I am also letting her sleep about 30 mins long in the morning. That seems to be helping a little but by Friday she falls asleep in the car on the ride home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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