How long is nap/rest time at your child's daycare/preschool?

[HappyMommy2]

My 3-year-old is about to start T/Th preschool and I'm wondering about his schedule. They eat at 11a.m., lie down on mats and watch video from about 11:30 till 12:30, then sleep/listen to music till 2. That seems like a really long rest period to me! DS naps at home but it's never more than an hour or so.

BTW my 4-year-old's class has video for one hour then nap/music for one hour, which also seems like a long time for a 4-year-old to be still but he does okay with it even though he never actually naps.

Just wondering if this is a typical schedule for this age.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I think one hour when my daughter was in pre-school. Now she is in kindergarten, they take half our nap.

Edit to add: My daughter went for three days all day when she was in pre-school. Now she goes every day all day.

 

[bananiem]

When I worked in a child care center the rest time was about 12-2:30. The state rules said they had to "rest" for at least 30 minutes and after that they could get up and do quiet activities. I usually had play-do and puzzles and coloring type stuff for the early risers or non-sleepers.

 

[ahutton]

My kids school has nap from 11-2 each day. Everyone lays down at 11 and after the first hour as they get up they do quiet activities like read books or color.

 

[MB MinnieGirl]

DD's preschool (4 year old) is from 12:30 - 2:30. They get on their mats following lunch. For those that don't sleep or wake early, they have books on their mats to look at until it's time to get up.

I wish we still had naptime. I could use one now!!

 

[Kermit]

When I taught preschool while I was in college (graduated about 6 years ago), naptime was always 2 hours, from 12:30 to 2:30. I usually worked with 2 year olds.

Personally, I'd be concerned with TV every day. That just isn't the type of habit I want to instill in my own children. I do like that they play music, though. I always felt sorry for the children who just didn't need to sleep.

 

[snoopy]

My youngest is in kindergarten now, but last year in pre-school his nap was from 12:30 to 2.

 

[CEDmom]

They've done away with naps in DD's kindergarten class but when she was in pre-k and preschool they had a 2 hour nap. The lunch/quiet time/rest period was 3 hours from 11:30-2:30. My DD can still take a 2-3 nap some days but I'm sure it's hard for kids who don't really nap. I know the kids that couldn't sleep were allowed to look at a book but they had to stay on their cots.

 

[Gupsmom]

My daughter only goes to preschool for half the day (4 days a week from 8:15-12:30). On occassion, I will extend her to a full day (maybe once a month). The preschool has nap time from 12:45-2pm. For the 4 yr old's it would be more appropriate to call it quiet time. Some kids do sleep but many of them just do quiet things. My daughter's teacher knows that I would prefer that she stay awake. Thankfully, the teacher is fine with that and allows my daughter to do puzzles, color, or do some other quiet activity. Once the napping kids are asleep, the teacher usually does something calm with the "quiet time" kids.

I think 2 hrs of napping, plus 30 minutes of TV, is excessive at 4 yrs old. At our preschool, the kids watch a 30 minutes video once every 6th day. Even then, it's often a video that encourages dancing and/or exercise. If I wanted my daughter to sit around and watch TV, I wouldn't be paying for her to be at preschool. She can watch TV (a little each day) at home. I pay for preschool so that she can see her friends and do crafts, stories, songs, letters, the indoor playground, etc.


Jess

 

[Bob Slydell]

Like others have said, DS (4 years old) has nap time from 12:30 to 2:30. About 1/2 the time, he actually naps (they write how much he naps on his sheet each day). If he's not napping they ask him to sit quietly and look at books or just rest.

 

[Aimeedyan]

WHen I taught preschool, naps were always 2-2.5 hours for the young ones, when they were PreK we shortened it. Just about all my kids slept the entire time, we kept them busy and they were worn out! If they awoke early, I gave them a book to quietly look at.

There are state regulations on required quiet times for children, so your center likely has no choice on their length. The last time i read the Texas handbook, I believe it's a minimum of 2 hour quiet time each day, perhaps more.

 

[robertsmom]

There are state regulations on required quiet times for children, so your center likely has no choice on their length. The last time i read the Texas handbook, I believe it's a minimum of 2 hour quiet time each day, perhaps more.

It is 2 hours in Texas. I worked in preschool for many years (until I couldn't afford it and had to take a better paying job) and I had lots of parents ask why naptime was so long. It's a shame daycares and preschools pay such lousy wages - I loved my job and still miss "my kids" sometimes. Maybe someday things will change.

 

[Microcell]

My DD went to preschool at 3 and 4 years old- 9 to 1 MWF and hopefully DS will too. No nap, they are too busy learning and playing and having lunch to nap!!
My Dd stopped napping at 18 months and I would not force her to nap, as she showed no signs of needing it. DS 2 sleeps three hours still, but I have moved his nap time to 1:30 so he can come home from school next year and crash if he still needs to!

 

[Octoberbeauty]

I'm a pre-K teacher and our nap time is from 12:30 - 2:30. I am fortunate this year because the kids I have right now sleep very well.

 

[Blondy876]

In my classroom we have quiet time (the children lay on cots or sit with friends) and read book from the time they finish lunch, usually around 12:30, until 1. Then we put the books away and go to their ouwn cots and its nap time until 2. However we have several children that don't nap so after a few mintues we get out quiet toys for them to work with. No child is required to rest for more than 1/2 hour.

Rather than the length of time they rest I would be very concerened over the amount of TV they allow. That seems execissive, especially everyday.

 

[disneymom3]

As a few other posters have said, the hour of watching videos is my concern. In fact as a former teacher and center director, I am appalled at that idea. What happened to stories on tape or classical music softly playing while the children look at books?? My staff would have been fired if they had been showing videos every day. I can't even get over that! The only time our kids ever watched TV was if we had been stuck inside for several days due to cold weather. Naptime from 21:30 to 2:00 or even 2:30 sounds entirely appropriate if they are in an all day program, but I would have a major problem with the daily video watching. Not only are kids that age not supposed to watch very much television, but that is not a good way to teach them to wind down at all!

Oh yeah, I would be having to have words with the staff on that idea!

 

[bigbabyblues]

My kids don't go to daycare, and 4-yo's preschool is only 3 hours in the morning 2 days a week. Both boys nap between 2-3 hours a day though....to bad they don't do it at the same time!

Steph

 

[sunkissed212]

I work at a child development center in Michigan. We are required to offer the children "rest time" during the day. They are not required to sleep but the room must be darkened and there cannot be any "planned activities" during this time. If children do not sleep, they are allowed to do quiet things like read books or just lay on their cots for the duration of the rest period.

Our rest period starts around 12:15-12:30 and runs anywhere until 2:00-3:00 depending on the age group, classroom, and dynamic of the day. Sometimes the kids will sleep an hour, sometimes (usually if there's water play in the morning), they will sleep closer to 2.5 hours. It all depends on the activities of the day and the moods of the children. If all kids are up early, then activities can be started earlier. Snack usually arrives in the room at 2:45 and children are permitted to begin eating snack at that time.

We base all of our "schedules" on the needs of the children. We give the children a daily "routine" but allow them to dictate the length of activities. If they are really into art time for example, it may run longer than the scheduled 1/2 hour. If they aren't too into it on a specific day, we can cut it short and move on to something else.

It all depends on what the children need. That's the most important thing.

 

[HappyMommy2]

Thanks for the input everyone! It really helped to hear a range of naptime lengths(knowing that states require a particular "rest" period in childcare helped too).

Many of you mentioned the TV viewing; thanks! I would certainly prefer that there be no video-watching but since my kids very rarely watch TV at home I don't worry too much about the one hour of TV two days per week. Other than the long video/nap period we are really thrilled with this preschool and the teachers. My older son who is extremely shy and hesitant by nature is truly blossoming there.

I am considering just having my 3-year-old go to school in the mornings until he moves up to the shorter-rest-period class since I just can't imagine (nor do I want) him lying still for 2.5 hours!

Thanks again everybody.

 

[momsgonwild]

My full day Kinder class gets to nap for approx 45 minutes. If the child is not a napper, or just not sleepy, then that child can get a book to read, or a puzzle to put together. We do not get to watch videos except on special occasions such as holidays, or unless they meet our TEKS guidlines for the units were are teaching.
Our Pre-K naps from noon until 1:00 P.M. Videos are pretty much regarded in the same manner as we do in K.