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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Ugh... Resorting to Mandatory Nap for School Agers This Summer!?!
kpa0627 10:39 AM 07-14-2010
I have 3 school age boys and they are brothers. A set of twins who are 6 and the other is 7. I have tried everything during rest to keep them quiet (movie, library time, quiet activities) but they just are LOUD boys. So today after the third time within 15 minutes of telling them to be quiet so the little ones could sleep I said forget it and made them lay down. I have the oldest laying in a bed in my extra bedroom and the twins are each on a couch. Two of them fell asleep within 20 minutes though and the other one is laying here quiet. So, should I make this mandatory or not since they are school age. I thought after 1 hour of them laying down resting/sleeping I will let them get up to watch a movie so at least the little ones have 1 hour of complete peace. What do you guys think?
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Janet 10:44 AM 07-14-2010
I've found that there are lots of SA kids that just can't help themselves and they get loud, even after several reminders to keep the noise down, so naptime/quiet time is something that they all have to do if they are here during naptime.
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TGT09 11:00 AM 07-14-2010
I sit all of mine far enough part to where they can't carry on a conversation with each other. They have to be quiet for 30 minutes and then I will turn on a movie. If they can't be quiet then they have to lay down (seperately).
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Unregistered 07:10 PM 07-15-2010
Our School agers have all laid down and taken a nap this whole summer. I know with the group we have they would have been too loud to stay up, so it was a given from day one that they take a nap. They even asked that first day when nap was several times before nap time actually came! So I think they thought it'd be neat to sleep at daycare since they can't at school...I don't know, but something worked. Infact, I have trouble getting them up after nap time is over!
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Pammie 03:55 AM 07-16-2010
I don't nap my schoolagers, but they do have DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read) time while the little ones nap. They can bring their own reading material, or use mine, but they are all separated out around my house so that they aren't tempted to start chatting, and get their potty breaks before DEAR time starts so I don't have the constant "I have to use the restroom" trick.

They have their reading time for about 1 hour, and then are permitted - if they are quiet, and only if they are quiet - to move to the kitchen and play board games until the babies wake from naps. They've tried to push the rules, which just resorts to them having to stay in DEAR time the entire nap time. Only once or twice of that, and they are very, very cooperative now

On occasion, they might fall asleep during their DEAR hour, and then I just let them sleep until they wake on their own. I'm a firm believer that if they're sleeping, they NEED the sleep.
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momma2girls 06:05 AM 07-16-2010
I don't have any daycare children this summer, except for fillins. When I have school aged children here, they have to do 1/2 - 1hr. reading, then they can come out and watch a movie, as long as they are quiet and no talking thru it, otherwise they are all seperated!! I had a terrible time with naptime during Spring Break!!! None of the children wanted to listen!! THey were loud, and I didn't have any other place for them to go, except my own daughter to her bedroom. The whole week was h***!!!!!
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AmandasFCC 06:58 AM 07-16-2010
I think I would do reading time too - but here's a question for ya - how long is too long for kids to be expected to read??

I had a 10yo who, when he got lippy or was picking on his sister too much, would get sat with a book and no longer allowed to play. He used to complain after 20 minutes that his eyes were hurting and wouldn't read anymore ....

I tend to think he was just being whiny and looking for an excuse to moan, but at the same time I'm thinking, well, eyes DO get tired ....
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Unregistered 07:09 AM 07-16-2010
I have a family that is 3 weeks behind in paying me.. they owe me ALOT....They paid me a check on Wednesday and it is NSF...so I have in my contract that I can do immediate termination but Im not sure how to word it, can anyone help me out thanks!
Also how do you get your money after you terminate?
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Unregistered 07:10 AM 07-16-2010
oops wrong place to put that....sorry
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Pammie 07:22 AM 07-16-2010
I personally don't think that sitting quietly with books for one hour is too long for a school-age child. I don't expect them to sit and read only one book if it doesn't hold their interest, they can have several with them to switch between. I've found even the most "active" boys that I've known can sit for hours looking through Guiness (sp?) Books of World Records, Ripley Believe It Or Not Books, and sports magazines. I keep a stack of these types of books on my shelves, and they are always the first to be chosen for DEAR time.

For some of the other older kids, I have lots of the Choose Your Own Adventure books (they really like those), lots of the old Goosebumps, American Girl, Dear America, and lots by Patricia Reilly Giff.

I think having a variety of things for the kids is key, so they don't think they're stuck with one boring book for the whole time:-))
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AmandasFCC 07:27 AM 07-16-2010
Oh yeah on my book shelf (one that's inaccessible to little little hands) I've got all kind of things, Judy Bloom, Captain Underpants, old stuff, new stuff ... LOTS of books for schoolagers, who supposedly love to read (says their mother) and yet given the opportunity to choose, they go for the baby board books
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Tags:nap, school-age
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