All of the kids currently enrolled in my program are great nappers. Dck just turned 5 I have posted about before. This child NEEDS a nap. She is the first one out and I wake her daily. It doesn't affect her bedtime, she still naps on weekends.

I was gradually waking her earlier, but parents asked that I let her sleep since she was too cranky and falling asleep too early at home (or falling asleep in the car on the way home).

Dck is also SUPER sensitive, if you say her name wrong she cries. Sweet kiddo who has done very well here, but her sensitivity has been an issue. She is afraid of other dcps, new kids, etc.

In the last two weeks since this change (not waking up early). Dck has gone from happy all day, no issues to fine/ok in the morning, and on the verge of tears by mid morning. By lunch she is so worked up she isn't eating anything (usually 2nds of everything) and by nap she is in tears.

In addition to all of that--- She is using the potty as an excuse to try to stay awake. we go before lunch, after lunch and again after story for anyone who wants to try. That's 3 times in an hour time frame. I told dck last week that no, she couldn't go a 5th time. She of course, told her parents I refused to let her go potty. She doesn't have a UTI or bladder infection. She holds it fine the rest of the day for 2-3 hour increments.

Now the parents said 'dck empty your bladder and don't mess around', but dck is keeping it up to stay awake. She woke up when I left the room after shushing another dck and started crying on her mat---loud enough for everyone to hear/wake up. Today I had her lay down in the playroom and told her to go potty whenever she needed to. (since it isn't affecting me/other kids).

My issue is---she isn't eating because of this, and I KNOW it's a game! But since her parents are soooo worried about how sensitive she is, they think I am mean for telling her she can't go potty.

I told dcm this morning that at school next year, they WILL tell her NO when she can't go right then. If she is this upset about it that it's affecting her from 10am on, how is she going to handle K in fall???

I hate the summer before K!!!!

Any advice or commiseration would be helpful!

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Just commiseration here, and it's my own DD. She is starting K, so she needs to be done with naps, and she messes around during them anyway and then can't sleep at night, but is SOOOO cranky without them! She stubbed her toe at the park this morning and has been crying ever since
Nap transitions are always tough, no matter which transition it is. I know your pain!
As for the bathroom, it is PERFECTLY reasonable to have her wait. When I taught K, I always had parents who freaked out about telling the kids to wait to go, even for 10 minutes, or to wait to get a drink. You could tell them that she either needs to be able to hold it through naps, from a certain time until a certain time, or she needs to wear a pull up because clearly she isn't potty trained fully.

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Last night we went to an outside movie, and at the end my DD3 had to go potty. All they have are port-potties. Once we get in, she said "I'll wait until we get home" and sure did. Now, it really hit her while we were still driving, but we were about 2-3 minutes from home and she made it just fine. I don't think it's good to encourage "holding it," but there are times when they should practice that, and I agree with your handling it. Hopefully the parents will understand- as a teacher, I've had parents who have disagreed with it, but there's always some of them, right?!

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I don't think you should ever tell a child to hold it unless you really can't get to a bathroom.

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If they really have to go, I agree. But if they've gone 4 times in ten mins and are obviously just using it as a delaying tactic, that's different. Sounds like she doesn't really have to go, she just doesn't want to nap even though she's overtired.

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Eh, last year I had two boys who didn't have to go all morning, but would go two or three times at nap. A couple of times I would be in with baby only to come out and see them standing in the hall. As soon as they saw me, it was the bathroom again.

I now have the kids go several times throughout the AM, and twice before nap (once a few minutes before lunch and a few minutes after) there is NO bathroom at nap unless it is a real emergency - and if they are not telling the truth then they *will* get a "wait until nap is over." Because they are not "holding" anything

I also see no reason to discuss this with parents. For me this is a minor misbehavior issue and they are handled completely by me. Otherwise I'd have parents undermining me or worse, thinking they are my boss and can tell me how to run my program.

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Ugh this is just like DCG who I termed Fri. She would be fine all day and then at nap she'd go literally 4 times in 10 mins. They even did an u/s to check her bladder because she's been using the potty so much. She actually got kicked out of a preschool for peeing too much. I when I first heard that but then I had her here and she does pee too much! I think it's completely a control/psychological thing. She can hold it if we go for a walk, watch a movie, play outside, when mom takes her to the mall... But lunch and nap are her constant pee times!

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I would just go on as is and let the parents know that if they really have an issue with the nap situation, they are welcome to find new daycare. Done.

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I certainly didn't bring it up to the parents, dck did. UGH.

It is also the FIRST behavioral issue I have had with dck for 2+ years. FIRST. Literally, this is the kid you only have to look at with a raised eyebrow and she backtracks, stops and apologizes.

Of course, dck talks really well, and chats it up to Mom and Dad.

I told dcm at pickup that dck needs to stop this before school lets out or I wouldn't be able to accommodate them for summer. NOT putting up with this all summer long!

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Punish her for lying

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