What fo you do?

[Nicola Carlyle]

Just wondered what you all do if you have a 3 or 4 year old who sleeps in the afternoon even though parents have said absolutely no way. Babies are sleeping upstairs and set out dine puzzels for 3-4 year old, went to grab a quick cuppa came back to lounge and they are sleeping! Really don't know what to do! Advice?

[suziealderton]

i would let them have a quick snooze-if they need a nap they need a nap!

[JCrakers]

If they are falling asleep then they obviously need it. You can't keep them awake, its just not fair and not right. :( I would explain to parents that he/she fell asleep during an activity and you let them have 20mins or so. :)


My 4yr old mindee has half an hour then I wake her otherwise she's been so tired she's actually fallen asleep walking to school on more than one occasion.

[Koala]

I agree, snooze away.

Unfortunately its like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

You would be depriving the child of his basic needs to keep him awake if he is tired or indeed wake him up, Whilst on the other hand mum is chelping in your ear to keep him awake presumably so he will sleep at night? And we all know that's not how it works.

Good luck on this one.

[Daisy1956]

I agree if they are falling asleep I would have a chat with Mum, I wouldn't like to try and keep them awake until tea-time if they are so tired they are falling asleep at 2 o'clock.

[Houlgated]

I make it clear in my policies that whilst I endeavour to work with parents on sleep matters I will try to keep a child awake if this is what parents request, however sometimes this is not possible, particularly at times of being under the weather or recovering from illness or going through growth spurts etc. and where a child is that tired I will let them have a power nap.

[Petshrinklj]

Ditto what the others have said. Poor kids must be shattered to fall asleep like that. I'd leave them to their nap and have a nice cuppa break. :) if you woke them up I'd expect they would be grizzly rest of afternoon. I don't really get the no nap thing. I think it's better for kids to understand that when they are tired they sleep why does the kids parents want to untrain this?