This is a really important part of our day beause many of our children are with us for a nine and ten hour day. That is a very long day for anyone, and certainly for a young child. Children who do not sleep are more irritable, have more accidents etc., as the day wears on. The quality of our late afternoons is directly related to the quality of our naptimes.
Unlike Lida Lee Tall, our previous home, we now have doors, etc. on each classroom. All children can sleep and rise at different times, and that is exactly what we do. Each classroom is on a different schedule. All schedules can be adjusted at the discretion of the Lead Teacher, but essentially our schedule runs along these parameters:
Our Two Year Old Class goes down for about two hours. Not everyone sleeps all of that time, and some can not even be awakened at the end of the two hours. However, that is what we shoot for, from the time we get diapers changed and toileting finished (for those already out of diapers) we move from one child to another rubbing backs, reading stories. We pull the shades, turn off the lights, and turn the music on. Naptimes in our Two's Class is approximately 12/12:30-2/2:30.
Our mixed class of Older Twos and Younger Threes goes down approximately 12:45-1:00. The ritual is the same, and they strive to get everyone up by 2:45/3:00.
Our Three Year Old Class goes through the same ritual for bedding down and the total time is about 1.5 hours, again at the discretion of the Lead Teacher. Shades pulled, lights off, children are down from approximately 1:30-3:00.
Our PreK, our oldest children are down for approximately an hour: 2-3 +/-.
We ask that parents please not take their children out during naptime. If you need to take them out early, please take them before or after naptime instead. (We all know how difficult it is to get one child down for a nap, we are trying "to nap" many children. Thank you, one and all, for your consideration in this difficult undertaking.
If you child has difficulty sleeping, and leaves here falling asleep before you are around the proverbail corner, we will try to help with some suggestions around how to adjust your child's clock. Nothing changes overnight, so the sooner you/we begin the process, the better. Pease speak with us early on about the dilemmas you experience with "sleeping" at home. We have had lots of experience with this problem, and may be able to offer some useful suggestions.
