I remember clearly as a child, pre teen, and teenager, I was tired, cranky, and unhappy a lot. Getting up at 6am, to rush out the door for the bus, having to sit up and pay attention for 8 hours was torture for me. In hs I regularly fell asleep in class or study hall, and instead of adressing the issue, it was often punishment or humiliation that proceeded if you were caught sleeping. Fatigue is not a process we control, and if all schools are being so rigid and forcing children and teens to be assaulted with information with no break of course people lose their desire to learn.
I completely agree. Students are getting bombarded with information for way to many hours and then expected to do homework once they are home. At least give them a rest in the middle of the day
I believe this as well, my toddler doesn't always sleep at naptime but she still is expected to lay down, lights off for at least an hr. She does this everyday with actual excitement, she knows the routine and loves being involved. She gets her favorite blanket,cup, turns out her light and gets cozy. People are often taken aback that she willingly goes for naps and to bed. It's been same rhythm since she was born. Nap is different from night time routine and helps her understand the rhythm of the day. I love hearing her talk to herself at nap time I learn what she's learning as she often recites things she just learned, or loves.
This is an important message. Growing up in China, Naps were always a key “activity” in students’ daily life at school. I remember we would connect our desks and made them as bed and slept on top when we were little like kindergarteners and just napping in sitting position with our heads on/in between our arms on the desk when we grew older. It is a good time to rest a bit ( usually only 30-45mins) even we aren’t actually asleep. And it is a good “social” time to know how to act and care for others when they sleep.
I Just came from watching a Q&A with Dr Mike, he mentioned that our culture's loss of respect for the importantness of sleep is causing so much neurological issues. I remember a montessori school when I was young that had mandotory nap time, even when I couldnt sleep I'd stare up at the ceiling and look for shapes in the popcorn ceiling. So even if your child doesnt sleep during nap time its still a lesson in mindfulness and putting your body's needs first
My 8, 6 and 5 year olds have a nap after lunch. I notice that they begin to “fall apart” just before dinner time on the days when they don’t nap well or don’t nap at all. As a homeschool mom I fully intended to continue the practice as long as possible because my kids seem to benefit greatly.
Oh I’m a nanny and I so wish I could send this to the parents of the kids I care for. They are 2.5 and 4.5 and the older one had naps removed just after he turned 4. Even though he would easily still sleep an hour but his parents complained he didn’t sleep early enough at night. The younger ones naps have also been limited to 1.5 hours so I often am forced to wake her. Additionally the older had quiet time after he stopped napping where he’d listen to audio stories in his room and/or play quietly and rest in his room for 30-60 minutes. But his parents thought this made him ill tempered around dinner so they completely removed quiet time and I now am supposed to constantly stimulate him! I am of the opinion hes more moody in the evening because he’s so overtired and would still benefit from a nap but is now being completely over stimulated instead 🤦🏼♀️ it drives me crazy honestly. My mom was very intuitive with her parenting. My sister napped till 6/7 whereas I stopped napping regularly at 2.5. This was because we genuinely needed these sleep patterns and my mon respected us being different little humans with different needs and rhythms. She saw that not napping didnt much affect my mood and I wouldn’t sleep anymore even if she did put me down, where as my sister would be very tired and unfocused when not napping until well into elementary school. I wish more parents would be intuitive with their children’s needs.
Thank you! We are a homeschool family and we definitely nap. After lunch and some more outside play....there is a quiet reading/nap time....for all (parents, 7 yr old, 4 yr old and 1 yr old). Everyone is much more focused and calmer. It is worth it. The afternoon flows smoother and there is no rush for bed. The transition to bed is calmer for all.
Growing up my parents never let me nap it was seen as me being lazy. I was so tired after school but I couldn’t nap. I have kids of my own now and I prioritize their naps. Love watching them rest and wake up refreshed
my dad convinced me a few months ago to get my at the time 5 year old to start napping again. I was doubtful that I would be able to, but I find that all it takes is to read my kids a story in bed and lay down with them. I usually fall asleep too! My boys are 2 and 6 now and we have quiet time every day. My 6 year old doesn't fall asleep every single day, but at least 50% of the time. It's one of my proudest mommy accomplishments!
My 2 year old and 3.5 year old nap 2 hours a day and still sleep 11 hours a night so this works well for us. Everyone keeps asking why my 3.5 year old still takes naps but she still wants to 🤷🏻♀️
Both my 6.5 yr old and 4 yr old children napped all of their lives, every single day. I nap with them...but what confused me little bit is that even doctors recommend absolutely no napping after age 4 in Canada for example. A nurse-practitioner with whom I had an appointment recently, did tell me directly not to provide the nap. Absolutely not. It shocked me and I did not follow. It did not seem good for my little girl. She is aching for it mid-day. In Europe it is customary/common practice to give children a nap until they enter elementary school.
Hi there, I was wondering if in Waldorf kids are taught a 2nd language? If so maybe you could do a video on that, talking about what age/grade that is done at and how to start, like with story telling/ songs etc. Sorry if you already have a video with this information. Thank you for all the great content/ info you put into your videos!
My almost 6yr old still naps. Some days we skip a nap and he goes to bed a little earlier but I know naps are so beneficial for him and his health. One reason why we chose to homeschool is so he can still rest for a nap after lunch. He has Crohn’s disease and I know napping is healing time for his body. ❤️
My nearly 3 year old still naps, and my 7.5 son has a rest period during her nap. He seldom falls asleep, although it still does happen, especially after a long weekend. Often tho I find him quietly listening to music with his eyes closed, drawing or reading. It's a wonderful chance for him to recharge, although he's rapidly moving out of early childhood.
Here in iran its normal to have a nap in afternoon too. Especially adults take naps after lunch. The children some times lay or sleep as well, or they play by them selves. They are used to it... they can choose themselves whether or not to sleep.
I so wish my daughter still napped. She dropped her naps at age three. She does have daily quiet time, with varying degrees of success. Maybe one day she will pick up the napping habit again...not sure
My 26 month old rarely naps as a a result is extremely cranky all afternoon. I try to have at least a quiet time but she resists this and ends up playing and even gets a little hysterical. Any tips would be appreciated! I often need a nap myself and the two year old will only let me result if she's watching tv which I would prefer not to do.
I would love to implement this for my older children in our homeschool, as currently only baby naps. Not sure how to go about reintroducing it for them though.
Ask them if they need a break/nap maybe? Look for signs of innatention or boredom. Introduce "quiet time" with comfy pillows and blankets, maybe have a book to wind down with, close the curtains and put on skme relaxing music. I bet if they are tired they will fall asleep.
My three year old has started resisting naps. It’s been about 7 months since the trend started, so it sadly doesn’t seem like a phase. We always have quiet resting time whether she falls asleep or not, but I don’t know how to actually get her to nap now (she’s had the same 7pm bed, bath routine following her dinner for her entire life. We start our day around 6:30am and she spends most of every day outside playing in nature!) We especially struggle now that she uses the potty bc it seems that has become a reason for frequently getting out of bed during nap. I sure would love the naps to come back though, they’re my rest time too!
I am having a hard time with naps as my 3 and a half year old is distracted by his busy older brothers every afternoon. I myself need a "siesta" around 1 or 2 p.m.! It is very hard to get my older boys to separate and have their own quiet time. My oldest is 10 and can respect it, but my 5 and 7 year old, who I refer to as the "dynamic duo", can't seem to leave each other alone, and then one riles the other one up! Perhaps giving my 7 year old some special quiet activity that is "only" for 7 year olds? Any advice welcome!
Greetings 😊 something that works for us is separate rooms for quiet time/nap time. My two older share a room but they are separated at the quiet time to read and rest. Together it didn't work for us so this has been our go to. Quiet boxes have worked too.
Can you make a video sharing any tips for helping with naps? My daughter is 3.5 and she stop napping around 3. I’ve experimented with lots of things trying to find out why is not napping any more but I can not find the reason and I would like to help her to go back to that routine. Thank you!
I remember clearly as a child, pre teen, and teenager, I was tired, cranky, and unhappy a lot. Getting up at 6am, to rush out the door for the bus, having to sit up and pay attention for 8 hours was torture for me. In hs I regularly fell asleep in class or study hall, and instead of adressing the issue, it was often punishment or humiliation that proceeded if you were caught sleeping. Fatigue is not a process we control, and if all schools are being so rigid and forcing children and teens to be assaulted with information with no break of course people lose their desire to learn.
Wow. I didn't want to sleep in the day
I completely agree. Students are getting bombarded with information for way to many hours and then expected to do homework once they are home. At least give them a rest in the middle of the day
I believe this as well, my toddler doesn't always sleep at naptime but she still is expected to lay down, lights off for at least an hr. She does this everyday with actual excitement, she knows the routine and loves being involved. She gets her favorite blanket,cup, turns out her light and gets cozy. People are often taken aback that she willingly goes for naps and to bed. It's been same rhythm since she was born. Nap is different from night time routine and helps her understand the rhythm of the day. I love hearing her talk to herself at nap time I learn what she's learning as she often recites things she just learned, or loves.
This is an important message. Growing up in China, Naps were always a key “activity” in students’ daily life at school. I remember we would connect our desks and made them as bed and slept on top when we were little like kindergarteners and just napping in sitting position with our heads on/in between our arms on the desk when we grew older. It is a good time to rest a bit ( usually only 30-45mins) even we aren’t actually asleep. And it is a good “social” time to know how to act and care for others when they sleep.
I Just came from watching a Q&A with Dr Mike, he mentioned that our culture's loss of respect for the importantness of sleep is causing so much neurological issues. I remember a montessori school when I was young that had mandotory nap time, even when I couldnt sleep I'd stare up at the ceiling and look for shapes in the popcorn ceiling. So even if your child doesnt sleep during nap time its still a lesson in mindfulness and putting your body's needs first
My 8, 6 and 5 year olds have a nap after lunch. I notice that they begin to “fall apart” just before dinner time on the days when they don’t nap well or don’t nap at all. As a homeschool mom I fully intended to continue the practice as long as possible because my kids seem to benefit greatly.
Oh I’m a nanny and I so wish I could send this to the parents of the kids I care for. They are 2.5 and 4.5 and the older one had naps removed just after he turned 4. Even though he would easily still sleep an hour but his parents complained he didn’t sleep early enough at night. The younger ones naps have also been limited to 1.5 hours so I often am forced to wake her. Additionally the older had quiet time after he stopped napping where he’d listen to audio stories in his room and/or play quietly and rest in his room for 30-60 minutes. But his parents thought this made him ill tempered around dinner so they completely removed quiet time and I now am supposed to constantly stimulate him! I am of the opinion hes more moody in the evening because he’s so overtired and would still benefit from a nap but is now being completely over stimulated instead 🤦🏼♀️ it drives me crazy honestly. My mom was very intuitive with her parenting. My sister napped till 6/7 whereas I stopped napping regularly at 2.5. This was because we genuinely needed these sleep patterns and my mon respected us being different little humans with different needs and rhythms. She saw that not napping didnt much affect my mood and I wouldn’t sleep anymore even if she did put me down, where as my sister would be very tired and unfocused when not napping until well into elementary school. I wish more parents would be intuitive with their children’s needs.
Thank you! We are a homeschool family and we definitely nap. After lunch and some more outside play....there is a quiet reading/nap time....for all (parents, 7 yr old, 4 yr old and 1 yr old). Everyone is much more focused and calmer. It is worth it. The afternoon flows smoother and there is no rush for bed. The transition to bed is calmer for all.
My almost 3 year old still naps between 1.5-2.5 hours a day and sleeps about 11 hours each night.
Growing up my parents never let me nap it was seen as me being lazy. I was so tired after school but I couldn’t nap. I have kids of my own now and I prioritize their naps. Love watching them rest and wake up refreshed
my dad convinced me a few months ago to get my at the time 5 year old to start napping again. I was doubtful that I would be able to, but I find that all it takes is to read my kids a story in bed and lay down with them. I usually fall asleep too! My boys are 2 and 6 now and we have quiet time every day. My 6 year old doesn't fall asleep every single day, but at least 50% of the time. It's one of my proudest mommy accomplishments!
You are an amazing woman. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
What a wonderful idea! Thanks so much! I never thought of having the older kids actually nap! I sure need one in the afternoon.
My 2 year old and 3.5 year old nap 2 hours a day and still sleep 11 hours a night so this works well for us. Everyone keeps asking why my 3.5 year old still takes naps but she still wants to 🤷🏻♀️
Uh, excuse me? Is this comment a joke? A 2 year old doesn’t need a nap during the day?
Both my 6.5 yr old and 4 yr old children napped all of their lives, every single day. I nap with them...but what confused me little bit is that even doctors recommend absolutely no napping after age 4 in Canada for example. A nurse-practitioner with whom I had an appointment recently, did tell me directly not to provide the nap. Absolutely not. It shocked me and I did not follow. It did not seem good for my little girl. She is aching for it mid-day. In Europe it is customary/common practice to give children a nap until they enter elementary school.
Hi there, I was wondering if in Waldorf kids are taught a 2nd language? If so maybe you could do a video on that, talking about what age/grade that is done at and how to start, like with story telling/ songs etc. Sorry if you already have a video with this information. Thank you for all the great content/ info you put into your videos!
My almost 2 year old is napping 2 hours per day at home and at daycare as well as sleeping about 12 hours in the night.
This is crucial for all of us
Loving these videos Sarah! I also need you to talk to me about fashion! You always look lovely. Blue is especially your color!
Thank you so much for sharing Sarah
My almost 6yr old still naps. Some days we skip a nap and he goes to bed a little earlier but I know naps are so beneficial for him and his health. One reason why we chose to homeschool is so he can still rest for a nap after lunch. He has Crohn’s disease and I know napping is healing time for his body. ❤️
Thank you so much for this video.
My nearly 3 year old still naps, and my 7.5 son has a rest period during her nap. He seldom falls asleep, although it still does happen, especially after a long weekend. Often tho I find him quietly listening to music with his eyes closed, drawing or reading. It's a wonderful chance for him to recharge, although he's rapidly moving out of early childhood.
Here in iran its normal to have a nap in afternoon too. Especially adults take naps after lunch. The children some times lay or sleep as well, or they play by them selves. They are used to it... they can choose themselves whether or not to sleep.
I so wish my daughter still napped. She dropped her naps at age three. She does have daily quiet time, with varying degrees of success. Maybe one day she will pick up the napping habit again...not sure
My 26 month old rarely naps as a a result is extremely cranky all afternoon. I try to have at least a quiet time but she resists this and ends up playing and even gets a little hysterical. Any tips would be appreciated! I often need a nap myself and the two year old will only let me result if she's watching tv which I would prefer not to do.
I would love to implement this for my older children in our homeschool, as currently only baby naps. Not sure how to go about reintroducing it for them though.
Ask them if they need a break/nap maybe? Look for signs of innatention or boredom. Introduce "quiet time" with comfy pillows and blankets, maybe have a book to wind down with, close the curtains and put on skme relaxing music. I bet if they are tired they will fall asleep.
My three year old has started resisting naps. It’s been about 7 months since the trend started, so it sadly doesn’t seem like a phase. We always have quiet resting time whether she falls asleep or not, but I don’t know how to actually get her to nap now (she’s had the same 7pm bed, bath routine following her dinner for her entire life. We start our day around 6:30am and she spends most of every day outside playing in nature!) We especially struggle now that she uses the potty bc it seems that has become a reason for frequently getting out of bed during nap. I sure would love the naps to come back though, they’re my rest time too!
How long should the siestas be?
I am having a hard time with naps as my 3 and a half year old is distracted by his busy older brothers every afternoon. I myself need a "siesta" around 1 or 2 p.m.! It is very hard to get my older boys to separate and have their own quiet time. My oldest is 10 and can respect it, but my 5 and 7 year old, who I refer to as the "dynamic duo", can't seem to leave each other alone, and then one riles the other one up! Perhaps giving my 7 year old some special quiet activity that is "only" for 7 year olds? Any advice welcome!
Greetings 😊 something that works for us is separate rooms for quiet time/nap time. My two older share a room but they are separated at the quiet time to read and rest. Together it didn't work for us so this has been our go to. Quiet boxes have worked too.
Can you make a video sharing any tips for helping with naps? My daughter is 3.5 and she stop napping around 3. I’ve experimented with lots of things trying to find out why is not napping any more but I can not find the reason and I would like to help her to go back to that routine. Thank you!
Alice and Rachel’s Angel Forever Thank You. I still hope one day she can nap because I believe is good for her brain.
My two and four year old won’t nap. I try to have quiet time but it never seems to work. I wish they would nap. I need a nap too.
Great thanks from Russia!