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Where is the line drawn for kicking a child out of daycare?

I am a daycare/preschool teacher. I teach 3 and 4 year olds. I have one child in my class who does pretty good during the day but when she acts out (won't follow instructions, repeatedly does the same thing over and over, won't stay quiet at nap time) and is told to stop or is sat in time out is just completely defiant. She tells me "NO!" and kicks and screams. If she is told to be quiet (especially at nap time) she will just look at me and keep saying words (random words) loudly. If she is told to lay down on her mat she will keep getting up and readjusting her blanket and pillow. She refuses to take a nap. She says "I can't close my eyes" or "I don't know how to take a nap."

Her mother doesn't seem to care a terrible amount. When the director talked to her about it, she basically said "Well she is only three years old." She brought in a bigger blanket and a pillow and a bear for her to lay down with, but it doesn't help her lay still or stay quiet. She fights sleep like nothing I have ever seen before. And has woken my other kids up multiple times, and i can't them to go back to sleep because she doesn't stop being loud.

For getting her to go to sleep i have tried white noise for music, I've tried patting her back, rubbing her back, holding her hand, laying next to her, I've tried letting her watch baby videos from my phone that are supposed to put children to sleep and make them sleepy. I've tried positive reinforcements such as offering a prize if she took a nap. I've tried everything i can think of, she does not seem to care. After that i tried just giving her a quiet activity like reading a book or matching games. But she talks to herself the whole time she does it (and she doesn't talk quietly). When i ask her to keep her voice down or zip her lips, she does it for about a maximum of two minutes.

She just started last week at our daycare. I don't want her mother to be upset when she comes in to pick her up and her note that goes home says she is misbehaving everyday during nap. But its becoming unmanageable. I plan activites/games/lessons during nap time and i can get anything done when i'm constantly reminding her to be still or lay quiet or not to talk.

If you're a parent of a child, whats the best way for you to communicate with your childs teacher? If you're a daycare provider, what would you suggest?

Is any of this means for asking a child to leave the daycare?


This discussion is related to Behavior Problems - Daycare.
30 Responses
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Avatar universal
She evidently is allowed to do almost everything she wants at home or she's been told (or figured out for herself) that mom is the only authority to whom she has to listen.  I'd take the mother aside as soon as possible and explain to her that her daughter is interrupting the other children when they are trying to nap.  Also explain to mom that you are trying to update the schedule for the rest of the children during "quiet time" and cannot do it effectively with her daughter misbehaving.
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Avatar universal
I try to look at it from a different point of view.  I've had children who wouldn't sleep. I told them that was ok but they do need to learn to respect the other children who want/need their nap. If parents are told their child will have a nap/rest opportunity, they need to understand that's offered for all children not just theirs. Even if one child doesn't want it, it's not fair to deny other children because that child is disruptive. Unfortunately whether we like it or not a lot of activities in childcare are group activities. Meals are offered at a certain time, playtime, outside time, and nap. Just because one child doesn't want to eat lunch, it shouldn't keep other children from theirs. Same with rest periods. I have had many parents complain when their child was unable to have a nap because of a disruptive student. The child doesn't have to nap. But she and the parent should be expected to respect the other children's right to have one. Maybe talk to the child about being kind to her friends includes allowing them to rest. Let the mom know that you are working on respect for friends and their time. Making it about being kind and respectful might give it a different spin. I do feel for the tired children who aren't getting the rest they were promised.
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Avatar universal
Hi!  I'm a long time (30 years!) preschool teacher.  Here's the problem.  A child cannot be in a room unattended by an adult. That would be a severe licensing violation. So you'd be asking a paid teacher to sit in a room to supervise one child.  Financially it doesn't make sense.

And though you can't make a child sleep, it's quite reasonable to request the child play a quiet game or look at a book very quietly. after 30 minutes of not sleeping. Three is not too young to learn that others have rights too, and they can't rule the nap room. Sorry. One of the things a small child gains from preschool/childcare is learning the world doesn't revolve around them.
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Avatar universal
This may help:  http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/resttime.html
Does the current daycare know about the trauma she endured at her last daycare? If not, please let them know so they can help her. Also, one thing I am working on for a little girl at my daycare is a social story. Many people think those are just for kids with special needs, but they are awesome tools for kids of all types! They can be a great way to help your daughter transition into naptime and reassure her that taking a nap is an ok thing to do.
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Avatar universal
I am so glad i found this site. I have a 4 1/2 year old daughter who is doing pretty much the same thing during naptime at daycare. One week ago i pulled her from the daycare she had been at for over 2 years. Her teachers were telling me her behavior was completely out of control. It started just at naptime, but then was the entire day. This was a red flag for me, and i knew something was going on because this was not my daughter. After watching video footage of the daycare i saw that she was being restrained at naptime, put in time-out for 40 minutes, and was grabbed by her hands and lifted off the ground by her teacher. I just watched footage from one day, and could not stomach anymore. I pulled her out immediately, reported the incident to DCFS, and wrote the president of the board. This was all just two weeks ago. Last week I enrolled my daughter into a new daycare center. The very first day i got a call to try to talk to my daughter because she had completely lost control at naptime. They said she was well behaved and played with others until it was naptime. Then she began screaming, yelling randon words loudly, kicking, and hitting. The second day i was called to come pick her up. The daycare said they would work with me, but i am at a loss of what else to do. When she was at her previous daycare i bought a rewards board we used, i would ground her from favorite toys on days she was not well behaved, i have spanked her, i always recognize the good behavior with positive words and/or rewards. After watching the disturbing video footage, i thought her behavior was from the abuse, but she is acting up at the new daycare. I dont know if she is just traumitized. I took her to her Dr last Friday, and we are going to get her to see a counselor, but i dont know what to do in the meantime. I am a single mom and i have to work. My dauhter is so smart and intelligent. I just dont know what to do until we get into the counselor. At home she never loses control like this, never kicks me, never hits me, and does not throw a fit going to sleep at night; although she does talk herself to sleep every night. The state i live in does have a mandated nap/quiet time, but i wish the new daycare could just let her go into another room at naptime, since this is the only time she is acting out. She has her blanket and pillow pet at daycare, but this is not helping. Any other suggestions would be appreciated..
Helpful - 0
551343 tn?1506830518
in the UK kids go to normal school at 4, and dont nap during the day.

This child has only been with you for a week, i would give her time to settle down.

Although something you said made me sit up a bit.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

but when she acts out (won't follow instructions, repeatedly does the same thing over and over, won't stay quiet at nap time) and is told to stop or is sat in time out is just completely defiant. She tells me "NO!" and kicks and screams. If she is told to be quiet (especially at nap time) she will just look at me and keep saying words (random words) loudly. If she is told to lay down on her mat she will keep getting up and readjusting her blanket and pillow.........................................

repeatedly doing the same thing over and over is a sign of anxiety in my mind. This child is acting out probably because she feels abandoned by her mother and I would personally give her more consideration to this fact.

We just expect all children to conform to the norm. What is the norm? I have 9 grand children and 2 great grandchildren, and everyone is different and has different needs.

You can take a horse to the water trough but you cant make it drink......

Actually to be fair to you, she sounds as though she might have some traits of OCD or even ADHD....both my grandsons have this, and when they were her age, they did very similar things....a child with ADHD will never sit quietly for long and will jabber and jabber and get into trouble because they dont get it, they have no idea they should not behave that way.

I would ask the mother what she is like at home. IF she is the same and she has sort of come to except her behaviour as normal then perhaps it might be an idea to have her assessed.......my daughter became shell shocked with her eldest sons behaviour, and kind of just excepted it until I told her one day you need to wake up and smell the coffee that child has a problem....it has taken many years from that day but he is finally at 13 diagnosed and is doing much better at school. Before then he was excluded constantly for running off the mouth, pushing teachers and jabbering in the class room. Now my 8 year old is going the same way.

Its just a thought, but perhaps worthy of a few minutes with the mother just to see how the land lies at home. also a child acting out can have a change in the home .......

Kids they are such a mixture arnt they...but they are all essentially good just some are misunderstood.

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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for your response, yours has definitely been the most helpful.
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171768 tn?1324230099
I agree that she has only been there a week and it is too soon to consider this to be a problem.
I have the perspective of both a parent and a preschool teacher.

At my old job, rest time was scheduled for 2 hours. This was absolutely necessary because there were 2 full time staff members, and each needed a lunch. In order for each to get their lunch and to maintain state ratios, the children needed be asleep or on their cots during the time that there was only 1 teacher in the room.

I currently work for a public preschool that very strictly follows state regulations. We have ALL the children at least rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, we are supposed to give the children who are awake quiet activities to do on their mats or at a table. Lights stay off for an hour.

To the original poster- it sounds like you have tried many different approaches, and I give you credit for that. My only concern is that you have tried that many approaches in only a week. That is not sending the child a consistent message at all, and it is not giving any of the approaches a chance to work. First, I would inquire about the child's sleep habits at home. Does she nap at home? When does she go to bed? When does she wake up? Most parents report their children do not nap at home, while they certainly do at school. School is much more stimulating and tiring than a home environment. When I worked with 3 year olds, I'd say that at least 90% still napped regularly at school. At least 1/2 of my 4 and 5 year old students nap too. Often, children who do not have regular bedtimes or routines at home have difficulty napping at school even if they need it. This can be because they are overtired, or because they never developed self-soothing techniques. Some of these kids often have their mommas still crawl in to bed with them to get them to sleep at night. Of course they can't fall asleep at school. If you have an understanding of what she is used to and what happens at home, you may be able to help her adjust better.

So, I used to be the teacher who expected children to be quiet for 2 hours. It was a health and safety issue. You can't supervise that many awake kids, and most of them do need the sleep. To help them sleep, I rubbed backs and played soft music. For those few children who truly didn't need the nap, I did give them books, coloring, puzzles, etc. I even allowed one to bring an mp3 player from home. (By the way- before I forget, stories on CD instead of lullabies can be a nice compromise- it helps entertain, and you can even allow the awake child to have the book that goes with it. You local library probably has many if you don't). It definitely interfered with my planning time, but fighting them would only disturb more kids. BUT, now I am also a mother to a preschooler. And I know that I would be furious if anyone expected my child to be quiet for 2 hours. 20 to 30 minutes is reasonable. My kids fall asleep on their own, but they talk and sing themselves to sleep. So, this has changed my perspective a lot. I let kids quietly talk to themselves. They can bring a special cuddle toy from home. I put those kids in a more isolated area of the room. I give them notebooks, coloring books, or journals if they can't fall asleep after 30 minutes. If you are worried about the other kids seeing what they are doing, you can construct walls by cutting open large cardboard boxes.

I would open a dialog with mom, but also understand you need to give it time. Your plan should be based on what you discuss with mom and what you both determine her needs to be. Pick one approach and try it for a bit longer. Also remember that nap time can be very overwhelming and scary to a kid who is new to daycare. During the busy times, it's easy to be distracted from the fact that you miss mom, but when it's quiet it's much harder.
Helpful - 0
689528 tn?1364135841
I worked at a daycare and we never called it nap time. It was quiet time. Each child had a cot that were their own with a blanket. The time slot was 2 hours and most of the older children would not sleep. Some would and it was fine but a lot of them knew how to keep quiet. There were some defiant ones that wouldn't be quiet enough for the sleeping children to rest. So they were removed and sent to another room. Sometimes we would turn on a movie and leave it on low so they could watch that. Or they could colour or look at books. It all depended on how many children stayed up and how much longer was left of quiet time.
To me it sounds like she is not aware of the new rules of the room. She is new so it does take time to transition. Especially if she has never been to daycare before. Also, she knows it bugs you! LOL so she's going to keep doing it. They are sneaky that way. Try to ignore it as much as you can, if she's chatting away loudly....remind her that it's quiet time and she needs to stay quiet but not too much. It'll just go in one ear and out the other. I don't think prizes are a good idea. That's not fair to the others who are doing perfectly well, right?
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757137 tn?1347196453
I can see where daycare might be a good situation for an only child - depending on the temperament of that child. I had my first two a little over a year apart, so there never was an only child in a sense. I also was a working mother and found that bringing someone into the home to take care of the two was better than sending them someplace I could not control. Also they had each other to play with. Obviously my situation was different from yours and, as your choice suited you, mine suited me.
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377493 tn?1356502149
Actually, I have to disagree that being away from home for the day is a bad idea.  My son attends daycare 3 days a week.  He is there from 8 until about 4:15.  He absolutely loves it.  He is an only child, and thrives in the social environment.  He also benefits from the fact that I have an income...darn having to buy food and help keep a roof over our heads anyway.

It is not necessarily true that daycare is not a good situation for kids.  Like anything there are pro's and cons, and familes must choose what is best for them.  I don't feel one bit guilty about my son attending daycare.  He is happy there, and happy the day's he is home with me.  It's a good situation.  Much depends on the daycare, and it's important to find one that is a good fit for the child and their specific needs.

As for keeping a small child quiet while others are sleeping?  I agree, not possible.  Not mine anyway.  He, like many other children his age would never just sit quietly no matter what was tried.  And some days' he needs/wants the nap, other days he does not.  I like that my daycare lets him take the lead and does not ever force the issue.  
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757137 tn?1347196453
My children went to nursery and pre-kindergarten for only half a day. Two took naps at home from two to four PM and two did not.

The problem may lie with the daycare system which institutes inflexible practices that are not suitable for some children. In any case, being away from home for so many hours, at such a young age, is not a great idea.
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535822 tn?1443976780
Oh I do agree a nap time should be offered but this child from the original post 'wont stay quiet at nap time ' I think we all agree its darn hard to keep a small child quiet if they are not tired.there should be another room where they can play and read if they dont want to sleep.  Anyway thanks guys I just dont get it , some children are still expected to nap to 4 years old I hear .bet they don't sleep at night and parents wonder why .
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377493 tn?1356502149
Here the law is the same. The option must be provided, but I agree they should never be forced.  And absolutely should never be made to feel they are bad for not sleeping.  As I mentioned, days my 2 year old won't nap, he just goes with the older kids and it works just fine.  Our daycare has never made this an issue at all.

To say to just throw a kid out of daycare for that?  That is not in the child's best interest at all.  Some moms have to work (I am one of them) and it is not easy finding affordable and more importantly, good quality child care.  For all the kids under 5 or 6 at my sons daycare the option to nap is offered (so a different daycare wouldn't be a solution at all, they all have the same thing), but having alternatives for the kids that don't serves everyone just fine.  
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973741 tn?1342342773
I just wanted to add that it is an okay thing to 'offer' a nap in my mind as some kids need it.  My kids WERE nappers.  My expectation would be that if my child couldn't nap for a day or every day that they'd have an alternative plan for them during that time.  No child should be thought of as "bad" because they don't want to sleep.  
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1006035 tn?1485575897
The laws are confusing. Teachers in IL and MN told me it was a federal law. I'll have to look into a little more... I think if the school/daycare is open for more than 5 hours they have to provide a nap time.
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973741 tn?1342342773
I believe it would be a state to state law as there is no law on the books for my state.  I've looked it up.  
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1006035 tn?1485575897
The law in the US states that kids must be given the option to sleep for that long. They don't have to, but the option has to be available for them. Many children do need that sleep and are sleep deprived, but for those that don't it's very frustrating. When my DD did nap at school she would be up late into the night (11pm or 12am). She only needed 11-12 hours of sleep. At one school they let her chill with the older kids in another room. At her current school she'll usually sit and play quietly with a puzzle or book.

At one school the teachers would take their lunch breaks during nap time and that's why they got angry she wouldn't sleep. The law isn't for the convenience of the teachers, it's to make sure that all children are getting the sleep they need. There is a huge portion of the population of children that are sleep deprived. I see where the law is coming from, but I think they need to reduce the mandatory time.
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973741 tn?1342342773
It is not a law in my state for sure.  My kids did nap still at three, four and into five----  they were big sleepers.  But they were at home with me and in their own rooms.  I have friends whose kids gave up naps at 2 and three and that was just that.  You really can't force kids to sleep in my opinion and if my kids weren't nappers----  I'd not enroll them in a program that required it.  It wouldn't be a good fit.  
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535822 tn?1443976780
Would anyone here like to explain to me why it is necessary for a 3 year old child to have to take a nap during the day ,is it a mandatory law or for the convenience of the day care workers, as its usually 2 hours this seems a long time to me .and how on earth can you keep them still and quiet if they cannot sleep.Surely it also affects night time sleep..any one have an answer for me?
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1006035 tn?1485575897
As a parent I would probably end up pulling the child from the classroom if the teachers really couldn't handle them. But, I don't think it's a choice that the school should make without consultation from the parent(s) and school aids (ie social worker). It's hard for children to change schools or start new schools. In time she might adjust.
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757137 tn?1347196453
Actually, about the sleep business, I agree with you.
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Avatar universal
Another thing you can do, is see if the child's mom or dad would like to come in during nap time once or twice. I know there is some law (in most states about how long nap time should be. One thing you should never do is force a kid to sleep. As Diva's sister, I have seen what can happen when that is done.
The kid has been at your daycare for just a short amount of time. Give her time to adjust. Kicking a child out of daycare for not sleeping, is a very crazy idea.
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757137 tn?1347196453
There are two people here worthy of consideration - the child and you. The primary responsibility for the child is her mother - not you.  So put the child out and let the mother deal with it.

You have exhausted all your know-how in handling this child. You are frustrated and out of ideas. So send her home. Also, you have a lot of children under your care. They are not getting the attention they deserve.
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