Features

Positive relationships: Ask the expert ... Nap time

Should nursery workers go along with parents' wishes to keep their child awake all day? Maria Robinson offers advice on sleep needs.

Q: Many of the parents of children who attend full days in nursery do not want their children to sleep during the day. We are finding it hard to keep them awake, but the parents get cross if we tell them they have slept. How can we explain to parents that they do need a sleep? We are finding it difficult to manage the behaviour of children in the afternoons because they are so tired. These children are between 12 and 30 months.

A: These problems don't have easy answers. However, a starting point is some detective work. You need to find out why the parents don't want the children to sleep during the day. A possible reason is that they think the child will be difficult to settle and not want to sleep at night.

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