Nap Time Fairies

The other day I was in the classroom at nap and the teacher was telling the children that if they went to sleep the nap time fairy would be coming and leaving a sticker on their cheek.  If they didn’t sleep, the fairy wouldn’t come.

Okay, first of all, the non-nappers figure out the whole fairy thing quickly…you’re the fairy.

Second of all, the chidlren that deserve a sticker are those that stay on their mats quietly for 2 hours and DON’T sleep. 

For those children who don’t sleep, nap time is like a two hour time out.  We all know how I feel about time outs, right?

But Jenni, the children HAVE to sleep.  They’re tired!  They need to rest and this helps motivate them to sleep!

Let me put it to you this way:

I’m going to give you a trip to Disneyland.  You get to go tomorrow morning and spend the entire day there, I’ll pay for everything.  You excited yet?

So, you probably will go to bed early tonight to make sure that you get enough rest and are wide away and ready for this trip.

Oh wait!  It’s morning and you are well rested and NOT TIRED AT ALL!  You are actually very excited about getting out of bed and going to Disneyland.  First, you need to stay in bed…for TWO HOURS.

Wait!  Put that phone away, not allowed to make any calls.

STOP!  Stop rolling around tossing and turning.  You need to lay still or I’m going to take your blankets away.

NO!  You can’t talk to yourself or your imaginary friends, LAY THERE QUIETLY!

No you CANNOT get up and go potty, you’re just trying to get out and move.  Stay there!

Quiet down, stop talking.  ARG!  I need to get some things done before we leave and you have GOT to be quiet!

Do you see where I’m going with this?  No matter what I say or how I threaten you, you are not going to go back to sleep and you just want to get out of bed, right?

This is what we do to the children who are required to stay on their mats for two hours and aren’t the least bit tired.  Give them something to do.  Let them sit quietly with a stack of books.  Give them a pad of paper and colored pencils (not markers, they’ll color on their mats).

Do you see what I mean?  Stop torchering yourself and the children during naptime, would ya?