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Naptime

Our son used to take really long naps in the early afternoon. Now he hardly takes naps at all. Something has changed and it makes for longer days with Mom and Dad scrambling to do things with an awake child rather than an asleep one. This certainly makes it more difficult for Mom and Dad but also for the child. While he’s quite content to stay awake as long as he possibly can, that is not always the best course of action for a little one to take. Recently our son has taken to not sleeping at all during the … Continue reading →

How Long is Too Long for Kindergarten?

My baby begins kindergarten in the fall. Half-day kindergarten. For roughly four hours or so each day, my loquacious daughter will be chatting the ears off of some woman, who probably looks nothing like me, and a gaggle of kids who probably act just like her. Four hours. I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself. NOT! (Can you say three jobs and a never-ending battle with dirty clothes, the dishwasher and dust bunnies?) Still, when I think of how long kids in one Canadian province might have to spend in kindergarten, I’m liking the sound of four hours more … Continue reading →

Should Toys be in Kindergarten Classrooms?

As many of you know, I have taught kindergarten for the past three years. During the past three years, I have learned that kindergarten is in a world of its own. Many in-services and workshops are not practical for kindergarten students. Many rules and procedures hold exceptions for kindergarten students. Classroom supply needs are also different. I recently received my state and federal funding for supplies. The bulk of kindergarten needs consists of construction paper, markers, crayons, and scissors. However, I found myself venturing down the toy aisle at Wal-Mart searching for dolls and cars. In my room I have … Continue reading →

Kindergarten Pre-Registration

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At the end of this month, my school will hold kindergarten pre-registration. Schools have a kindergarten pre-registration day in order to gain an idea of how many new children will be entering the school. Principals and teachers can look at current numbers in all other grades to determine how many children will be in first grade and up. Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten are the only two grades that have pre-registration in my district. At kindergarten pre-registration, parents must provide the teachers with some very important pieces of information. Children cannot pre-register for kindergarten without a birth certificate, social security number, physical, … Continue reading →

Kindergarten Naptime

Although I cannot remember much from my kindergarten year, I can recall several events from first and second grades. I vividly recall rest time. In both first and second grade, we had a specified time of day that we put our heads down on the desks to rest. Now, many kindergarten students do not have a naptime. My school is the only school in our county that participates in no form of naptime. The other kindergarten classes either have naptime everyday or periodically (when time permits or the teacher feels it is needed). Naps are things of education’s past. Some … Continue reading →

To Nap or Not to Nap?

My son was three when he stopped taking naps. I literally thought I would die! Nap time was my only “me time” during the day. I had gotten used to running around and getting things done or taking my own little nap with him. Suddenly “me time” was gone and I had to find a way to cope with this new schedule. At first I wasn’t ready to let go of nap time. Logan kicked and screamed and fought the whole way until finally one day I gave up. He really was done with this whole nap thing, even if … Continue reading →

Napping and Memory

I’m a big fan of naps. Back in my radio days, I often kept a weird schedule — up at four in the morning and at work by five-thirty. I’d be done for the day around two in the afternoon… and would often take an afternoon nap to recharge. Even now that I’m keeping a more normal schedule, I often find myself wanting a nap around two in the afternoon. I enjoy curling up with the dogs and taking an afternoon snooze. I don’t necessarily need to do it, but it’s good to relax a bit and wake up with … Continue reading →

Are Short Naps Better Than No Naps?

When many of us think of naps for our child or children, we think of a nice long 2 hour rest in the middle of the day. Of course, not all children comply with a parent’s fantasy of what nap time ought to look like. Some children are great nappers and they lover their 2-3 hour respite as much as mom or dad does. Other children, however, are content with a little cat nap or even give up their naps all together. For those parents who have cat nappers, I wanted to dig into the question: “Are short naps better … Continue reading →

Mourning the Loss of Napping

I have heard more than a few times that naps are a parent’s saving grace! If it wasn’t for nap time, many parents of young ones would truly lose their minds. I think that is why it can be so disconcerting when a child either gives up naps, or turns out to be the sort of person who requires less sleep. We worry for the health of the child and we also wonder what we are going to do as parents without that nice nap time break! I know that in my own parenting, it came as quite a shock … Continue reading →

Substitute Teacher’s Corner: Medical Intervention

You know, one thing that teachers struggle with on a day to day basis are the individual needs of their students – as a sub, when you walk into a classroom where a student has specialized needs, it can really ramp up the pressure you feel. Recently, I was called in as a floater. In other words, I’d go where they needed me throughout the day. Sometimes, you get a class where you teach all day and sometimes you don’t. That day, I was assigned to a kinder class and that was fine. I like kindergarten, they’re young, they’re fresh … Continue reading →