I have a small group of 4-5 year old nappers. My regs require a 2 hour nap time. The nappers go to a separate room which is plain quiet, and peaceful. Usually 4 of the 5 nap. It was brought to my attention, other preschools in the area, have their nappers sleep with their shoes on in case of fire, earthquakes or other incidents. I contacted my licensing agent who said there is nothing in the regs about keeping shoes on during napping, but it is recommended. I'm leaning toward keeping the shoes off. Do your nappers keep their shoes on or off?
Are you in a home or a center? I am in public school and we keep shoes on-for exactly the reasons you stated. I have had several incidents where there was a fire alarm (usually a prank by an older student) and I had to pick kids up off of mats. I had one student who had taken her shoes off and had to go without them. So, for saftey we keep shoes on. If I were in a home or a small center, I would allow them to take them off. Especiallly for a two hour nap. Small chance of your having an actual fire during that time and you don't have to worry about an alarm being pulled for a drill during that time. Let them be comfy.
We always leave shoes on in case of a fire, plus I don't want to be putting 20 shoes on after nap time.
I think it's sad that they have to sleep with their shoes on, but it's regulations here too for the reasons stated above.
Shoes off for comfort. I would not want a nap with my shoes on! The kids know how to put their own shoes on so it's not a problem. I help with tying, which takes very little time. It's worth it for their comfort.
I let them take their shoes off if they want because we to have a two hour nap. In case of emergency we have them put all shoes in a laundry basket so that we can take them with us. I hear you that it is a lot of shoes to put on after but they find them themselves put them on and some already know how to tie and help the others. It leaves me we just a handful of shoes to tie. http://learningandteachingwithpreschoolers.blogspot.com
I like the idea about them putting them in a laundry basket so they are in one convient spot if you have to grab and go.
Tiff- I am a Pre-K in a Pre-K to 8 school. We only have 6 nappers. Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going to keep the shoes off. I like the idea of a basket. It makes so much sense, but it goes against my regs. We need to keep everything separated.
It isn't regs here for centers and public doesn't nap. We do have full time private kindergarten. In those classes the children are told to put their shoes right at the end of the blanket and grab them on the way out. In other rooms I have seen a collective basket and the teacher grabs them on the way out. I have seen some people with cardboard type dividers to make tiny cubbies in the baskets. I agree shoes are important-but if you are a napper comfort maybe as well.
I have some kids take shoes off and some don't. I leave it up to the kids to choose. Most of mine can put their shoes on, it's just a matter of tying and I don't really have a problem with that when we wake up.
I have a shoe basket. After lunch my toddlers go to their mat and take their socks and shoes off. They put them in the basket so in case of an emergency we're able to just grab the basket along with them.
shoes on always. Here in northern New England, I'm not having my kids run outside barefoot in the winter if the fire alarm goes off. Also,after traingin as a FEMA certified Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member, the idea of having children have to evacuate a dmaged building and/or possibly walk through any type of debris to an alternate location, in barefeet does not sound like a good idea at all. I also do not allow slippers for the same reason
Shoes on. That was the regulation as far as I know. Anyway, kids are easy. They have no problem sleeping with their shoes on if that's what they are used to. Safety is so much more important.
I had to have shoes on in the daycare... for te same reasons as mentioned above. Then I would have kids who were misbehaving and causing ocmmotion with their shoes... natural consequence is that the shoes get taken away. I got in trouble for that. So instead I had to let them mess with the shoes and wake other kids up. It was no-win...
You say you only have a handful of nappers. Can you compartmentalize a basket so each napper has a seperate space? That would give you the grab and go basket while at the same time adhering to the regs?
