Dropping the nap.

teabagwoman your new thread idea sounds great!

I am not bad at Playdough (but not as good as the DGDs). It's a good idea to sit with them and make animals, cakes etc with them - and best to be on hand as DGD popped some playdough 'cake' into her mouth and ate it. Then grinned.
It is non-toxic!

Re Golden age reply. Skimmed milk and warm water has the effect/advantages of a bottle/sippy cup of milk but fewer calories

I bought a doll's house and a farm from charity shop, and associated people and animals from shop, with the hope of quiet, imaginative play.

My youngest grandson is 18 months old and has almost dropped his afternoon nap now. I find that if I put CBeebies on the TV he will sit on my lap and watch it. I talk about what is happening in the programme and he seems to like 'our time' as we call it. We don't watch TV all the afternoon but it seems to calm him down until it's time to get his big brother home from school.

surviving are you serious?

God knows how it came up with "surviving", I typed kircubbin

I can remember being at nursery the year before school, which started in the September after we were five in those days.
So I must have been 4-5 and every afternoon after lunch they got out little camp beds and we were supposed to have a nap. I could never sleep (although I could now!).

I was looking for surviving on the thread and thought you must be on the wrong thread phoenix

Just found the post
glutton for punishment?

Actually, I think the time spent with DGC when they are tiny is immeasurable. Exhausting but wonderful.

I let my little one play/play with them all day whatever they want and usually led by them but after lunch we go for short ride in car so nanny can have her proper coffee. I take a book, some paper pens and stickers and dominos which can be used for building bricks, a Road, a crocodile (and many more things that they make up) They like the change of environment and I come back having a caffeine shot and feeling more like me.

Works for me and my four little buddies which I have had all on a one to one.

Absolute quiet time. No TV in the background. No music. Zero noise. Just lay down and set out some picture books. They do tend to drop the sleeping but quiet time is essential

Jalima1108, I didn't drop naps at such early age, that is my recommendation. To me bed at 9pm is good if wake up is at 7 or 7 half. I didn't get my children up at 6 for 8:30 school, too much time, to me. Dropping nap between 4 to 5 years works well for babies starting school around 5 years.

In the UK they may be 4 + 1 day when they start school.
It does depend on the child, of course, but going to bed by 7.30pm at the latest would seem to be the norm for many reception age children that I have known or know.

They also may be 5, my preference is to wait.

It is my thought and preference, as you have yours.

That's fine.
You did say it is your recommendation - not just your preference though.

However, if they are held back a year they miss out on reception year and have to start in Year 1. It's a dilemma, I know, when they seem so young but reception involves a lot of play.
And no naps.

we have DGSs every day just after lunch time
2yr old and 4yr old (starting school September).
We go for a countryside drive which is more monotonous than traffic lights roundabouts etc as they love to give the back seat instructions .

The little one has about an hour and a half
the oldest just half an hour .
This is enough to refresh the oldest and put him in good spirits for a walk with grandad whilst gran has a quiet time until wee one wakes up.

Nursery has a story time when the children can have quiet time and take a nap.

DGS is only just turned 4 a couple of weeks ago (can't believe he is starting school all be it reception class!)

I have warned DD that he will probably be very tired and hungry when he gets home, if he is anything like his Mum.
My sister used to joke
'For goodness sake throw her a bun'!
In actual fact it was usually milk and a bun

* Jalima1108,* Spot on, I did say both. I do recommend and it is my preference. Reception year, to me, does not matter a jot if summer births, too young to me. Reception with no nap is just too hard on them.

Again, mt preference and yes, recommendation. We love naps, here.

Back in the dark ages when I started school we were all expected to lie down on a small rush floor mat after lunch and listen to a short story followed by a sleep whether we were tired or not. It wasn't very comfortable but surprisingly many of us actually did drop off to sleep awakening with strange whorl impressions from the woven rushes on various parts of our anatomy! Perhaps back then we were allowed and even encouraged to be children for much longer and I don't think that was a bad thing.

P.S. I didn't start school until I was 5 years old.

Seems to me, they are ready for reception rising 5. My DGC seemed to have loads of energy, awake around 6 am and if allowed to sleep during the day up until late in the evening. They walk all over the place, no moaning. Depends on the child of course. My daughter does not drive so they are used to lots of walking and travelling on the underground. Perhaps city children get more exercise these days the country ones.

Reception year, to me, does not matter a jot if summer births, too young to me.
I do agree Norah and it is a worry but, as reception year is fairly play-based and a transition between play group/nursery, I think on reflection it is better to start then than to risk missing that year at school and have to start in Year 1. It all depends on the child too, of course as loopylou says.

DGS age 2, could not sleep at all when they had nap time at nursery. I think he was the only child who could not drop off to sleep.

Doesn't take after me, I like a nap too unless I am out for the day!

What happened to staggered intake into reception?
They all seem to start in September whether they are 4 + 1 day or 5 the day after starting.

Staggered intake was dropped ages ago Jalima there was considerable evidence that children with late birthdays who missed much of reception year were not reaching the same levels of achievement as those who had a whole year.