Why are kindergarten kids forced to have afternoon nap?

[pastafarian]

Most kids have stopped having an afternoon nap by the time they are 3-4yrs old yet all kindergarten schools here in Thailand force their students to either have one, or if they don't to lie down for 2-3hrs every afternoon. My daughter attended a kindergarten last year in Belgium and none of the kids there have an afternoon nap, they are doing activities all day. From speaking with friends from the UK, America and other western countries kids there also aren't made to do this either.

So does anyone know why they are made to here up to the age of six? There are CCTV cameras in my daughter's classroom and if I log in during the afternoon all I see is her, and most of her classmates, lying down on the floor wide awake while the teacher plays with her phone. I enquired at other kindergarten schools and spoke to Thai friends and it seems this is common all over Thailand, seems such a waste of time every day, could be why Thai students are often so far behind!

[arthurwait]

Don't you know anything ? School is to prepare kids for working life in the country they are in.

[Thai at Heart]

So they are rested and wide awake for the parents to come home???

How else are the parents expected to.enjoy a social life of the kids want to sleep at 7pm.

[VocalNeal]

So they are rested and wide awake for the parents to come home???

How else are the parents expected to.enjoy a social life of the kids want to sleep at 7pm.

No it is so they won't be tired when parents take them out to malls and restaurants until 10pm or later!

Edited July 4, 2014 by VocalNeal

[puchooay]

Up to six?

Now that is unusual. Of the many schools I have taught in over 16 years they stop sleeping in the afternoon at 4 years.

I have never seen any children "forced to sleep". They all seem to enjoy it.

[bkkjames]

Up to six?

Now that is unusual. Of the many schools I have taught in over 16 years they stop sleeping in the afternoon at 4 years.

I have never seen any children "forced to sleep". They all seem to enjoy it.

agreed, my now 5 year old has no more naps, that stopped last year.

I remember when i was in Kindergarten we had naps as well.

[chappie1207]

I asked my sons (he is 5) school to stop making him sleep as he cannot sleep until at least 10pm every night, they said it is Legislation for pre school children and he must lie down....so this is a government policy.

[Fairynuff]

It's a great idea, prepares them for what they'll do most of their lives

[DrTuner]

Thai Siesta.

[impulse]

I'm old enough that we had nap time in Illinois... Even had our own nap mats folded up on the shelf. I was 5. Didn't seem to stunt our development.

[thaicookingchef]

The best way to make sure that they don't sleep deep at night maybe ? Just as most Thai who never knew what a schedule is.

[kleelof]

I think everyone should take naps in the afternoon.

When my daughter moved to A3 this year, I was surprised they stopped the naps. Fortunately, she adjusted with no problem.

I think it is a pretty silly thing to complain about.

[ktm jeff]

Reason 1 - so "teachers" can have half a day doing nothing. Reason 2 - so the kids dont flag when hawking the flowers/tat up till midnight.

[sustento]

I think it is a pretty silly thing to complain about.

So do I but it gives the usual suspects another opportunity for a bit of Thai bashing...

[kleelof]

Does ThaiVisa.com advertise to bitter cynical gasbags or what?

Every time there is a topic, it is littered with people talking down about the Thais?

For those of you who are too busy lifting bottles of beer to your useless little mouths, let me tell you something; most of the people on the face of the Earth are more like Thais than like Europeans and descendants of Europeans. Perhaps they know something you have failed to understand.

For example, things don't have to be strict all the time. There are more important things in life than tight schedules and strict adherence to unimportant rules.

Really, if you would learn to take advantage of this 'slackness' in the thinking here, you might find a more enjoyable life.

[TravelerEastWest]

Naps should be optional as some kids need them and some don't.

For the kids who need them 45 minutes be a good length of time.

Personally I would love an afternoon siesta - I have just made a note to start soon...

[kleelof]

Naps should be optional as some kids need them and some don't.

For the kids who need them 45 minutes be a good length of time.

Personally I would love an afternoon siesta - I have just made a note to start soon...

I work at home and my wife tells me all the time I should take a nap.

It is nice. But I'm an early to bed early to rise kinda guy, so it can really throw that off.

[enufsaid]

Pastafarian. Kindergartens in western countries also get the children to have a nap. And when learning to " study" it's very tiring for those little brains. But in saying that many Thais also take a nap after lunch. Part of life

[Inepto Cracy]

Taxi driver and tuk tuk driver training?

[ThaiFelix]

We were told they had to take naps because they need a break through the long day otherwise they would be too sleepy in the afternoon to learn or do their work. The school only brought nap time in for KG3 (6 y/olds) during the last year I was teaching. I had more kids dozing off in the afternoon (after napping) that year than any previous.

[pastafarian]

Not surprisingly those that enjoy having a dig at Thais have turned up, as have those that like to accuse every OP of being anti-Thai regardless of what they actually wrote. For those that have said kindergarten children in the west also have afternoon naps you obviously didn't read my original post. My daughter attended a kindergarten in Belgium last year and all kids were awake all day, no afternoon naps were forced on them, if the parents wanted to take them home at lunchtime they could.

Most nursery schools worldwide (2-4yrs old) allow kids an afternoon nap but not at kindergarten which is 4-6 years old and most kids of this age have stopped having an afternoon nap. It is a waste of about two and a half hours every day, that is over 12hrs a week wasted as only about 3-4 kids actually do sleep, the rest just lie there rolling around or kicking their legs in the air...for over two hours! They could be learning or doing other activities in that time. My own mother used to work in a kindergarten over 10yrs ago in the UK and I've also checked with her, only those in nursery would have a nap back then, not those in KG1-3 which is what they still do here.

[Gillyflower]

I'm getting on a bit......so the memory may be a bit dodgy. But I can't remember having naps in kinder. But that was also the day and age where there wasn't TV and children went to bed early. Now, they seem to go to bed very late and not only in Thailand, but where I live too. In summer when it is warm, reasonably small kids are playing in the square, well away from their habitation. So if they are up to 10 or 11, maybe they have to have that little siesta in the PM.

[Toscano]

Little children need a lot of sleep . They start school at 8am and have a fairly intensive morning of study , lunch and then an afternoon rest .

That was considered correct practice when my children were little , even at home . At 13yrs old I went to an English Public School , where we all had an hour's rest after lunch . My wife is a head teacher of a Kindergarten . All her children have a sleep or lie down , they are then bathed and powdered before going home .

[saakura]

My son went to 2 different nurseries and both had a nap time for the children who wanted it, the very few who did not nap were left to do other activities. Nobody forced them and it was for a brief 45 minutes after lunch and games. The children enjoyed it. I know of many schools here in bangkok and it always stops in kintergarden at 4yrs, mostly earlier.

Edit : As Toscano said above, the nursery children were bathed and powdered and well rested and fresh when leaving school.

Edited July 4, 2014 by saakura

[BWPattaya]

I remember in my first UK school having a sleep in the afternoons. We even had fold up beds to use. From memory I believe it has a physical development role. When small children were measured after running around and playing during morning and lunchtime activities they lose about 0.25 inches. Lying down for a short while in the afternoon allows the body to regain its normal size.

[Essex Exile]

It is only PRE K and K1 where they have to nap, so I'm not sure where you are coming from here.

[Emster23]

We had naps back when I was in kindergarten. Even at that young age I somehow understood it was as much, if not more, for the teacher. You try leading a room full of those kids without a break! Also some quiet time is good to allow the brain to integrate whatever sort of learning has taken place. I always thought was lacking in higher grades. No time to reflect. It is not wasted time.

[DrTuner]

This does indeed explain how the Thais are able to sleep anywhere, including standing on a bus bouncing on rural roads. Early conditioning is the key. I truly envy their abilities.

[nithisa78]

Maybe you're the one far behind? I schooled in NYC, NY. We didn't sleep all afternoon as you claim. Though we did take time to rest our heads on the table. Don't know what our good teachers were doing. I was resting. Sleep depravation is serious issue and not always seen by the trained or untrained eye. It is addressed in the book Christians use as their bible. Look for it. You will be more grateful and less looking for fault and pointing fingers. You can be sure of that. Are you a tired old lady? Or just enjoy bitching about the country that hosts you. Or is bitching in general your strong suit. Get a life.

[ClutchClark]

I pity the fool that tries to take away my afternoon nap.

;-)