Day time naps at daycare

My master 5 hasnt wanted day time sleeps since he was 2. But at daycare/ kindy all children MUST have a 2 hour sleep in the day time. It has got so bad he now cries most mornings that he doesnt want to go because he doesnt want to sleep there. We have talked to the kindy and looked around but its something that all the kindys do here.
In September we will move them to a kindy close to us and I can pick him up after lunch and he can spend the afternoons at home.
Its also starting to rub off on his younger brother, who has always loved going and use to cry because he couldnt go before he was old enough.

I think its stupid myself. I dont know many 4/5/6 year olds that need such a big daytime sleep if 1 at all. AND it means they are still awake at 9pm, tossing and turning in bed :shakehead:
But here, most parents work late and 6 or 7 days aweek so the only time the see their kids are at night. Also many sleep in the same room or bed as their parents so they all go to bed at the same time, 10pm or so. So from that point of view I can understand, but its not good for the kids and if they had more then 1 child per family they would see this doesnt work :wall:

ANYWAYS, thats my rant. But I would love suggestions to help me get Master almost 5 through till holidays in July :D

I would be having a chat to the daycare place and ask if he could have quiet time rather than a sleep. Talk to them about the issues you are having due to him being made to have a sleep.
Even at my DS2's creche, they don't force the kids to sleep. They have an area where they can flick through books or play quietly and he is 4yrs olds.
The other issue that doesn't sit well for me, is how do the kids who stay up till 10pm at night get up the next day? My DS1 (7yrs) would be absolutely shattered and not concentrate at school. He would have been the same at 5yrs old.

ETA: sorry, didn't realise you were in China, what do other expats do, can you talk to someone what the protocol is?

We have talked and talked to the kindy but its a standard thing here. I dont understand it. Even my son asks "why cant I just draw or look at books quietly?"
I think the teachers should be giving them quiet time with stories etc, not sleep but...

The only solution I can find is to change kindys to a closer 1 next term and pick up DS1 after lunch when the others go to sleep, and do the same for DS2 when he stops wanting day sleeps.
We cant be the only parents who see this isn't healthy. Our boys toss and turn in bed at night because of the big day sleep but in the morning are still tired.
Also, we cant be the only parents who enjoy child free time at night? (at least we did in the holidays)

But I still have to deal with the very reasonable refusals every morning and try to explain that this is just how it is for a few more months SIGH

I think that's crazy. DS' daycare has 2 hour quiet time in the room up to 3yo and even then they aren't made to try to sleep.
In the 3+ room parents are asked at the beginning of the year if their child requires a day sleep and it's done on an individual basis

i used to do family daycare and any child that didnt sleep i would put a movie on for them so they wouldnt wake the other kids and i have done work experience at a preschool and they didnt force the kids to sleep but they had to stay on their beds and read.

What happens if you just keep him up until 10pm? It might be worth a try as an experiment.
Another option could be to get an ipod and some headphones, and put some stories an quiet songs on it - that way he mightn't be so bored when he has to lie down in the dark, and he's not going to be doing something that the other kids will particularly want.

I don't want to have him up that late, and if he is, he cant get up the next morning. Also hes not the kind of child to just play by himself he needs directing so my husband and I would never get relax time to watch normal tv/ dvds, talk, or do any extra work we have brought home.
Next semester we will change kindys so I can pick him up when its nap time.
He doesnt want to sleep in the day time and says lots of kids in his class dont want to sleep. I think its stupid stubborn on the part of the kindy to MAKE 5 and 6 year olds have a day sleep.
Rest time sure, but a full on nap for 2hours?