Nannyde - How Long "Play Toys"

[Heidi]

How much time do your toddlers spend in their " baby zone" per day? 15-18 month group.

My area is 7x11 (cant break it down into 2), and the twins share it. I trade out toys regularly, and they come out for diaper changes, meals, outside time, and activities at the table. Some days they play and play and play, somedays they hange on the gate after 2 minutes. Just wondering how much time in a stretch you think is reasonable, and how much time out of the 7 hours they are awake here.

Again, if I compared them to my own children, I'd be in trouble! ::

[nannyde]

I can't really advise you because I don't have more than one kid in each play yard and don't have that age group up that many hours in a day. In a nine hour day here they would be sleeping four hours of it (1.5 hours for a.m. nap and 2.5 for p.m. nap)

A kid that was up here five hours would have about 1 hour for two meals and a snack... 15 minutes for diaper changes... 45 mins outiside... 15 mins getting ready to go out and transporting from downstairs to up... about an hour on the "little kids side" while the older kids were at the table or on the big kids side of the room doing table work or playing out of our "put up" bins.

so that would leave about 1.75 hours total in the play yards which would go in about 20 minute segments about five times a day in between all the activities.. like walk.. diapering... meals... load and unload/get dressed-undressed to go out or go home.

The amount of times in their own play yard decreases as they become more able to play on the little kids side. If they are froggy it takes a lot longer. I've had kids fully out on the little kids side with no play yard as early as 13-14 months and some that were two before they could manage it. YMMV The ones that adapt the fastest are usually the ones here later in the afternoon because the other kids leaving increases the chance that they can have the little kids side of the room to themselves. After 4:15 we are down to a small enough number of kids that they can be out from then to when they leave and have the side of the room to themselves. The kids that are out of play yards the youngest are almost always later departure kids.

The one to two year time is our most intensive time for teaching our toy play rules. Some take to it right really quickly.. some struggle and need their own space.

The way I know how much play yard they need is by how often the redirections come. If we have to redirect and train every minute... two minutes... three minutes... then they just aren't ready. When we get to the full playtime block with just one or two redirections then they are ready to move out of the play yards.

Here's a blog about my toy playing rules: https://www.daycare.com/nannyde/ther...th-any-toy.htm

Once they make it for full play times without much redirection AND quit mouthing toys AND play well with a coupling of one or two more kids then we graduate them over to the big kids side. Once on the big kids side they can transition between both sides easily. Once they can do that then I use that child to buddy up with whoever is being trained on the little kids side.

The goal is to have them be successful players and making sure their environment is suited for what they CAN manage each and every day. If the main playroom overwhelms them and they aren't able to manage it without having an adult within a few feet then that tells me they need to small up. Go small and work your way big.

What the children do in the play yards never determines WHEN they are in it. I've never had a child in my 18 years that would prefer a play yard to an adult one to oneing them... going outside... being on the big kids side... and being out of the room free ranging the house. Every single kid I have ever had would rather be somewhere else. The kids I have now would MUCH rather be running my house then being in the playroom. They would ALL rather be outside running my neighborhood then be in the play rooms. I always know that no matter what I'm doing ALL the kids would rather be doing something else, somewhere else... preferrably with their own adult every second both waking and sleeping.

I don't take it personally if ANY of them would prefer to be ANYWHERE else doing ANYTHING else. I understand that every day when I open the door.

Rinse and repeat with every generation.

[Oneluckymom]

I don't mean to high-jack the thread, but I found this info useful too.

Nan...what are you're nap times for that age group? Also, what time do you do lunch? Just curious

[nannyde]

I don't mean to high-jack the thread, but I found this info useful too.

Nan...what are you're nap times for that age group? Also, what time do you do lunch? Just curious

a.m. nap at arrival till around 8:45
p.m. nap 12:15-2:45

lunch 10:45-11:15 ish... depends on when we get back from walk.

[Heidi]

Nan-

Ok, so the kiddos get there, and go right to nap? Do they fuss? Do they always sleep? Do you get them back up on their schedule or yours? Again with afternoon nap. Your schedule down to nap, but what about waking?

My 15 mo's clearly don't get enough sleep. I tried going back to two naps, but then they never slept in the afternoon at all. I also have a couple slightly older ones, and they do GREAT on one 3 hour afternoon nap. Oddly enough, the younger ones sleep less than the big ones!

I usually leave them in the crib until everyone else gets up. If they are playing, I don't involve myself. If they are crying, I go in, point out that they can lay quietly and look at their book (they have one each), and say "I will be back when nap is over".

FYI-these guys go to be at 7:30pm and are up by 6 at the latest

[nannyde]

Nan-

Ok, so the kiddos get there, and go right to nap? Do they fuss? Do they always sleep? Do you get them back up on their schedule or yours? Again with afternoon nap. Your schedule down to nap, but what about waking?

My 15 mo's clearly don't get enough sleep. I tried going back to two naps, but then they never slept in the afternoon at all. I also have a couple slightly older ones, and they do GREAT on one 3 hour afternoon nap. Oddly enough, the younger ones sleep less than the big ones!

I usually leave them in the crib until everyone else gets up. If they are playing, I don't involve myself. If they are crying, I go in, point out that they can lay quietly and look at their book (they have one each), and say "I will be back when nap is over".

FYI-these guys go to be at 7:30pm and are up by 6 at the latest

Yes they go right to sleep. They get up with their parents and have family time in the morning... family breakfast... dressing... etc. They are ready to go back down when they get here.

They don't fuss. They zoink out. They've been in this routine since birth so by the time they are 15 months old they have had a year plus of it. They don't really know any other way.

I want them all up and on the same routine so having them go to bed right when they arrive gets everyone UP at the same time and then DOWN at the same time in the afternoon.

If they don't sleep when they arrive they will falls asleep in the stroller on the walk or not be able to manage the walk. The walk is our most important activity every day. I want everyone awake and ready to exercise and get fresh air.

I've been doing this for 18 years. Works great.

[Francine]

Yes they go right to sleep. They get up with their parents and have family time in the morning... family breakfast... dressing... etc. They are ready to go back down when they get here.

They don't fuss. They zoink out. They've been in this routine since birth so by the time they are 15 months old they have had a year plus of it. They don't really know any other way.

I want them all up and on the same routine so having them go to bed right when they arrive gets everyone UP at the same time and then DOWN at the same time in the afternoon.

If they don't sleep when they arrive they will falls asleep in the stroller on the walk or not be able to manage the walk. The walk is our most important activity every day. I want everyone awake and ready to exercise and get fresh air.

I've been doing this for 18 years. Works great.

At what age do you start this? I am working with a 3 month old non napper right now. I can use all the help I can get!

[nannyde]

At what age do you start this? I am working with a 3 month old non napper right now. I can use all the help I can get!

The day they start child care.

[CheekyChick]

Nan,

Do your older children (3 and up) nap twice or do the older ones just take an afternoon nap?

[nannyde]

Nan,

Do your older children (3 and up) nap twice or do the older ones just take an afternoon nap?

It depends. If they are a kid that comes in early or they are a late nighter at home I will have them lay down. Usually Mondays or after holidays they will all lay down for a couple of days when they get here.

[CheekyChick]

It depends. If they are a kid that comes in early or they are a late nighter at home I will have them lay down. Usually Mondays or after holidays they will all lay down for a couple of days when they get here.

Thanks. I know a few of my olders would benefit from the morning nap since they stay up all hours. I just might try that...

[Country Kids]

It depends. If they are a kid that comes in early or they are a late nighter at home I will have them lay down. Usually Mondays or after holidays they will all lay down for a couple of days when they get here.

What do you consider an early one? The ones that I have that come early might benefit laying down but its pretty busy around here in the morning. I have ten here from6:30-8:30, some are SA so the little ones just play, Like I said they might benefit but in no way could settle down to do that.

Cheeky,

With your big group how would you do it? Any suggestions?

[nannyde]

What do you consider an early one? The ones that I have that come early might benefit laying down but its pretty busy around here in the morning. I have ten here from6:30-8:30, some are SA so the little ones just play, Like I said they might benefit but in no way could settle down to do that.

Cheeky,

With your big group how would you do it? Any suggestions?

I usually carry around 6-8 kids.

Early would be before 7:30

[CheekyChick]

What do you consider an early one? The ones that I have that come early might benefit laying down but its pretty busy around here in the morning. I have ten here from6:30-8:30, some are SA so the little ones just play, Like I said they might benefit but in no way could settle down to do that.

Cheeky,

With your big group how would you do it? Any suggestions?

We have two sleeping/quiet rooms for my infants/wobblers that my preschoolers could use in the morning. I'm thinking if they start out their day well rested, it might make for a smoother day.