Napping in Same Room..First Day Not Going So Well

[My4SunshineGirlsNY]

I decided to move some rooms around this weekend..I moved my youngest daughter in the same room as my 6 year old daughter so I could free up a room for daycare play and napping for my 2 daycare boys (ages 17 months and 23 months).

The 2 daycare boys were napping in pack n plays in separate rooms, but I was tired of my own daughters not being able to play in their rooms because daycare kids were napping in their rooms.

So I set up the 2 pack n plays in the new daycare play room (I only have the 2 young boys during the day)...they have always napped at the same time, only in separate rooms.

Well today is the first day they are napping in the same room and it is NOT going well at all. The 17 month old was crying for a bit, keeping my 23 month boy awake. Then when he settled down all they were doing was chatting and being loud....I laid them down and tryed to settle them...went back in and my 23 month boy climbed out of the pack n play (NEVER done that before!) and was throwing a bunch of barbies in with the 17 month boy!!

OMG, it's a nightmare...I know the easy fix is to put them in separate rooms again but that is not what I want to do, I want my girls to have their own room with NO daycare kids in there.

For the family providers, do you have kids sleep in the same room? Do they keep each other awake? I'm praying they adjust..I look forward to my 2 hour break while they nap and it's not happening today!! HELP!!

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

at 17 and 23 mo they would be sleeping on cots in my living room. no pack and plays after about 11 mo here.

[DBug]

I have kids in pack n' plays til about 18 mos or so -- Your 23 month old sounds like he's ready for a cot. If he can climb out of the playpen, it becomes a safety issue (I'm sure those Barbies have lots of choke hazard accessories ). Why not try transitioning him to a cot in the playroom (or wherever your older ones nap)?

[emosks]

We have the PNP kids in one room and the kids on cots in another. It's kids that are over 2 years old on the cots. It took a day or two for them to get used to sleeping together but now it's heavenly to only have 2 rooms taken up by DC kids!! We also have both of our daughters in my daughters room upstairs and it only took a few days for them to get used to it. Naps were shorter for about a week but after that it was like they had been doing it for months!

[momofsix]

I have 3 18 month olds in one room, all in pack-n-plays. When I lay them down, they stand right back up and look at eachother and talk and giggle. It's actually kind of cute . I turn on a lullaby cd, and they all just drop and fall asleep within 15 minutes. When one wakes up, the others usually still stay asleep, maybe the music helps with this. They have been sleeping together since they were about 9 months old.
I would not put the 23 month old in a pack-n-play anymore either, especially since he now knows how to climb out. He should be able to lay down quietly on a cot or whatever you use for older children. If they are in a seperate room, I would let him lay with them--maybe he will copy them and be nice and quiet. Otherwise I would sit right next to him, reminding him it's time to lay down and be quiet if he tries to get up and play again. Something new in the routine usually throws the kids a little. He should get back in the routine again after a couple of days and leave you with some much deserved break time!

[My4SunshineGirlsNY]

thanks..the 23 month old is my nephew and he's always slept peaceful in the pack n play..I guess that's why I never tried him on the sleep mat. Now that he climbed out, I'm going to have to transition him.

It's going to take work to get him to stay there I'm sure. Who ever said daycare is easy?? LOL

[originalkat]

I feel your interrupted naptime break PAIN!! It hasnt happened in awhile but it is HORRIBLE!

Anyway, all my dc kids nap in one room and do really well. I think they just arent used to it yet. I am strict with the kids as far as naptime rules. I darken the room and play nap music so every little sound isnt heard around the room. My kids also share a room so we can have an extra one for dc kids. It will work out. Just instill the new routine and stick to your guns.

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

I have 3 18 month olds in one room, all in pack-n-plays. When I lay them down, they stand right back up and look at eachother and talk and giggle. It's actually kind of cute . I turn on a lullaby cd, and they all just drop and fall asleep within 15 minutes. When one wakes up, the others usually still stay asleep, maybe the music helps with this. They have been sleeping together since they were about 9 months old.
I would not put the 23 month old in a pack-n-play anymore either, especially since he now knows how to climb out. He should be able to lay down quietly on a cot or whatever you use for older children. If they are in a seperate room, I would let him lay with them--maybe he will copy them and be nice and quiet. Otherwise I would sit right next to him, reminding him it's time to lay down and be quiet if he tries to get up and play again. Something new in the routine usually throws the kids a little. He should get back in the routine again after a couple of days and leave you with some much deserved break time!

I completely agree! All of our children sleep in the same room. Before we tansitioned the 2 yr olds out of pack n plays, they all slept together in the next room over. They, also, would immediatly stand up and start talking and giggling, and throwing things in each other's pack n play, but by the time we had the older children asleep (we pat their back to help them go to sleep), the 2 yr old's would all be fast asleep (sometimes we would have to stay in the room with the toddlers, sitting beside the rowdiest one , until they went to sleep) Now we don't have any children in pack n plays. They're all on cots. We do, however, have to sit beside the 2 yr old's cots and pat their back until they go to sleep, otherwise they all keep jumping up and talking and all, keeping the others awake. Be aware, though, that once a toddler transitions to a cot, as soon as they wake up, they will get up and make sure they wake everyone else up, too :: even if the others would have continued sleeping for another half hour if they'd been left alone, or didn't get woke up from the toddler talking and making noise playing. I've tried having a toddler stay on their cot for a little while longer if they're the ONLY one awake, but I've found they make more noise when they're not allowed up than they do if they are allowed to.
Good luck, I know it takes tons of patience to get this age settled into a new routine or environment

[momma2girls]

I don't start to transition anyone out from their pack and plays til at least 2 yrs. old. I have tried, and boy it hasn't worked at all. What a fiesco!! Not again!!!

[MrsCoffee]

I feel your interrupted naptime break PAIN!! It hasnt happened in awhile but it is HORRIBLE!

Anyway, all my dc kids nap in one room and do really well. I think they just arent used to it yet. I am strict with the kids as far as naptime rules. I darken the room and play nap music so every little sound isnt heard around the room. My kids also share a room so we can have an extra one for dc kids. It will work out. Just instill the new routine and stick to your guns.

I totally agree and I do the same thing! The loud classical is what I play and it really helps. My dck's all sleeping in the living room dining room area. We just push back the big toys. It is all about the consistent routine. They will get there. I hear your pain though I get really flustered if nap time doesn't go well sense it is our only break...

I have a 4 yr old 28 month old 6 month old and 5 yr old and they all nap at the same time It took consistency to get them here but the real reward comes from hearing the parents say " They NEVER napped before and still won't at home!!" I know that being firm with them helped and the 28 month old who was my most severe case in the beginning is so tenderhearted and sweet says "nite nite" everyday when I lay him down.

[mamajennleigh]

I would love to transition all of mine to cots, or at least all into the same room, but the issue is that I have only part-timers, and one of them comes at odd times, so doesn't always take a nap. She's close to 18 months old and if she's at home with mom in the morning, her mom will let her sleep from 11-1pm, which ruins any chance of her taking a nap with me. There's no way I could leave her alone while I stayed in the room with the other three to make sure they didn't get off their cots! It's beginning to drive me nuts, though. I have them all in pack n plays all over the house and I am sure one of them is going to climb out any minute now! It's definitely time for cots around here, so I'm going to have to figure out how to make this transition soon.