Naptime Changes, Am I Crazy?

[Unregistered]

I have all toddlers (16 months to 2 years). Many of them have never been in daycare before and they are all still in cribs at home. I started my daycare only a few months ago. They are all going down for their naps pretty well now except one but they are all in portable cribs in separate rooms. It takes a long time to get them all napping and it's a real pita!

Well, my oldest dck climbed out of his crib today. So I think it's time to get the cots out and try to make the switch. I'm thinking that I might as well move them all to cots and get the rough several days I'm expecting out of the way.

Is this a good idea? Or Should I get one used to it at a time? I'll have them all out in the playroom now so I can watch them. The other issue is that my son is still in a crib at 2.5 years and I'm wondering if I should move him out onto a cot as well.

I'd appreciate any advice, ideas or encouragement I can get!

[SilverSabre25]

I moved all of mine at once. They never blinked and still nap amazingly well.

They were 3, 2.5, and 2 when I moved them.

(okay, the 3 had been napping on a crib mattress, the other two in pack n plays)

[MrsB]

I move mine about 20 months to a mat. I am not sure about the at the same time thing. Since my older ones are good about naps, the littler ones when moved just emulate the older ones. Maybe if you have a real difficult naper or one that likes to play and distract at first, you could wait until you have successfully got the other ones down. Sometime of background noise will help when napping everyone in the same room. White noise or calming music will help with the ones that get arroused by others movements.

[cheerfuldom]

Since you asked for opinions, I would absolutely move your son to a toddler bed first. Once you have him transitioned, start the cots with the oldest kids first. It IS more work (at least at first) to get kids on to cots but IMO, 2 years old is plenty old enough to move to toddler beds at night, cots at daycare.

I'm curious though, what is it that you are doing now that is a PITA? I just put all my kids under 2 in PNPs, tuck them in and thats that. I don't "do" anything else for them during nap time.