Nap Time Question

[mbullette]

I have a quick nap time question. My schedule states that nap time is from 12:30 until 2:30. I have a little boy that just turned 2. He just started coming here but at his old sitter he would sleep for 2-3 hours. Here he will lay down but wont sleep and it only lasts about 20 mins. I have talked to the parents several times about this. Mom told me that he does not nap at home ever and at the old sitter it was 2-3 hours if he laid on her bed. I have tried a bed, nap mat and pack n play and he wont sleep. He will cry, scream, yell and do everything possible to wake the other kids up. This child NEEDS a nap and is not a very nice person come the afternoon. My kids sleep in the bedrooms. Nap time is my break time and I need that time for myself and for my sanity. He is a good little boy and I have no other complaints. I know you cant force a child to sleep but they have to be quiet and rest. I have given him books but he just throws them, tears them or is just not interested in them. I just feel a 2 year old should sleep for at least an hour. I am just wondering if the parents dont give him a nap so he goes to bed earlier at night??

I have even put a baby gate in front of the bedroom door so when he tries to get out he cant go in the other kids rooms and wake them up. He just climbs over them and is on his way. I do have one little girl who sleeps down by me because she is just 3 months old. When she cries I dont want her waking the other kids up. I have tried putting him down by me and he wont even lay down.
I am really lost and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[cheerfuldom]

there is only so much you can do. there is nothing wrong with saying that this boy does not fit into your program because of the nap issue. if he will climb out and over everything and you are not able to sit with him to train him to lay down, then you will have to let him go. there is no magical answer that is going to get this kid to lay down when he is used to sleeping on his babysitters bed or not napping at all. I am guessing that the previous babysitter resorted to cosleeping out of desperation to get this kid to lay down. you might give him some more time and try and work with him more but you dont have to.

[daycare]

almost every single one of my DCK do not nap at home, but nap here.

how long has the child been with you? are they full time?


Here, napping is not an option. I have kids that are PT that try to pull the stunt of not napping, but it does not work. I am firm and tell them, it is time to close your eyes and go to sleep. If I see their eyes open, I remind them, close your eyes please. I play music and shut all of the blinds.

EVERYONE naps. they know that there is no other option. I would move this child to a part of the house that he can scream all he wants, but will not wake the others.

My floor plan allows me to use my front part of my hallway and still be able to see all of the kids. The other kids are not woken by anyone screaming, so it works out great. Sometimes it takes a work, Full timers maybe a full week and part timers 2 weeks or less.

I would put my foot down and NO books. Do the same thing consistently each and every time.

don't give him a book one day
tv one day
then the next say you need to nap.

NO other options. allowing them to have other options will only prolong the NO napping.

[daycarediva]

If it were me, I would extend my trial period and tell the parents that you will be working on nap because it's disruptive to the other children in care.

I would put him down wherever he is in sight but separated from the group THEN I would do the redirect back to nap mat, only use the same minimal verbal cue ( "it's rest time dcb") and rinse and repeat. My toughest kid was a 2 yo boy who NEVER napped unless he was in a carseat---since INFANCY. *cringe* By 3pm without a nap, he was HORRIBLY MISERABLE and dcp's were putting him to bed at 6-7! I saw improvement at 2 weeks, he wasn't sleeping, but he was laying down with less reminders. By week 3 he was falling asleep after 30minutes or so, and by week 4 he was transitioned to the nap room with the rest of the group. He is almost 4 now, and my best napper!

Dcp's saw the improvement in his behavior at home and now nap him on the weekends as well. His new bedtime is 8.