Nap Time Woes...

[KDC]

I have a 12 month old DCB, and I'm having a difficult time getting him on a nap schedule, and the DCP's are NOT helping. He's here 4 days a week (Thurs. day off). His napping has been off schedule and I've tried asking the parents for some help, but they're clueless. My ideal would be a 9 am nap, and a 1pm nap. This would allow me to spend time with the preschool age children on crafts and games and curriculum without the 12 month old whining to be held or getting in the way. Then the 1:00 nap, when other children are sleeping to keep up with clean-up, and finish chores. I believe this is age appropriate.

Issue: Parent keeps napping child before arrival, so he sleeps for 1/2 hour and arrives here 8:30. I asked her to try to keep child up, so he can have a 9:00 nap, but she repeatedly naps him before dropping him off. Because he's had a shortened nap so early, he really needs a nap before 1, which of course screws up bus pick-up time for the kindergartners & lunch. So at 1, he's horribly over tired and screams for about 1/2 hour before passing out, then rarely takes a good nap leaving the afternoon to deal with a cranky baby. They're of course the LAST ones to pick-up every day (I close at 5:30, and they arrive at 5:29 & 30 seconds...EVERY day) Between 4:45 and 5:30 his just basically a hot mess and needs to be held constantly (not a small child), especially frustrating during pick-ups.

Her solution... he's ready for 1 nap. NOOOOoOOO He's only 12 months old, and based on his behavior, he's definitely NOT ready for 1 nap?

How much influence should a parent have in the napping of their children while at daycare? Terming is not really an option, as he's 4 days a week and I have several children with the 'summer' off for teacher's kids and my income will already be compromised. I really want to work WITH the parent to have him become a healthy sleeper.

WWYD?

[Meyou]

I would term unless she agreed to keep him up in the morning so he could nap a full morning nap with me.

[daycarediva]

Tell her that your shedule is nap at 9 & nap at 1. I would explain it just like you did to us, when he doesn't nap here in the morning, he gets overtired and is miserable. It's obvious to me that he requires two naps. For me to make this situation work, I have to have you NOT nap him before arrival. If he refuses his 9am nap, I will be calling for you to pick up, as I cannot care for a child who is so sleepy it disrupts the entire day.

I WOULD start putting him down for a nap everyday at drop off. Even if she already napped him, he obviously needs more then a 30 minute cat nap. I would also rather he cry for a bit in the AM, get some good rest in, and be ready for a nap at 1 then crying/napping before everyone else.

[lovemykidstoo]

He's napping at 8:30 in the morning? What time does he get up? Even 9:00 seems early if he's up at 6 or 7 a.m.

[KDC]

He's napping at 8:30 in the morning? What time does he get up? Even 9:00 seems early if he's up at 6 or 7 a.m.

It depends, they have no schedule, so it's different every day.. most days she says he's up about 5:45. I truly believe she wants to use the extra 'time' to get ready for work in the morning without entertaining or carrying him around. I've mentioned how difficult my day is, and she doesn't seem to care :confused: He's been difficult since he was an infant (breast fed, wouldn't take a bottle), Colicky, just keep thinking it's gonna get better, but nope! He's got a full mouth of teeth including eye teeth and molars arriving now. I just got an inquiry for a full time 2-1/2 yr. old...hoping all works out. Would hate to term, have never done it before. I hate to see him (and me) so stressed all the time.

[cheerfuldom]

replace him.

you already did what you could in trying to adjust him to your schedule and trying to get mom on board. there is nothing else you can do. sure he would eventually grow out of this but it could be 6 months or more.

[Meyou]

He's napping at 8:30 in the morning? What time does he get up? Even 9:00 seems early if he's up at 6 or 7 a.m.

For my littles that take a morning nap it's more an extension of their night's sleep. They get woken up to eat and come here so they often go back to bed almost right away. If they were home they would sleep until 8 or so and not need the morning nap.

[lovemykidstoo]

For my littles that take a morning nap it's more an extension of their night's sleep. They get woken up to eat and come here so they often go back to bed almost right away. If they were home they would sleep until 8 or so and not need the morning nap.

That's why I was wondering what time he was getting up and I guess whether he woke up on his own or mom woke him up to get a better picture of his morning. I had one that got up at 7:00, here by 8:00 and mom wanted him to have a nap immediately. He went to bed at 7:00 at home. I got him off the morning nap right away because first of all, I figured he didn't really need a nap at 8:00 when he got here because he just slept 12 hours and secondly, it screwed up his nap that he took with all of the other kids.

[countrymom]

change your closing time for them to 5pm, so either they will leave on their own or they will pick up early so you don't have to deal with him. Also don't be afraid to call them either, when you have had enough call mom to come and get him. I had to do this, I can only do so much but when I started to get snide remarks from other parents about the crying when they would pick and drop off I knew I had to do something.

[DaisyMamma]

Issue: Parent keeps napping child before arrival, so he sleeps for 1/2 hour and arrives here 8:30. I asked her to try to keep child up, so he can have a 9:00 nap, but she repeatedly naps him before dropping him off. Because he's had a shortened nap so early, he really needs a nap before 1, which of course screws up bus pick-up time for the kindergartners & lunch. So at 1, he's horribly over tired and screams for about 1/2 hour before passing out, then rarely takes a good nap leaving the afternoon to deal with a cranky baby. They're of course the LAST ones to pick-up every day (I close at 5:30, and they arrive at 5:29 & 30 seconds...EVERY day) Between 4:45 and 5:30 his just basically a hot mess and needs to be held constantly (not a small child), especially frustrating during pick-ups.

Your daycare, your rules. If DCPs don't like your rules they can go somewhere else.
What you are dealing with sounds like nothing short of a complete nightmare. I would be extremely stressed out by what you explain and there is no reason you should have to spend your days like this.
You're going to have to tell her to stop napping him in the morning or he can't come. period. It's not easy to tell her that, but what she is doing to you is not easy, or fair. It's completely disrespectful. She probably doesn't understand how much it is really ruining your day, so make sure you explain it to her so that she fully understands.
If he acts like he is still getting morning naps then just start calling her to pick up when he starts acting like that. You shouldn't have to deal with it. It's her mess.

[lovemykidstoo]

You really do have to go with your rules.

I wrote on here quite awhile ago about a dcb that I had nap issues with. With the dcb that I had morning nap issues with, he was in bed by , up by 7 and here by 8. Mom wanted him to have a nap immediately. I did comply for awhile until it was clear that he was not going to take the 1:00 nap. So I stopped the morning nap and just toughed it out for about a month. It would be a lousy morning because he was so crabby, but after a month he got so he figured out that he wasn't going to take a morning nap and then take a great 1:00 nap. Sometimes after a year, they don't need 2 naps. It's hard especially if the naps are so close together. REally if he's getting up close to 6:00, does he really need to go back down before he comes to you at 8:00 or is it just convenient for mom? Maybe bump his nap back to 12:00 and avoid the morning nap. Might be a struggle for a bit, but he will get used to it. To be up by 6:00 and have 2 naps by 1:00 might be too much for him.