Nap Time =(

[DaycareMom]

Hi!

I am wishing to get advice about nap time.

I care for my own children (2 yo boy and 4 yo girl), plus 3 other (3 yo girl, 3 yo boy, and 4 month old).

My children each have their own rooms with bunk beds. Boys in one room, girls in the other, and baby is in my room.

The problem is, the kids are always talking and playing during nap. It gets very frustrating since this is the only time I have all day to eat, clean and whatever else needs to be done.

I am constantly going in telling them to be quiet. The only time they all will nap is if everyone is separated - but I don't have enough rooms for that.

How do you get kids to be quiet and sleep at nap - without sitting there and watching them the whole time?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

[melilley]

Hi! I have a 6 mo (mine), 7 mo old, 18 mo. old and a 2 1/2 year old. The 6 mo. old has a pnp in my room and sleeps as needed, the 18 mo. old has a pnp (parental request) or sometimes uses a cot and the 2 1/2 year old uses a cot, both in my sons room. I put the 18 mo. old in the pnp first and he falls asleep quickly by himself. Then the 2 1/2 year old goes on his cot when the 18 mo. old is sleeping and he too falls asleep quickly. Then my own child sleeps either in his crib or since he is mine, in the family room. I tried to put the 18 mo old and 2 1/2 year old to sleep at the same time, but it was too difficult, they would talk and laugh and not sleep! Things are definitely better since I have them going to sleep at the different times. I would stick it out and sit in there with them and rub/pat backs, but I can't leave the two babies in the family room or playroom by themselves.

[HomeMADE]

I actually sleep everyone except the 10 mo or 12 mo in the daycare room on cots. There is a largeish doorway from the daycare room/old formal living room dining room, to the family room and kitchen. I turn on lullaby's on the speakers from pandora and I start my clean up, lunch, family dinner, ect.

Our Nap time is from 1pm - 3pm, it usually takes them about 10 to 15 minutes to get quiet and or go to sleep.

For me it takes about 3 days for a new DCK to get the hang of it but if I can not hear or see them they will try to stay up. Which makes for a bad 2nd half of the day. So it is worth getting them in a routine.

[NeedaVaca]

I think I'm a lucky one...I line all my pnp & mats in one row in my daycare room with enough space that they can't reach each other, turn on soft music, turn down the lights, say "night night, sweet dreams, no talking" and that's it-they all go to sleep and they are out for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs!

[rmc20021]

I have all my dck's in one room as well, and I stay with them and tell them to close their eyes...usually within 5 minutes they are all out and I can go about my business with what I want to do.

If you leave kids those ages (more than one in a room/area) unattended to go to sleep, it most likely won't happen. None of mine are as young as yours though so I would separate them each into different rooms/areas as possible and they will probably fall asleep quicker.

[Oneluckymom]

I agree that leaving them unattended is probably the issue. I would recommend them being in one room and supervising until they are asleep. It may take a few days for the new adjustment but it should work out better.

[DaycareMom]

I guess I was looking for advice on how to NOT sit and stare at them lay down.

I did do that for awhile and it worked at first. They would fall asleep within 20 mins.

Now that they are used to that, they take at least an hour to fall asleep if they sleep at all.

It is just becoming overwhelmingly frustrating to not have a break during the day - and it seems like such a waste to sit and watch them do nothing.

=(

[NeedaVaca]

I don't sit with my DCK's and the ages range from 12 mth, 18 mth, 2 and 3 yr. I'm not sure what the secret is, maybe they know I mean business . I have been really lucky with good nappers! I do have a video monitor in the room so they all know I can still see/hear them

[Scout]

i have my 20 mo ds and 2 yo dcg in his bedroom. She is still in a pnp because she likes it and he in his crib. I put him in about 10 minutes before her since he falls asleep easier. I once put them in at the same time and he was standing up and they were having a good ol time! Spacing it out a bit helps these two.

In my living room I have two 3 yo boys and 4 yo ds on cots. I make the room dark and they pick a movie and I turn the volume down real low so they have to be quiet to hear(thanks to another member's idea) and usually the 3 yo's will fall asleep...ds once in a blue moon. He has really gotten better at being quiet though while on his cot or he goes and plays elsewhere quietly while they sleep.

[LittleD]

Find out who the ring leaders are and lay them down first. When they fall asleep, get the others in. Thats what I've done for groups of 2-3 in one room

[Little Star75]

I have a 21-month olds dcb, 4-yr old boy and his sister who is 2.5-yrs old and at first I always had my 13-yr old daughter stay in the room with them. Just recently they started sleeping alone, I put lullaby music and turn on speakers so I may hear them when they wake up. At first they were having trouble being alone but now they do great. I just tell them that if they stay quiet i will give them an incentive. So far It has worked for me, by the time they wake up they have forgotten about the incentive.

[boysx5]

I nap all mine in the same room as well I put a movie on and off to sleep they go for at least two hours.

[CedarCreek]

I have found that I have to lay mine down in a certain order for them to not be laying beside their friend that they make mischief with.

It goes:

Oldest dcg who takes forever to fall asleep
Youngest dcb who falls asleep quickly
Oldest dcb who falls asleep better by his brother
2 year old dcb who falls asleep first
My ds who falls asleep last and plays with oldest dcg the most.
Youngest dcg sleeps in a pack n play because she will wander around

Eta: if everyone is laying in this order, they will nap for 2 1/2 hours without me staring at them. I also play music.

[DaycareMom]

None of my kids would go to sleep thinking that the others were up and they were missing out on something.

I guess I am stuck wasting my "break" by watching them - unless someone else has some advice

Thank you all for your input.

[JLH]

Re:

I put my twins (just turned 3 last Friday) in their own bedroom for nap. This is where they ALWAYS sleep and they are very used to it with it being their own room with their own toddler beds. They know what they are expected to do when put to bed and they don't usually mess around. All of the daycare kids sleep in our playroom, on mats or in playpens, depending on age. I also put the kids in the same spots every single time so they are comfortable with that being their nap spot. When we used to have infants, they went to sleep in my 10 year olds room or in my room.

I think the problem may be that you are moving the kids around. Try keeping them in the same exact nap spot every single day.