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My first daycare girl starts Monday and I am trying to get a schedule figured out. She is 17 months and I have a 14 month old of my own. My son usually eats breakfast at 8am, naps at 10am, lunch at noon, and pm nap at 3pm. Is that a normal schedule to use for the daycare girl too? At what age should I switch them to one nap a day? Also, the mom informed me that the only way her child will take a nap is if she is put down with milk. I have a no food/drink rule in the carpeted areas in my home. Should I tell the mom that she will have to nap without her milk? Eeek, I am all confused.
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I've been doing daycare for almost 9 months now and I watch almost exclusively infants and toddlers. I have found that it's easiest to start out from the very first day doing meals at all our regular times. Naps are harder, but I do try to have everyone napping all together if at all possible. This might mean that for the first few days, you have to keep her up longer than usual (or do it in stages) to get her napping on the schedule you want everyone on.Hee hee! Look, I have a signature! -
I would adjust the new dcg to your current schedule. And I never put kids to bed with any cup or bottle. I will feed before naps, but not ever in their beds.Comment
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I would ask the Mom what the current schedule is. You know your son's schedule, so she may know her daughter's too. She may already be on one nap/day. It usually happens between 14-18 months (12 months if encouraged). I would start out by following the girl's schedule as closely as reasonable for the first week. Then start making gradual adjustments. If you try to make drastic changes she may just get overtired and then you will have a crabby child on your hands that won't sleep at all. I don't know if she has been in child care before or not, but if not, that is a huge change. Even if she has, it is still a change, she will need time.
As far as the milk to sleep, I would just tell the mom that is not something you are willing to do, it is against your rules/policies (yet another adjustment for the girl). You can always throw in the "have you talked to the Dr. for other suggestions on how to put her to sleep?" I know that going to sleep with milk is bad for the teeth, so that way maybe the doctor would talk to her about it for at home too! You may have a rough time for the first few days, but she will get used to not having her milk. Just sit with her, pat/rub her back, have lullaby music on. Hopefully you will just have her so worn out she will just fall right to sleep!
I do exclusively infants and toddlers too. Our schedule for toddlers goes like this:
8:30 breakfast
9:30 diapers
9-10 play time, art, activities, etc.
10 Gross motor, outdoor
11:15 diapers
11:30 lunch
12 nap (usually they are all up by 2, but I have good night sleepers)
2 diapers
2:30 snack
WI requires diapers every 2 hours at least(unless sleeping) and to offer food every 3 hours.
For infants I just write that we will follow the infants cues for eating and sleeping and shortly after they turn one I will encourage just one nap a day.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.Comment
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they will learn different rules for daycare and home. Here I keep everyone on the same schedule as much as possible. By about 11 mo they are usually off bottle, by 13-15 mo they are on a cot and out of a crib. So her laying down with milk would be a non issue for here.
4:30-7 arrival & family interaction
child’s choice cooperative play
7:00 bathroom & diapers
7:30 morning songs and sharing
8:00 child’s choice gross motor play or games
8:30 bathroom & diapers
9:00 snack
9:30 group activity & foundation skills
10:00 child’s choice rotated center items & bathroom/diapers
10:30 child’s choice gross motor play
11:00 literacy language development
11:30 social sharing, lunch
12:00 bathroom & diapers
12:30 nap time
2:30 bathroom & diapers
2:45 snack
3:00 child’s choice centers & creative expression
3:30 child’s choice decided daily
4:00 bathroom & diapers
4:30 literacy language development
4:45 bathroom & diapers
5:00 family interaction, child’s choice gross motor play
5:00 to close cooperative play child’s choice
This is a general schedule that will be adjusted daily to meet the needs of the children or to take advantage of special activities.Comment
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Most of the kids I have watched have been on 1 nap after they turned a yr. If they need 2 I would try to have them take it right away in the morning so they will be ready for an afternoon nap. I find it easier to just have them start your normal routine right away.Comment
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I think it's good to start at your regular routine except my only concern I have for you is that your child naps in the afternoon at 3pm. Most parents don't like their kid sleeping after 3pm so this is something you should talk to the parents about to make sure that they are ok with it. All of my DC kids are up way before 3pm even the littles so just check in with mom and make sure she's ok with this routine. If theis DC kid is on a similar schedule I don't see a problem.Comment
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I have a 15 month old and a 14 month old little boys, I was told by both Moms that the only way they would go to bed was with a bottle. I have never given them a bottle at my house period and neither boy has had an issue with it. The boys have never asked and I have never offered.Comment
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i think a 3:00 nap is really late.
i'd def. tell the mom the girl isn't going to have milk at nap. it's not healthy and she shouldn't be doing it anyway.Comment
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After a day or two dcg will adjust to your schedule, I'm sure. Although, I agree with the other posters that 3:00 pm is a little late for napping. I would definately not give her milk at nap time though!Comment
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So, I think then what I will do is keep them on the schedule I have for right now and get her used to taking a nap without the milk. Mom said that my son's schedule is normal for her too. And she is picking up between 2:30 and 3pm so it works for now. I never thought 3pm was late, he used to go down at 4pm LOL! Then in a couple weeks I will try to get the kids to start taking one nap a day.Comment
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Definatly adjust to your schedule, At 14 months I start pushing the 1 nap, sometimes it falls back though, with growth spurts and teething, making them extra tired, If my one 14 month old boy needs a morning nap, I do it between 9am-10pm and shoot for a power nap, of 30 minutes, So he will be ready for an afternoon nap.
I would not lay them down with a bottle, But I also would not tell the mother That she is wrong in doing so, I would just state that you don't do liquids in your cribs, its your policy, or just dont say anything at all. Yes we know its bad for teeth, and they shouldnt have milk to go to sleep. But I discourage telling parents how to raise their children, it could just make for an unhappy parent right off the bat. He'll do fine at your house after a couple weeks with no milk, Its going to take him a week or two to really get comfortable at your place anyways, and children know there at different rules at their house VS your house.Comment
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That's great that their schedule and yours are similar (for the late nap). It will really make it easy for you especially if they are picking up the child at or before 3pm.
I agree with posters that say no to milk at nap. I don't do this either here at daycare even at a parent's request. If they ask me why I don't do this I just explain the tooth decay possibilities but more importantly the fact that you have a greater chance of having the child get an ear infection. Remember that our nose, throat and ear cavities are closely connected so giving a child something to drink while they are laying down can lead to some of the liquid entering the ear canal and staying there causing bacteria to grow and giving the child an ear infection. Deffinetely not fun
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I've had kids that were used to bottles during nap, binkies all day and sippies in their hands all day and I just don't do it from day one and never have a problem. I try to keep kids close to their own schedule but usually find after a week or so everyone adjusts to one schedule.Comment
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I have a 12 month old DCB and a 15 month old DCB
8am-8:30am- arrive, breakfest, diaper changes
8:30am-11am- free play in or outside
11am-11:30am- lunch, and diaper changes
11:30am-1:30pm- nap time
1:30pm-2pm- snack, and diaper changes
2pm-5pm- free play in or outside (diaper changes at 3:30)
5pm-5:30pm- diaper changes, clean up, depatureComment
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