What's The Earliest You've Moved to Nap Mats?

[LeslieG]

18 months but he would have probably been ready earlier!

[Heidi]

So....some of you said that your kids slept BETTER after transitioning to a mat. I've got a very feisty 14 mo who sleeps and hour, then parties like a rock star. Screams, yells, throws toys and pacifiers out, etc.

Currently, he sleeps in my room (in a pnp) in the farthest corner, and he does OK with one nap. In fact, he seems to sleep a little better with one. I used to have the other 14 mo in the same room, but he would wake and/or keep her up.

You're basically saying if I move him to a cot, he may do better? If I did that, he'd have to be in the same room as my big kids. What are the chances he'll let them sleep? They are awesome nappers now.

I am "home" style, btw. I don't stay in the room with anyone, nor do I want to. Each kid currently has their own room and their own bed and I only go in when nap is over or if someone is totally freaking out (something's wrong). Problem is, my group may be growing and I'm running out of rooms.

[Annalee]

I move them at 12 months because that is when I am allowed to.

Mats take up less real estate than cribs and are easier to disinfect. happyface

We are all in the same room and the little kids love to join the big kids (often sibling groups).

I transition to mats at 12 months as well.

[melilley]

So....some of you said that your kids slept BETTER after transitioning to a mat. I've got a very feisty 14 mo who sleeps and hour, then parties like a rock star. Screams, yells, throws toys and pacifiers out, etc.

Currently, he sleeps in my room (in a pnp) in the farthest corner, and he does OK with one nap. In fact, he seems to sleep a little better with one. I used to have the other 14 mo in the same room, but he would wake and/or keep her up.

You're basically saying if I move him to a cot, he may do better? If I did that, he'd have to be in the same room as my big kids. What are the chances he'll let them sleep? They are awesome nappers now.

I am "home" style, btw. I don't stay in the room with anyone, nor do I want to. Each kid currently has their own room and their own bed and I only go in when nap is over or if someone is totally freaking out (something's wrong). Problem is, my group may be growing and I'm running out of rooms.

Some do better on a cot/mat and others don't. For your 14 mo. old, you'll probably have to just do it one day and see. I have a child who I put on a cot and it sometimes takes him forever to go to sleep and other times he goes right to sleep. I'm like you, I don't sit in the room with the kids either. I have 3-4 who sleep in the same room from 18 mo. to 3 yrs. When I worked in the center, the kids that were tougher to put to sleep, eventually saw the other children and followed suit and were easy after a while, but then there were other people there to help.

I have the youngest child he is 23 mo. now) go to sleep first and then the other 2 or 3 older kids (depending on who is here) go in about a half hour after. It seems to work out well, but they all usually sleep. If my two oldest go in at the same time as the 23 mo. old, it takes them forever to fall asleep that's why I have the two different nap times. Sometimes my ds wakes up crying and sometimes the other kids wake up and other times not. Hope this makes sense. It did in my head...

[e.j.]

So....some of you said that your kids slept BETTER after transitioning to a mat. I've got a very feisty 14 mo who sleeps and hour, then parties like a rock star. Screams, yells, throws toys and pacifiers out, etc.

Currently, he sleeps in my room (in a pnp) in the farthest corner, and he does OK with one nap. In fact, he seems to sleep a little better with one. I used to have the other 14 mo in the same room, but he would wake and/or keep her up.

You're basically saying if I move him to a cot, he may do better? If I did that, he'd have to be in the same room as my big kids. What are the chances he'll let them sleep? They are awesome nappers now.

I am "home" style, btw. I don't stay in the room with anyone, nor do I want to. Each kid currently has their own room and their own bed and I only go in when nap is over or if someone is totally freaking out (something's wrong). Problem is, my group may be growing and I'm running out of rooms.

I've had several kids who turned out to be better nappers once they were allowed to nap on mats. You won't know until you try it, though. When I try them out on mats for the first time, I have them nap right by me so I can supervise closely. Some kids settle in right from the start. Others, who weren't quite ready, sit up, talk and try to get up and walk around. After the first 1 or 2 warnings from me, they go right back into the port-a-crib and we try again another time. Evnetually, they learn to settle right down and fall asleep quickly.