WHY Do You Have Scheduled Naps And .....

[marniewon]

so, he does go to sleep - but he wakes up before everyone else and then cries wanting out?

how old is he? i mean, if it's a baby in a crib - i'm sure if he wakes up and everyone around is asleep then he'd cry and want out.

if it is a baby, i would get him out and bring him into the living room (or whatever room you're in) and put him in a playpen. he may go back to sleep if he's able to see you. if not, throw some toys in there til the others are finished napping.

He's 14 months. Sometimes he wakes early, sometimes he screams for a while before going to sleep, and sometimes he just won't nap at all. I've made his morning naps earlier and shorter, and made pm rest time a little later. It seemed to help at first, but now it's hit or miss.

[marniewon]

Okay, I'm starting to get what many of you are saying. I shouldn't take it personally because I cannot be all things to all people, and there will be children that I just can't meet their needs for whatever reason. It's not personal, I didn't fail, it's a fact of life that different children have different needs and no one can possibly meet every single need out there.

Wow - thank you to all who, in one way or another, said this! This makes things so much easier. Not completely easy, but easier

[Abigail]

If he is 14 months old, you should cut him back to just one nap a day. All ours starting around 10 months stay awake until 12:30 pm when everyone goes down for a nap. They sleep until 2:30-3:00 and it never fails. They only cry for a few minutes when they first go into a pack n play. When they turn a year old they transition into a floor cot, but when it becomes a power struggle to get them to stay on the mat they will be put into a pack n play for that day and cry a few minutes and then fall asleep. Not the best practice, but if you have a full house and they're still only 12 months or so, they can go back into a pack n play on rough days.

Do you have a web site to visit for your state licensing rules? We are required to offer a rest period of two hours, but we are not required to have them stay in the room or on their cots for two hours. The time was pretty much how you interpreted it because it said something along the lines of an adequate short rest period, but at least two hours must be offered. I think most recommend 30-45 minutes of having to sit on their cot quietly before getting up to do something.

A child that young though really is just disrupting your program. It would be different if it was a 4 or 5 year old not wanting to nap, they should be able to play quietly. It's nice to read your opinion on it though as it is so true all the thoughts you are having. One thing I would recommend is to write down what you tried and how long you stuck with it. You could simply write up a letter with all the details, but I would rather start over if you want to really stick it out and help him. This way, you can have the mom sign it and make sure she knows he doesn't nap. Before trying this method of record-keeping though I would really try just the one nap in the afternoon after lunch.

[BentleysBands]

could it be the room he's in?
i have a dck that can ONLY sleep in a room by himself...for many reasons (liked to play,etc)

i also have a dck that will ONLY lay down for his quiet time with a movie on. which is fine for me

are you able to put him into another room? i use my own kids rooms for the playpens. if thats an option maybe try that.

does child take a monring nap? if so, cut that out and try just 1 x a day

some kids, i have had them all LOL, just do NOT nap other than home. it DOES happen and does not mean anything bad. stressful yes

i would talk to mom and see how he is at home.

and to answer your question: if hes in a room w/others i would just get him up and put in a highchair if younger to confine him to a quiet time. i would want a ton of cranky kids . good luck!

[boysx5]

I use nap time as a break for myself now if I have child that won't nap I don't make them nap I let do puzzles or read a book or watch t.v. as long as they are quiet. Most of kids do nap for two hours I do have one who may only nap an hour and I keep him away from the others in another room so he doesn't wake them up

[mac60]

I have a room for those who take 2 naps a day. The toddlers/preschoolers nap in the daycare room/family room. My nap times are 1 to 3:30, doesn't mean they are asleep at 1, that is just when we start the process. If someone in the daycare room wakes up, they must lay quietly and not disturb others. It doesn't work to let one get up, soon they will all be up then and nap time will have went to hell. Rules apply to all. I do have a family that I have to get up 45 min early to go home at 3. I also have a 3 1/2 yr old that has been very disruptive at nap lately.....he will wake up and start throwing pillows and things on others....he tends to spend the last bit of nap time in TO when he becomes disruptive, I will not allow him to disrupt the group. He is old enough to know better.

[DancingQueen]

have you tried cutting the AM nap?

[marniewon]

have you tried cutting the AM nap?

Yes, I have. He can't do it. He is cranky and screaming/whining/crying all morning long I've made morning nap earlier and shorter and extended pm nap out to a little later time. Usually, by the end of the week, he's okay, the beginning of the week is hell. I think this has everything to do with him not adjusting well from weekend to weekday. Not sure why, he's been here forever.

[MyAngels]

This situation has really got me thinking, and I can definitely see how you would be struggling here. You've had the little guy for over a year now, and you are not sure giving up is the right thing. If you do eventually come to the conclusion that terming is the right thing for you, don't feel badly about it, but I thought I would relate a situation that I had when I didn't take my own advice , as it might give you some hope if you decide not to terminate.

I had a little girl who started as an infant. She was a crier from the very beginning. It didn't matter what I did, she cried at the drop of a hat. The family was related to one of my other daycare families, so terminating really was not an option as it would have created a ripple effect, and I didn't want that. I tried all kinds of work-arounds - swaddling, white noise, dark, cool room, I even rigged a vibrating playpen that worked for awhile - but basically I just steeled myself every day for the crying, and warned the other parents about the situation, so they wouldn't be too concerned when they walked in at all hours to a crying child. My saving grace was the fact that she eventually outgrew the crying. Around 18 months it started to lessen, and by 24 months it was gone completely. When all this was going on was the only time I really questioned whether I wanted to be a daycare provider. The great part about the whole story, though, is that this little girl has turned out to be one of my favorite daycare kids of all time. She is one of the happiest, most polite little girls I've ever known now and I miss her now that she's off to school. I've also had both of her little brothers here, and neither one of them was a crier, both perfect little babies, too, so that has been a bonus!

Just follow your instincts when you make the decision about whether you want to try to stick it out or terminate the relationship, because it can turn out well either way.

[WImom]

I don't make them rest the whole time. The first 45 minutes they rest, then I give the ones awake a few books and they stay on their mat and 'read' for 20 minutes and then I let them up to come in the other room to watch a show or work on quiet stuff (I have a nap time bin). My nap time is 2 hours. The kids that wake up before others can read books unless there is still 30 minutes or so left then I let them get up as well.

I think two hours is a long time to just lay there quiet.

[momma2girls]

Yes, I have. He can't do it. He is cranky and screaming/whining/crying all morning long I've made morning nap earlier and shorter and extended pm nap out to a little later time. Usually, by the end of the week, he's okay, the beginning of the week is hell. I think this has everything to do with him not adjusting well from weekend to weekday. Not sure why, he's been here forever.

I have a 15 month old, that could never do without both naps. He is up at 6:00 am every am- I don't lay down til about 12:30-1:00- he doesn't ever make it to 9:00 am- he is so tired, following me around, whining, etc. he goes right down everyday around 9:00, he still takes another nap at 1:00 for 2-2 1/2 hrs. I have had this plenty of other times as well. Some children, no matter what age still need that am nap.

[marniewon]

Oddest thing today......he took a normal am nap, went down for pm nap at normal time also. Didn't sleep AT ALL, but never once cried. He played quietly and talked to himself for 2 hours - the entire time of my quiet time. When he was ready to get out, he fussed a minute but when I went to get him he was all smiles. Good mood all day, no whining. But then again, almost every Friday is like this...it's the rest of the week that ****s. The week after the 4 day weekend he was a bear all week - never adjusted to dc at all - which makes me think he just can't adjust very well, until later in the week.