How Do You Do Nap Time with Mixed Ages?

[Brookenbrandt]

So I posted on here about a very tired toddler a few weeks ago. I have decided that she needs more sleep than just the one nap in the middle of the afternoon. But this means that I somehow have to get her to sleep while also dealing with her twin sister (18 months old) and my 10 month old son. I am also adding a 2 year old boy to the mix in a few weeks. Today I got her sister to nap with her but I had to put the 10 month old in a pack n play in the next bedroom while I sat with them. He wouldn't sleep, just stood in there and screamed the whole time.

I really don't want to do this extra nap, but we have to because everyone is miserable right now and I think it's a sleep issue. How are you all putting your kids to sleep? Mine won't just lie down by themselves, I have to sit with them until they fall asleep.

Also, how can I address the parents with this issue without making them mad? I know that parents can be sensitive when it comes to any negative issue regarding their children. I don't want them to feel like I am telling them what to do or trying to mess up their schedules.

Help!

[Play Care]

At that age I would probably scrap the AM nap and move the PM nap a little earlier and adjust as she does.
I try not to take kids who still need an AM nap, honestly. I do have an infant right now and it's been a process trying to sleep train him so he can sleep through the other kiddos. I highly doubt he's getting good quality sleep

I would start sleep training all the kids in your care as to what it expected come nap time - that will make your life a lot easier moving forward!

[butterfly]

At that age I would probably scrap the AM nap and move the PM nap a little earlier and adjust as she does.
I try not to take kids who still need an AM nap, honestly. I do have an infant right now and it's been a process trying to sleep train him so he can sleep through the other kiddos. I highly doubt he's getting good quality sleep

I would start sleep training all the kids in your care as to what it expected come nap time - that will make your life a lot easier moving forward!

I agree to just adjusting the afternoon nap.

I would also start adding in some white noise or maybe a radio during naptime to get them used to the other noise going on. I still do that for my older kids, so if someone wakes up early and makes a little noise, it doesn't wake everyone.

[Brookenbrandt]

The parents say she doesn't need an AM nap, but they are bringing her to me exhausted at 9 in the morning. She needs something to change in her sleep schedule. I guess I'll try moving nap time a little earlier. The parents are wanting me to serve them a 9 am breakfast so I guess we'll see how the lunch fits in there.

[butterfly]

The parents say she doesn't need an AM nap, but they are bringing her to me exhausted at 9 in the morning. She needs something to change in her sleep schedule. I guess I'll try moving nap time a little earlier. The parents are wanting me to serve them a 9 am breakfast so I guess we'll see how the lunch fits in there.

I would be having some honest conversations with the parents about what needs to be happening - regular bedtime, breakfast fed before arrival, etc. I wouldn't allow a parent telling ME when breakfast needs to be served. They need to be here when I serve it or wait for the next meal time. I don't have time to adjust my whole day for their one child. They nap during nap time and eat during my meal time. I'm slightly more flexible with infants under age one, but even then I try to get them on my schedule as soon as possible. My business, my rules!

[Unregistered]

Does your 10 month old take 2 naps still? Or is able to go with just one nap?

You could feed breakfast at 9:30, then have naps from 11-1 or 1:30, with lunch afterwards. Or do a small snack at 9, with lunch at 11, and naps from 11:30-2ish.

[NeedaVaca]

When does she go to bed at night, what time does she wake up? This needs to be fixed at home IMO because I don't see any reason for 2 naps at that age. I wouldn't make the other kids take 2 naps just because she is tired.

Do you even serve breakfast? If so, stick to your schedule! There is no reason they can't feed them breakfast before they come, especially if they don't arrive until 9am!

[Crazy8]

biggest mistake…. "the parents want me to"!!! It sounds like maybe you are just starting out?? If so it is important to lay down the rules right from the start - you are a small GROUP daycare. They may be your only clients at the moment but it won't always be that way. You need a schedule (and a contract that states that schedule). You come to my house at 9am you will get snack at 9:15. Breakfast was back at 8am. You can not make accommodations for every family, you'll drive yourself insane.

That said, I do have children who need 2 naps - our morning nap time is from 9am-10/10:30 at the latest. They sleep in bedrooms upstairs but some states don't allow that so check what you are allowed to do. I wake them by 10:30 so that I can get them back down for naps shortly after the bigger kids go down at 12:30/12:45ish.

At 18m and doesn't take 2 naps at home I would transition to one nap and just make nap time for all a little earlier than it normally will be to get her to adjust. Doesn't your 10 month old take 2 naps?? I've never had a baby that young on only 1 nap a day???

But basically you need to make a schedule for your daycare and not let parents dictate their schedules.

[TwinKristi]

It's time to transition to one nap and I would move nap up for everyone gradually over the next couple wks. I have the younger "have to nap" DCKs in pack n plays in the back bedroom and then at nap time we lay mats down and close the blinds and such in the living room. If they nap they need it, if they don't then that's ok and we quietly watch a movie or something. But there is a mandatory rest time after lunch and diapers in the 12-1pm range. Sometimes it's 12-2, 1-3, 1:30-4, 2-3:30... Between 12:30-3 is the average.

At 18mos it's possibly they could need a 2nd nap, but it would have to be really early so that it doesn't effect a PM nap. It could have the opposite effect to add an early nap. If someone needs more sleep and cannot make it to 12 I would look at other ideas completely. Is a parent waking up at 4:30 for work and waking this baby early making it harder for her to make it to 12? Bedtime? I would try and come up with a bigger picture if they just couldn't adjust to a single nap at that age. I have my youngest 12 month old on a single nap here and totally content with that until about noon and then she needs to nap soon. I have a baby starting here in Oct and I'm hoping to put her down early, like 8:30, then again around 12:30-1pm with everyone else. They have a 20 min drive so she may fall asleep on the way here in the morning for a little while. Anyway, I have that as my goal with her schedule.

[Brookenbrandt]

Thanks for all the responses! Yes, I am new at this and yes these are currently my only clients. That is why I am being so accommodating. I am going to stick with the one nap but have been trying to do it a little earlier. My 10 month old has been only napping once a day. I have recently been able to get him to nap at the same time these girls go down. I am not sure how things are going to go when I throw this other 2 year old boy up in the mix. I am sure that we will adapt.

The girls I watch just seem constantly tired and the one just whines all day long. It's pretty annoying for everyone involved so I am trying my best to figure out why she is doing this.

I really need to have a sleep conversation with the parents. At least they need to tell me what time they wake up in the morning. I am just very hesitant to pry too much into it because I don't want to anger them by sounding like I am being negative toward their kids.

I guess what it comes down to is that I need to stick with a schedule and learn some more patience for whining children.