Please Help Napping Issues

[lvt77]

I have a napping policy at my DC.
I operate 12 hour days and am the only one here
Nap time is 1-3 and the only time I get a break, eat lunch and catch up on cleaning...

The other day one of my dcp came to me and said i dont want my child napping any more... (btw this child is a handfu and is only 2) she wants her to go to bed at night at 6:00pm so she can have her own time to herself....

anyways......
I told her well i have a napping policy as you already know, but I can try to work something out....I also explained how important sleep is to a 2yr old, but that didnt matter...
So this was my suggestion....all kids will be required to lay down on a mat to rest...after 45 minutes if a child has not fallen asleep then I will pass out a book to them and allow them to quietly read....BTW right now all of my kids sleep.... They will get to keep their book as long as they can stay queitly on their mat and read. No distrubing the other kids....well this kid cant do this...
so then mom said well if she falls asleep, then no more than a 30min nap and wants me to wake her.... we have a shared sleeping space on mats so how do i do this without waking all the other kids.....

I dont know what to do........any suggestions what do you do?? am i being selfish for wanting a break while they are napping
??

[nikia]

I have a napping policy at my DC.
I operate 12 hour days and am the only one here
Nap time is 1-3 and the only time I get a break, eat lunch and catch up on cleaning...

The other day one of my dcp came to me and said i dont want my child napping any more... (btw this child is a handfu and is only 2) she wants her to go to bed at night at 6:00pm so she can have her own time to herself....

anyways......
I told her well i have a napping policy as you already know, but I can try to work something out....I also explained how important sleep is to a 2yr old, but that didnt matter...
So this was my suggestion....all kids will be required to lay down on a mat to rest...after 45 minutes if a child has not fallen asleep then I will pass out a book to them and allow them to quietly read....BTW right now all of my kids sleep.... They will get to keep their book as long as they can stay queitly on their mat and read. No distrubing the other kids....well this kid cant do this...
so then mom said well if she falls asleep, then no more than a 30min nap and wants me to wake her.... we have a shared sleeping space on mats so how do i do this without waking all the other kids.....

I dont know what to do........any suggestions what do you do?? am i being selfish for wanting a break while they are napping
??

Ummm heck no you are not being selfish. If anything the mom is, she doesnt see her child all day and then wants to be done with her by 6pm. That just makes me angry.

I would tell the mom I am sorry but she is two and she will take a nap, that is my policy. If she doesnt like it she can try and find somewhere that wouldnt require a nap but I know in my area most daycares do require a naptime.

Dont let yourself get burnt out because a parent doesnt want to spend time with thier child. And for heaven sakes she is only two it's not like shes 4.

[kitkat]

I can't imagine a 2 year old not napping. I don't wake kids up from nap early. They sleep until they wake on their own or I have to get them up b/c nap time is done. If you want to keep your policy as is, then that's what you need to tell dcm. If she doesn't like it, then she needs to look elsewhere. Naptime is sacred here. Everyone needs a rest, kids and provider alike.

[lvt77]

I guess I feel that I need to respect her wishes because this is one of my best clients...who has also brought me a lot of business and does a lot for me....very loyal

Of all of my kids this is the only one that I would not want to lose. I have a good relationship with the parents....

[nikia]

I guess I feel hesitant to not comply because this is one of my best clients...who has also brought me a lot of business and does a lot for me....very loyal

Of all of my kids this is the only one that I would not want to lose. I have a good relationship with the parents....

Then I think you have to decide if this is a battle you want to fight. I would not keep a child up, naptime is my only down time of the day. Like I said before she is 2, she is still growing and I am sure playing hard during the day, rest is important. If you dont want to lose her then you will probably have to do what the parent asks of you.

[nannyde]

The other day one of my dcp came to me and said i dont want my child napping any more... (btw this child is a handfu and is only 2) she wants her to go to bed at night at 6:00pm so she can have her own time to herself....

Well you have one thing going for you. The parent is being honest. She is telling you that she wants to make sure she gets an early and easy bed time and it's on you to make that happen. She doesn't like being around the kid when he is awake and she wants you to make sure she doesn't have to be. Keeping a two year old all day will definitely accomplish what she is after.

Best thing to do is to tell her you would be happy to do this and the no nap fee is an additional ten dollars per hour for the two hours of nap time. The money needs to be paid in advance on Friday for the upcoming week. She just needs to tell you how many hours per day she would like him to "no nap". Tell her you LOVE to make extra money and that you hope he starts the "no nap" plan soon.

She needs to learn that "easy and early" is EXPENSIVE.

[lvt77]

you made me laugh so hard.....
Tell her you LOVE to make extra money and that you hope he starts the "no nap" plan soon

[sahm2three]

I have a napping policy at my DC.
I operate 12 hour days and am the only one here
Nap time is 1-3 and the only time I get a break, eat lunch and catch up on cleaning...

The other day one of my dcp came to me and said i dont want my child napping any more... (btw this child is a handfu and is only 2) she wants her to go to bed at night at 6:00pm so she can have her own time to herself....

anyways......
I told her well i have a napping policy as you already know, but I can try to work something out....I also explained how important sleep is to a 2yr old, but that didnt matter...
So this was my suggestion....all kids will be required to lay down on a mat to rest...after 45 minutes if a child has not fallen asleep then I will pass out a book to them and allow them to quietly read....BTW right now all of my kids sleep.... They will get to keep their book as long as they can stay queitly on their mat and read. No distrubing the other kids....well this kid cant do this...
so then mom said well if she falls asleep, then no more than a 30min nap and wants me to wake her.... we have a shared sleeping space on mats so how do i do this without waking all the other kids.....

I dont know what to do........any suggestions what do you do?? am i being selfish for wanting a break while they are napping
??

Not being selfish at all. Nap time is break time. It's her kid, she needs to deal with her at night! Ask her if she would be willing to work a 12 hour day with NO breaks. I doubt she would!

[lvt77]

how does this letter sound starting out?

Since I am the only employee here, I have no one to relive me for a break. With working 12 plus hour days, I have to make time for myself to take a break and rejuvenate, take care of any necessary paperwork and clean. This is one of the reason there is a required napping policy.

[nannyde]

how does this letter sound starting out?

Since I am the only employee here, I have no one to relive me for a break. With working 12 plus hour days, I have to make time for myself to take a break and rejuvenate, take care of any necessary paperwork and clean. This is one of the reason there is a required napping policy.

Nope

All that does is give her room to give you suggestions on what to DO with him while you do the paperwork, break, etc. He's hard for HER to handle at night but since she's paying you for the time you really should be able to do that many hours straight.

The best way to cure it is to charge for it. Either that or have a "I don't provide services to children who don't NEED a full afternoon nap". If you have any variation of that... trying to get the parent to agree with the napping you will most likely be negotiating this a lot. Attaching money to it stops it really quick.

[Cat Herder]

Nope

All that does is give her room to give you suggestions on what to DO with him while you do the paperwork, break, etc. He's hard for HER to handle at night but since she's paying you for the time you really should be able to do that many hours straight.

The best way to cure it is to charge for it. Either that or have a "I don't provide services to children who don't NEED a full afternoon nap". If you have any variation of that... trying to get the parent to agree with the napping you will most likely be negotiating this a lot. Attaching money to it stops it really quick.

Could not agree more! Firm NO or a firm fee scale. Offer no wiggle room or you will be dancing to her tune from now on .

[Live and Learn]

Don't send the note....
Keep putting lil one down for the afternoon nap. If parent brings it up again emphasize just how very tired the child is and that every child goes down for an afternoon nap in your care.....then give the blank stare and awkward silence.

I don't like this parent and I haven't even met her!!! Who keeps a kid in daycare all day and then wants them in bed by 6:00?! That really chaps my hide!

[Unregistered]

Invite mom to use her lunch hour to remove her child from your care during rest time.

[sahm2three]

Don't send the note....
Keep putting lil one down for the afternoon nap. If parent brings it up again emphasize just how very tired the child is and that every child goes down for an afternoon nap in your care.....then give the blank stare and awkward silence.

I don't like this parent and I haven't even met her!!! Who keeps a kid in daycare all day and then wants them in bed by 6:00?! That really chaps my hide!

THIS!

AND, I have a few 2 year olds in care, and NONE of them would make it thru the day with no nap! They play HARD. Whether I allowed it or not, they would fall asleep! Some play so hard that they are falling asleep in their lunches!

[lvt77]

I tired telling DCM that she will have to lay down no matter what and guess what every time she falls asleep, but then she wants me to wake her......ugh WTH....
I told DCM that if the child falls asleep and always the first one to do so then obviously the child needs it.....Oh yeah and when the child gets woken up when not ready the child freaks out and acts as if the devil as possed them... NO JOKE... one time the child ran out of conrtol and threw their body into my sliding glass window...lucky nothing happened then....ugh what to do what to do..... I need to win this battle but politely