Does This Sound Crazy Or Brilliant?

[Fiddlesticks]

I have been a home daycare provider for 20+ years, and I have always followed a pretty typical schedule: 8 am breakfast, free play, preschool time, outdoor time, 11:30 lunch, nap from 12/12:30-3:00, 3:00 snack, outdoor time until pick up.

But the last few years the kids come to me SO.TIRED. they are cranky and uncooperative (for one if he sits still for two minutes he falls asleep). Lately, it is all I can do to get them to lunch time so we can have nap, lunch has been creeping earlier and earlier to where we are now eating at 11 and some of the children are falling asleep during that.

So I have been kicking around the idea of turning my schedule upside down. The children will wait for breakfast until 9 (they all have something on the way over so breakfast has typically been poorly eaten so this change should not be an issue) and then go down for nap at 10, lunch will be served at 1:00 and then we will have preschool time, snack will move back to 3:30 then outdoors. The children should go home a little less hungry and maybe more ready for bed at the 6:30-7 parents these days seem to insist on (which leads to a 5 am wake up time and very tired kids for me…) I think it would work REALLY well for the littles transitioning to one nap, and for the infants, they would likely be soundly asleep for their second nap during our preschool time, which is another win.

Is this crazy? Brilliant? Has anyone tried this?

[mamamanda]

If your kids would go down that early I think it would be awesome. I've got a couple that mom drags out of bed at 8:00 & carries them to the car to come so they'd never nap that early, but if yours will I'd go for it! I would love that schedule if my kids were up for it.

[Blackcat31]

I have been a home daycare provider for 20+ years, and I have always followed a pretty typical schedule: 8 am breakfast, free play, preschool time, outdoor time, 11:30 lunch, nap from 12/12:30-3:00, 3:00 snack, outdoor time until pick up.

But the last few years the kids come to me SO.TIRED. they are cranky and uncooperative (for one if he sits still for two minutes he falls asleep). Lately, it is all I can do to get them to lunch time so we can have nap, lunch has been creeping earlier and earlier to where we are now eating at 11 and some of the children are falling asleep during that.

So I have been kicking around the idea of turning my schedule upside down. The children will wait for breakfast until 9 (they all have something on the way over so breakfast has typically been poorly eaten so this change should not be an issue) and then go down for nap at 10, lunch will be served at 1:00 and then we will have preschool time, snack will move back to 3:30 then outdoors. The children should go home a little less hungry and maybe more ready for bed at the 6:30-7 parents these days seem to insist on (which leads to a 5 am wake up time and very tired kids for me…) I think it would work REALLY well for the littles transitioning to one nap, and for the infants, they would likely be soundly asleep for their second nap during our preschool time, which is another win.

Is this crazy? Brilliant? Has anyone tried this?

That is pretty much how I run my day (no breakfast until 9am) but I did not swap nap and lunch time. Instead our morning time (before 9am) is quiet time for those that need it or free play for those that don't.

If someone is tired and cranky when they arrive, they go to the quiet room/area and lay down until they are either ready to join the others or until breakfast at 9am. I have a couple (one preschooler and one toddler) that sleep in the mornings every single day and it seems to make a difference as the days when I haven't had them go back down (for whatever reasons) have been awful so now I make a conscious effort to have those that need it go lay down.

Lunch is still at 11:30 and rest time is from 12:30-3:00 pm.

So not exactly like you were thinking of doing but close and so far it works well for me so HTH

[bklsmum]

I have been thinking about doing that with mine once the colder weather comes because it is usually warmer later in the day. I think you should go for it and let us know how it works out.

[Fiddlesticks]

I don't even open until 7, and most children arrive between 7:30 and 8, I don't feel like they should be THIS tired so early, but it has been a nightmare lately. All of the parents try to put the kids to bed between 6:30 and 7 (which....what? but not my business...) and they say the kids were up and down all night and up for good between 5 and 5:30. I have suggested multiple times that the children probably are not ready for bed at 6:30, but it is not changing so I guess I need to change.

I am definitely going to give it a try when the school agers go back to school. Selfishly, I prefer the busy morning/quick afternoon that the later nap gives me, but my patience for whiny, unacceptable behavior has reached its end and I need to do something different.

Probably what will happen is the children will now be ready for an early bedtime, and ready to participate in the mornings, and nap time will become a struggle instead of the piece of cake it is now! ::

[Annalee]

I have breakfast at 7:30....done by 8:00. Lunch at 10:30 and nap at 11:30....all are asleep by 12:00 and get up at 2:00. Snack at 2:15....

[laundrymom]

My worry would be, what happens when this group ages out? Are you wanting to go back to typical schedule? Or stay on this.
Personally, I adjust the schedule for myself. I tweek daily to meet needs but the flopped schedule would have to work for me for it to be considered here I do snack between 9&930
Lunch between 11&1230
And a supper at 4:05.

They seem to not be hungry as much as before and I don't waste food for breakfasts. I serve milk and fruit/cereal/cheese or yogurt for what I claim as snack on FP but we call it bfast for the kids.
Then lunch is served when they seem ready for it. If they're playing well and not fighting I hold it to 1230.
I then serve a single helping meal with all dinner meal components at 4:05.
The kids go home with more in their bellies, giving mom or dad more time to get dinner for them.
It works for us.
I'm interested in how this works out for you should you choose to flip your day. I am curious how the parent reaction goes. Keep us updated.

[daycarediva]

That is pretty much how I run my day (no breakfast until 9am) but I did not swap nap and lunch time. Instead our morning time (before 9am) is quiet time for those that need it or free play for those that don't.

If someone is tired and cranky when they arrive, they go to the quiet room/area and lay down until they are either ready to join the others or until breakfast at 9am. I have a couple (one preschooler and one toddler) that sleep in the mornings every single day and it seems to make a difference as the days when I haven't had them go back down (for whatever reasons) have been awful so now I make a conscious effort to have those that need it go lay down.

Lunch is still at 11:30 and rest time is from 12:30-3:00 pm.

So not exactly like you were thinking of doing but close and so far it works well for me so HTH

same schedule pretty much. I have two that come and lay down/fall asleep until breakfast. If they're exhausted (and they are most days) I do stories during lunch and by 12-12:15 they're all on mats and mostly asleep.

[littletots]

Usda food program states meals no closer than 2hrs, no greater than 3 hrs. Your breakfast lunch would fall outside guidelines. If not on program and don't need to follow guidelines great. Totally give it a try. I would!

[Play Care]

Usda food program states meals no closer than 2hrs, no greater than 3 hrs. Your breakfast lunch would fall outside guidelines. If not on program and don't need to follow guidelines great. Totally give it a try. I would!

I asked my program rep this and she said we had no rules about times between meals.

[CraftyMom]

I would try it and see how it goes

[Fiddlesticks]

My only requirements are that I offer food every four hours in care. If I serve their snack at 9:30 instead I would have the same gap I currently have.

As far as flipping this schedule just for this group... Well, I kind of would be, but when they age out it is not so much of a concern because the littles would already be used to the schedule as they grow. The more I think about it the more heavenly it sounds to make lunch in peace while they are napping! Plus, I almost always have a parent get here a little early while I am getting everyone up and changing diapers, it seems like such a hectic end of nap time, if nap ended in the middle of the day that whole wake up thing would be more leisurely (I am always waking at least one child at 3).

I mentioned this in passing to one dcm who has a 4 yo and a 15 mo and she thought it would be awesome. At home her 15 mo goes down for nap at 10 and sleeps until 2!! Here I have been trying to get her down to one nap but she cannot make it until after lunch.

[Fiddlesticks]

I am going to start it the day after Labor Day (school starts!!) and I will let you all know how it goes.

[Play Care]

I'll be honest, when I see a need for a schedule change I just do it. I don't tell the parents - even on my posted schedule it says it big letters at the bottom "schedule subject to change without notice"

People don't like change and parents are no exception ::I find when I tell them about minor things before hand they feel as though they have a say

So if you feel the need to make changes, do it! I'm all about anything that makes my day run more smoothly

[Annalee]

I'll be honest, when I see a need for a schedule change I just do it. I don't tell the parents - even on my posted schedule it says it big letters at the bottom "schedule subject to change without notice"

People don't like change and parents are no exception ::I find when I tell them about minor things before hand they feel as though they have a say

So if you feel the need to make changes, do it! I'm all about the hat makes my day run more smoothly

I agree with this, my times in pp are ballpark figures....if the kids are extra tired like on Mondays we may nap earlier or even longer....I don't discuss this with parents....IT IS MY DAYCARE