Need Some Ideas Please

[renodeb]

I just moved to a small town in Montana and a director's position just sort of fell in my lap! I have been looking at the way nap time is being done and it seems to me that it could go better.
The current director has the kids clean up and wash up for lunch 30 minutes before its served and watch a movie with the lights turned down while she makes lunch. When called for lunch they are to put there blanket on there cot and eat, then they are to wash up after lunch and get right on there cots for nap. Lunch is usually served right at noon and done by 12:45 or sooner. The teachers there have to rub the kids backs for a really long time to get them to quiet down and fall asleep. Almost everyday a story is played through the disc player (it's really loud) for the kids to listen to while trying to calm down and rest. Sometimes she plays sleepy music but super loud. Today I turned it down but I don't want to offend the current director. She is leaving in 3 weeks.
I feel like there maybe one more thing we could do with the kids before they lay down that would allow them to "let down" a bit more instead of going straight to a nap after lunch.
Im gladly looking for ideas. I hate to change to much but I just can't stop thinking about it. Thanks.

[LysesKids]

I just moved to a small town in Montana and a director's position just sort of fell in my lap! I have been looking at the way nap time is being done and it seems to me that it could go better.
The current director has the kids clean up and wash up for lunch 30 minutes before its served and watch a movie with the lights turned down while she makes lunch. When called for lunch they are to put there blanket on there cot and eat, then they are to wash up after lunch and get right on there cots for nap. Lunch is usually served right at noon and done by 12:45 or sooner. The teachers there have to rub the kids backs for a really long time to get them to quiet down and fall asleep. Almost everyday a story is played through the disc player (it's really loud) for the kids to listen to while trying to calm down and rest. Sometimes she plays sleepy music but super loud. Today I turned it down but I don't want to offend the current director. She is leaving in 3 weeks.
I feel like there maybe one more thing we could do with the kids before they lay done that would allow them to "let down" a bit more instead of going straight to a nap after lunch.
Im gladly looking for ideas. I hate to change to much but I just can't stop thinking about it. Thanks.

I always have my babes eat, wash hands after then we read a story (it amazes parents that I can get littles to sit in a circle when all are under 2 years old); I then turn down lights and put them down for nap - I play soft ZEN music while the fairy lights twinkle (long story but works well ). The key is low & soft lighting/music after story time

[Cat Herder]

I always (weather permitting) have them go from the lunch table to the playground for 30-60 minutes. I put mats/blankets out while they eat.

Then we come in, potty, wash up, change into PJ's, lay down, lights out, fan/white noise on and I use a spritz of their favorite room spray to set the mood. It is our ritual. (I also have the soft white twinkling christmas lights strung. They love them. )

*Most days we do water/sand/mud play, so they put on their pj's for nap. I wash their clothes and read while they sleep. Most are out cold before I finish tucking the last DCK from the potty in. I have great nappers.

IMHO, they need that outdoor time to burn off the energy from calories at lunch and a little time to go potty before a solid, restful nap.

[CalCare]

I would remove the tv time as that is stimulating.and staff would get mats ready before nap, or kids (but that would be too chaotic for me). Then,I would have them wash hands before they eat. Then eat and mine go directly to the bathroom for washing hands and brushing teeth. Then directly to mats. Mind you, I do have all the lights off and the nap music on before I go to supervise/ do their lunch. So the nap room is already calm as they enter. Mine are 1,1,2,2,2 and school ages that don't go in the nap room with us. They almost all go in and lie down on mats. One of the one year olds still uses the pack n play. One of my two year olds tries funny stuff and eventually gives up and goes to sleep. I give them all back rubs- 2 songs each (that way they sort of know how long they have to wait and don't feel as concerned not knowing if they will get their turn). Sometimes they fall asleep before I get to them, sometimes they're still awake when their two song rub is over, but that's "okay". I go back to the awake ones after everyone gets a turn. Of course the baby in the pack and play gets no back rubs ;( but he gets physical love all day long more than the others as he needs a bit of carrying around and assistance with things at times. The music I play is a Pandora radio station called "nap time" radio. It streams from my phone and plays on a Bluetooth speaker. Sometimes there are annoying commercials. Sometimes I get a phone call and that's annoying because my phone will ring on the speaker- pausing the music! And it's ALWAYS a robo-call not an actual call for anything I care about. But other than that, my naps seem to go really well right now. Oh also my one year old who sleeps on the mat, she's a co-sleeper so if she stirs at all and I'm not sitting there, she has a huge scream which would wake them all. She only comes twice a week, so on her days I just stay next to her and play on my phone. When she stirs, which she always does, she sees me and goes back to sleep. She does that about three times in two hours. I get the impression she sleeps with a boobie practically in her mouth all night.

[Ariana]

We have always done nap right after lunch both at home and when I was in a centre and never had any issues.

In my opinion the music is the problem. In any centre where music is being played it takes the kids a while to fall asleep and there are many more awake. Centres where nothing is on all of the kids sleep. White noise is the best for sleep in my experience. I think playing the music for a few minutes as a signal that it is sleep time is fine but then turn it off.

[LysesKids]

We have always done nap right after lunch both at home and when I was in a centre and never had any issues.

In my opinion the music is the problem. In any centre where music is being played it takes the kids a while to fall asleep and there are many more awake. Centres where nothing is on all of the kids sleep. White noise is the best for sleep in my experience. I think playing the music for a few minutes as a signal that it is sleep time is fine but then turn it off.

If it's the right music it can help littles fall asleep; my uncle composes ZEN CD's that will put people to sleep and as such it actually has a warning on each not to listen while driving - I've used the music for years & all my babes love it because it is so calming... the CD's go by the name Liquid mind

[kendallina]

I would cut the tv time completely if possible. At my preschool we nap in the same room that the children eat in so while they're eating I'm turning down lights, closing curtains, etc. They clean up, go potty when they're done eating and go to their mats with a book while the other children finish up. Once everyone is on their mat, books get put away and I play a book on tape. After that, music. Same calming music everyday. Even I get sleepy as soon as I hear it.... I don't rub backs, but for those that toss and turn I ask them to lay on their belly, which often helps with squirming. If they're still awake after 45 minutes or so, they get a few books or a quiet puzzle. I have ages 3-5.

ETA- I have worked places that played music really loud at nap, I don't get it. I could never sleep with music so loud. I use a fan and soft music and that works for us.

[AmyKidsCo]

I've never worked in a group center so I usually don't "get" why things are done a certain way, but why is the director saying how naptime is done? Wouldn't it make more sense to have the teachers figure out what works best in their rooms?

[renodeb]

All great input. I'm coming from running an in home daycare where I didn't get in the habit of rubbing there backs. The babies had there room and the ones on mats slept on my family room with the shudders closed and the fan on low. Sometimes really low music to try and relax them. It was much different.
In my mind I'm thinking why are they rubbing a 3 year olds back? I sat and rubbed one child's back for 45 minutes. To me that is way to long. Its hard right now because the girl I' am replacing is there until July 31. I would like to change nap time but I don't want it to all fall apart on me. I can't remember how much detail I gave in my original post but I 'am the new girl in town but I have a lot of experience in the cc field. I have touched on this subject with the other teachers but I tread lightly because I don't want them to feel like I 'am bad mouthing the girl who is leaving. The way the dc is set up is that the eating area is around the corner from the dc room.
Sometimes we start laying the kids down as early as 12:30. (to early in my opinion) I think nap should be more like 1:15 - 3:15.
Do you guys think I'm nuts to even think about changing things?
Thanks, Deb

[CalCare]

I start my nap time around 12, some days 12:30. We just go after lunch and my schedule is more what I call a "sequence of events" haha so it's not always the same time on the clock. But anyway, I just don't think that's too early. Maybe you can initiate a change in the duration of backrubs though. Like I said, I do two songs each. Sometimes some fall asleep before I get to them and sometimes I go back to some kids that didn't fall asleep, and give them another two songs. For me, I don't mind the back rubbing, I think it's a bonding time. But I don't let it drag on too long because I do want my break!

[CalCare]

Actually the more I think about what you said before, about changing the way everyone is doing nap, and how things are different in a center.. well, I'm actually thinking you should do things the way You believe is right- your way (for example no back rubs or 2 song back rubs) and not telling anyone else to do that. When you model your way, and you are secure in what you are doing and why, and then people see it works, you're going to start having others copying you. This is how people learn from their co-workers. They see someone with authority, doing something that works, they try it out themselves, it works, and it becomes the new way... Just a thought I was having.

[ellen211]

I usually read bedtime stories. 2-3 stories will do then after that will let them lay down and play a calm bedtime music.

[Jo123ABC]

I found that bumping lunch up to 11/11:30 made for much happier kiddos! They wash and potty prior to eating and wash again after. Then they get to play until about 12:30. That is toy pick-up time. As soon as the toys are cleaned up we read a book and do potty/diapers and down for nap by 1-1:15 I also believe they need some play time after eating.

[kidsncats]

I think providers need to find what works for them. Kids are resilient and will adapt to scheduling changes over several weeks time, sometimes sooner depending on a few different factors. Adults are sometimes slower when adapting. .

My small group has way too much energy after eating lunch to immediately plop down and fall asleep. We have up to an hour of large muscle play and then prepare for the nap. They usually sleep for two hours.