Afternoon Nap/Quiet Time

[slim]

I care for 6 children. Ages 18 month - 4 years. All of the kids nap from 1:00 - 3:30. I usually have to wake all children when I get them up. Some take 5 minutes and others take 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Well, one of the kids, who is almost 3 is now having trouble sleeping thru the night and keeps waking up saying he wants to get up and go watch TV. So his Mom wants me to cut out or down his nap. "On the weekends they don't nap him and he sleeps just fine thru the night." Come Monday, he is a grumpy, whiney, mess and is yawning all day long. I have been monitoring his naps and he is falling asleep around 1:30 and waking at 3ish.

I have 2 - 4 year olds that nap the same time and both sleep thru the night. Do you think this is a new found independence that he is experiencing and trying to exert overnight or is it the Nap?

What to say to the Mom? I know Centers require even the Pre-K kids to have quiet time for 1.5 hours.

[grandmom]

Kids need a break.

I tell parents they don't have to nap, but they have to be quiet on their mats. They can have books the whole time. If they fall asleep, they needed the nap.

Maybe wake him up a little earlier.

Personally, I think this mom just wants an early bed time.

You need a break from the kids too. Don't short change yourself.

[nannyde]

Tell her that your rates are based on all children having a full afternoon nap. If she would like a "no nap" service or a "short nap" service then the fee will be ten dollars per hour for every hour she would like him up at nap. Just let you know what hours that will be that will work best for HIM and you will oblige. Payment must be made in advance every day.