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So the other day I decided to switch my little ones (27 month olds) to rest mats. Made them nice and comfy with a fitted sheet, their usual blankets, loveys, etc... I used to work in a center and the kids used to sleep on mats starting at 16 months. We would rub their backs and play soft music and all 12 toddlers would fall asleep. So I did the same thing at my home and they where wild!! I have tried this for 4 days and they just won't sit still and/or be quiet. Nobody has been napping and to tell the truth the parents do not care if I leave them in the pack-n-plays forever. SOOOOOOO, needless to say I feel like giving up to save my sanity and put them back in the pack-n-plays. I am wondering what everyone elses experiences have been with their sleeping arrangements. Also, I am in the process of being registered and what would the inspectors think if I have them in pack-n-plays over the age of 2?
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I you think my hands are full you should see my heart!
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I have a troublesome 2 year old that sleeps great in a PNP. His mom wants me to switch him over and I've attempted to several times. This DCB will NOT stay put on a cot. He thinks he has free run. 9 times in 1 hour he got up. Needless to say, he finally did fall asleep...for 10 whole minutes!
Nap time is too sacred to me so back in the PNP he went. Maybe I'll try again in a few months.
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I think that I would start with the child who is the most easy going with changes. Do one at a time rather than all four. I only take one child under 18 months at a time so I usually am transitioning only one at a time but each child is different. Some go right away and some take small steps. I think having those sides of the pnp as a boundary are comforting to some so it may take some time to get used to them being gone.
The last one I transitioned did really well going from pnp to mat (as long as he's in the little cubby area of my bedroom floor vs open floor space) but now I'm trying to transiion him upstairs with the other kids because he's 2 now and it's been quite a process.Comment
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Are you required to change anything to be registered? Otherwise, I am of the camp to use that PNP until you absolutely can't. My own kids sleep in there own big kid beds from 12 months on but I have yet to find a family that does this before 2, sometimes 3 years old. I don't try and make them nap on a mat unless I know for sure that they have transitioned at home because otherwise, its just too much work for me. I also have the luxury of having enough space where everyone is in there own room in there own PNP. I realize some people have to work with one area and that forces a new scenario with nap times.Comment
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It sounds like she is not ready to stay still. I would put her back to pnp and try again in a few months. I have 26 months old dcg who is still sleeping in pnp.Comment
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All of mine sleep in PNP's until 12 mos. old. After that, they are on a mat/cot. I guess I have no idea who sleeps in what at home, but here, they transisition to cots on first birthday. It takes a few days but so far so good with the last 5 or 6 littles I have had to transisition.Comment
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my worry is that they will be crawling around and getting into trouble. I have a small house, and the babes sleep in one of the 3 bedrooms. I don't want them pulling out toys or anything.
Once I can sleep them on a mat without them crawling off before or after nap then they are in pnp. I can usually tell when they are ready for the mat just by how they wake up and fall asleepComment
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I start the transition anywhere from 12 mo to 16. Some kids are better nappers than others and can handle the distractions of group napping better. I don't take my eyes off of them (literaly) and they evenutaly get board and fall asleep.Comment
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Wondering if it would be easier to transition one child at a time?Comment
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I went out and bought those flip sofas that turn to little slumber beds. Walmart had them on sale for $35 each!! Each of my toddlers have their own all in a row allong with their own blanket. Usually witin 15 minutes they dose off together. Now waking all together is a dif thing. If a parent isnt coming early and waking them all the my youngest will wake early and wake them all. I usually get 1 1/2 hrs sleep (the toddlers do not me
). My 2 1/2 yr old would sleep 3 hours if he could.
So during the day it's a kids soft reading nook in the corner of the living room and afternoon the get lined up for sleep. Working well I think. I put a picture of them all sleeping sweetly in a row in my newsletter and the parents just loved it.Comment
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