Nap Time Busy Bags

[torontokids]

All my kids are good nappers and I have a separate daycare space in my basement. My 3.5 yo dcb goes asleep without issue however wakes sometimes before the other kids. He is really good and stays on his cot as he is supposed to.

I was thinking about introducing a small bag of things he can do in his cot but do not want to screw up the good thing I have going (he currently is only allowed books with him). Am I just asking for trouble? I just see him getting a little bored on the baby monitor and want him to have something special he can do when he awakes. For those of you that do this, how do you introduce it to the kids? How do you let them know they can play with the items and when (e.g. don't want him skipping his nap or just laying there for a little bit and giving up trying to sleep) Heh heh, the more I write this, the more I am wondering if this is a bad idea? What does everyone else do? I don't want to have to go downstairs at all as I don't want to disturb the other little ones. Sometimes they can sleep for 3 hours and he sleeps for 1-2 hrs depending on day.

PS- my basement is completely one open space and I am a TV free program.

[sunnydays]

I have thought about having something like this as well, but have the same worries as you. I wouldn't want them skipping sleep to play with the special toys. Right now I don't have anyone who wakes up early, but I do have a 3.5 year old whose mom asked me to wake her a bit earlier. I have agreed only because she is very well behaved and I just bring her up and she watches TV a bit. I don't use TV in my daycare either, but this is my break and if the mom wants her woken up I am certainly not going to entertain her. I thought about books on her cot, but it is dark downstairs at naptime and she wouldn't be able to see the pages LOL.

[torontokids]

I also have a dog (she is friendly but hyper) so I don't want to bring him upstairs. The dog stays upstairs as I have a seperate entrance to the daycare.

think I need to come up with something though, he has started complaining about nap time. Heck I would be bored too staring at the ceiling for 1.5-2 hrs!

[sunnydays]

I feel your pain! I wanted to keep my daycare completely contained in the basement too. When my husband is home for the day, it is very inconvenient for me to bring dcg upstairs to our living space as that is our private family space and was not supposed to be used by the daycare. I just don't know what else to do! She is leaving in a couple of weeks, but for next time around I think I will come up with some better system. I was thinking about installing one of those litte stick on lights over her cot so that I could put it on and give her some books and puzzles to do on her cot. I think the problem would come in if you have more than one who wakes up early...then they might start playing together.

[torontokids]

I leave the light on above the stove in the daycare kitchen. Gives enough light to read but not too much to effect everyone else. I am thinking the hallway might be an option. Big enough for a cot and he would have some privacy/light. I can't see there though with my camera so I don't like that.

my husband is the same way and wants the daycare to stay downstairs

[eoinsmom]

This has me thinking about moving my nap area to the basement. the play area is down there, and I have a small bedroom and an office, so I could put my three pnp down there. The only thing would be my two preschoolers on cots. There is no door on my basement so there might be some noise that would wake them. How long do you find 3/4 year olds to be napping for you? I know my husband would love to have the kids all downstairs when he is home (he works two weeks away and is home for one week so here all day during that week), and my son is getting older now and would likely love to have his bedroom back and the baby stuff out of there!

[sunnydays]

The 3 year old I have would sleep for 2.5 hours if I let her. She is on a cot right at the bottom of my basement stairs and there is no door on my basement either. I like it that way because I can hear a pin drop down there ;) I put a noisy fan on and they all sleep really well. They are separated into various corners. I do use my teenaged son's room for one pnp (it's also in the basement) and my main floor office for one (the two youngest), but would love to be able to not use these spaces. I am starting two new babies next month...thinking of how to rearrange so that I don't have to use my son's room. I may just curtain off another corner in my basement playroom instead.