Nap Time Question

Hi all,

I know daycares have a nap time from 1pm to 3pm, but what do you do when you get an 11 or 12 month old in the daycare who still has two naps? Do you ask parents to cut it to 1 nap before the start of daycare? Do you put them down really early in the morning, so they will still nap from 1pm to 3pm? Or, do you just have them nap at different times than everybody else?

I also was wondering if each child normally gets their own room, or do you have the children share a room? If children share a room, do they actually sleep or keep each other up?

I nap the ones in the morning that still need it ..... I try to get them down at 8 or 830 ...... When you start having a problem in the aft you can shorten it and then cut it out totally..... I have one 15 month old that occasionally needs an am nap if he gets up really early (4:30, or 5 am ) but if he gets up at 6 then he stays up till the aft nap and I have another 11mobth old that doesn't nap at all in the am because if he does then he only sleeps for 45 mins in the aft .... Every kid is different

If I have little ones start who are still on 2 naps, I do them from 9am-10am and 1pm-3pm. This way afternoon nap is done with everyone at the same time and they still get a small rest in the morning.

I know a lot of providers are fine with the morning nap but I've been lucky that all the babies that start with me at 10-11 months of age drop their morning nap as soon as they start daycare. Sometimes they drift off for a power nap in the stroller but we are so busy in the morning that it works out great.

However, I nudge up the naptime to noon before the new baby starts because know they can barely stay awake through lunch for the first couple of months. But when they are that tired they fall asleep and learn the naptime routine quickly. At least that's been my experience. Everyone is different with their methods and what works best.

I have a new baby starting in a couple weeks and I have my current daycare children getting to sleep by 12:20 right now to adjust to the earlier naps that will be necessary in a few weeks with the new baby. When a new child starts the transition is for them and for the rest of us who need to keep our schedules as similar as possible.

Most of my 12 months old nap in the am. So I put them down after snack which is around 9h30am and give them a solid hour or until they wake up by themselfs. During that time I do quiet activites wiht my older little guys. We have circle time, bake, color ..whatever. The PM nap start at 12h30-1h00pm and everybody sleeps in the same room. Now with my new babies still adjusting I keep the older ones out and they sleep in the playroom temporarly. Once the babies have the routine down everyone will sleep in the same room again. It's been working fine with me. Once in a while someone will break the routine but everyone gets use to sleeping in the same room no one is really bothered by it. They learn to keep quiet and look at a book. I think that no matter what your routine is, you just gotta be consistent and very patient and it will work out.

I encourage new clients to try to get their child on our routine if there is time between me knowing my space is opening and when they are going to start ~ if there isnt than I would start the child on his home schedule and than slowly 'tweak' it to what works for the group so that within the 1-2 week transition to daycare the child is fully on our schedule and adjusted into being a part of the group.

Most morning nappers here are encouraged to take it either before 9am or they take it 'on the go' in the stroller because I have no desire to be tied to the house all day ... we go out and about at least 3 days a week from 9-12 either to playgroup or to parks in nice weather and so forth!