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Doors open @ 7:30- kids are expected to have eaten breakfast or can bring something to eat right away
Morning snack @ 9:30 (pushed to 10 if all later arrivals)
Lunch @ 12 (pushed to 12:30 if all later arrivals)
Nap immediately after lunch (I take them from the table one by one to do diapers, and then tuck them in, each gets a snuggle and a song)- lasts at least 2 hours from start time
Afternoon snack @ 3:30
Pick ups usually start around 4:30, and I am "open" until 5:30
The entire group is in bed from 1:30 - 3:00 so that is my time except for 20 minutes when I need to feed my own special needs her lunch but mostly I put in a tub of laundry while I start lunch and it goes in the dryer while they eat and then gets folded, Brianne gets fed and then I have a little over an hour that mostly is spent on the computer checking emails and working on my feltboard workshops that I do so it is relaxing, sitting, fun. My desk in in the family room right by the window and I can look out and see trees, and birds and squirrels and I love it. Lots of natural light, peace and while it may be a short time is enough to revitalize. With a special needs child you get used to not getting much down time so any sitting counts.
Lunch - 11:15am
Nap - Noon
I think it's about what age group you have. I used to have all older kids ( 2-3) and nap was 1-3 and if they slept a little longer than my parents were OK with that as well. My group now is younger and have them eat lunch 11:30 and then by the time we do clean up, change diapers and settled in my crew is now sleeping by 12:30-2:30 and again, if they need longer my parents want them to sleep.
Lunch is at 11:15 and Naptime is from 12:00 - 2:00pm...for me it's the same for all ages. I don't change the schedule for any children, however I won't take kids under 12 months.
I serve lunch at 11:00 and naptime is 11:30-2.
I have mostly little ones now and they are all here by 7:30 am, so most of them are up early. Over the last week I have been doing morning snack between 8:15 and 8:30, lunch around 11:15 then they are in bed around noon and are up at 2:30. it makes for a longer afternoon and no outside time in the morning usually but once the nice weather gets her it will be great to get out in the afternoon for 2 hours.
I love the outside at the end of the day because I only have to dress them once, no undressing and all the sand, dirt and grass goes home instead of back into my house. We go out after nap and stay out till pickup. Winter right now only the older ones are going out for awhile right after an early lunch and the little ones are already in bed. I watch from the door while they flop around for 15-20 minutes in the drifts and then they have had enough and come in.
I have some kids that have breakfast here and some that don't. The ones that have already had breakfast aren't hungry at 8:30. So I end up having different kids having different snack times. I'm not sure how to work it so the morning nappers (who have breakfast before their naptime) don't have to wait until 12:00 lunchtime to eat and the kids that have breakfast at home aren't hungry for lunch because I give them a snack at 9:30. KWIM
Can you split the breakfast into two parts so that it is like having a snack for breakfast as in just enough to tide them over till all are having an earlier morning snack with the amount of food adjusted for appetite. Then they should all be ready for earlier lunch.
Often I find it is drink mine want at snack time and don't care to stop playing to actually eat food.