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Hi everyone, I'm brand new here :)
I have opened up a private daycare and I have a little one starting tomorrow who is one and my daughter is also one
I will also have a 3 year old starting October
How do I get them to nap together?
My daughter still nurses to sleep and this new one takes a bottle
Do I put them all down together? Same room? Cry it out? Rock to sleep? What if one cries and wakes up the others? I have no idea where to begin and need lots lf imput please
First question is do you have the rooms to put them down separately? If not then you will have to have them together! If you do have the ability to put them down together then it is based on preference. I always used separate nap rooms...then they are less likely to wake each other and you can deal with the poor sleepers without disturbing everyone.
I will note that with two 1yr olds and a 3yr old you will need to decide if you will enforce a full nap for the 3yr old...if not then you need the sleeping kids separate of the older kids when they are done their nap.
When I opened my daughter was still nursing. I put the others in their cribs then nursed her and left her in her room. By the time I opened my daycare (she was 10months) she was able to put herself down (she never nursed more than 3-5min and was always awake after). Hopefully your daughter is able to self sooth enough to fall asleep on her own as that will make it MUCH easier.
You need to decide what approach will work best for you. Keeping in mind it tends to be easiest for all if you start on day one with what you plan to keep doing. So, rocking them to sleep now but expecting to cry it out next week just makes it harder for all!
Luckily I often found that with the little ones they are so exhausted from a busy day with other kids that come nap time they usually quickly pass out. Those same kids can start to fight nap a couple weeks in once they are used to you, used to the busy days so again stick with routine!!
In the end...this is group care so they all just learn to sleep through each others noises and tune each other out.
I will STRONGLY suggest from day one you get them on the SAME nap schedule. I tried to be accommodating in the early months and had them all on different naps (2 naps, 1 nap, long naps short naps) and in time you will burn out. You NEED them all asleep at one time so you can have a bit of a break (and do all that needs to be done). So decide now when your afternoon nap will be and then decide if you want to squeeze in a short morning nap for the 1yr olds (early enough and short enough that it doesn't mess up afternoon nap).
Best of luck!!
Wow thank you so much
So glad I found this site! It's going to be hard at first
I guess I will just see what works and go from there....hopefully
I never do bottles for daycare kids ...(unless they are under 10 months when starting) I give a sippy cup with milk at the meal time and they after lunch they go to bed. That's it ... No rocking and definitely no bottle ....the child is welcome to have a nap time comfort item (blanket, stuffy,soother) but it is only for cap time and stays in the pack n play. All kids go down with in a 30 min period (12 -12:30) .... All my dcks sleep in separate rooms with fans running for white noise in case some one wakes up early ... I never run and get them if they wake up early they need to learn to rest quietly until nap time is over(that always included my own children as well) because otherwise you will never get a break and you will burn out....if this new child needs a bottle to go to sleep I would suggest to the mom to work on stopping that as you won't be able to do that in group care. And as the previous posted said start as you want to finish ... Good luck
It depends what kind of space you have to work with. If you have extra rooms try separating them and put the ones closer in age together if needed. If you only have one room to work with use nap time music and just play it softly. You may want to stay in the room first and run their backs to get them to sleep. If one starts crying you can always remove them from the room.
Even if I had extra rooms, I'd still want them all in one room. I just think it's easier in case of an emergency and takes up less of my home. I have a daycare dedicated space but dc still creeps into other rooms of my home lol. I've only had 2-3 kids who have needed to sleep in a different room but I always try to get them back into the nap room as soon as they're ready. I've been really lucky in having great nappers though!
One thing I have in my napping room ( only used for daycare) is I've hung light curtains separating the areas so they can't see each other if they stand up in play pens, then after nap, I just tie them back.
I have under 2's in one room and over 2's in different room. Mainly because over 2's not need sleep so long as littles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Workinmom
I put in room and walk out. For new child, if cry for more than 15 min, will go in lay down, and leave again. It not take long for them adjust. More inconvenient for other children listening to noise but just short term learning.
I will give child bottle up to about 14 month if parent want but child must be able to hold. This mean I can lay child on floor while have bottle and be changing diaper in same room for other getting ready for napping.
Unlike other, I not leave child who awake in nap room. Some child need less nap that others. I find if those needing longer are woken, then it mean lot cranky children in afternoon.
My nap time is noon. All children expected to have an hour then if someone wake, I scoop out of room before all others woken before ready to be awake.
I not rock, I not pat or rub backs, - only because I not able to do for all. Not fair to offer service to one and not others and I not able to stay in room with child for rocking, back patting because it mean any preschooler would not be supervised during this time.