Advice with Quiet time??

[Brooke91]

So currently I have been doing my quiet time starts at roughly 12:15-12:30 and ends roughly at about 2:30..

But I am wanting to feed the kids and then let them play outside for about an hour so.then put then for a nap..

So I'd like to start nap time at about 1:30-3:30 ish..

I'd like your thoughts and opions about this change ??

[sunnydays]

If it works for you with your pick-up times so that you have enough time after nap to change them and give them snack, then why not? I think the thing I would be concerned about though is that they would melt down and be way overtired by the time naptime comes around. The later sleeping might also effect their bedtime at home at night, so you might want to just change it to 1-3 so it isn't such a drastic change.

[playfelt]

I would be concerned about going out at the hottest most dangerous UV time of the day to play. It would also be on a full stomach in the heat with overtired kids - sounds like a recipe for disaster since accidents also happen more often when kids are tired and their judgement/reflexes slow down.

If you do go out in the heat they won't last an hour. By the time you put the sunscreen on you would only have half an hour anyways as there is no sense putting it on before lunch and then washing it off.

My naptime is normally 1-3 but I have been working to move lunch back so that we are in bed for 12:30 as I transition some little ones from no morning nap and also it means more outside time as we go out after naptime. My pickups start at 4.

[sunnydays]

Good point about the UV Playfelt! I normally take the kids outside from 9-11 in spring summer fall, but love being back for lunch at 11am and then naps by 12:30 and up by 3. If we go out again it's at 3:45 until 4:30, so we miss all the hottest parts of the day. Brooke, is there a reason you want to take them out after lunch? Why not go out before lunch instead, or even pack a picnic lunch and eat outside before coming in?

[playfelt]

Your other option is to split up your lunchtime and do a later but more hearty morning snack and then go outside and then come in, get washed up and have more to eat - for sure a drink, and the rest based on what was served/eaten before - do the meal in two stages. Then do nap right after as you do now.

Once our deck goes in we will be doing an outside time just after everyone is here and then back in for snack and morning naps to start. We go out after nap/snack and stay out till parents pick up so for some it is only 15-20 minutes but not my problem since it is an hour to an hour and a half for most of them. It means all the sand and mud and dirty kids go home not back into my house - love it this way.

In winter we do go outside at noon as that is the warmest part of the day and often it is my daughter who comes over after work - works mornings only and takes out those that can actually walk to play in the snow and I stay in the house with the babies. Lunch from 11-12, outside 12 - 12:30 then diapers and in bed for 1.

[Momof4]

I agree with playfelt about the dangerous UV rays in the afternoon. I take my dckids outside all morning but we're back inside by 11:30am. Due to varied pickup times in the afternoon I let the children freeplay in the toyroom after naptime and snacktime. This also gives me time to clean up my home a bit at the end of the day so I don't have to do it all after work which helps me not to be so exhausted and burned out by the weekend.

I wouldn't recommend trying to change naptime drastically as you mentioned because that could really set your children's clocks off kilter badly. I've changed naptime around before due to the ages of enrollment but I nudge the time 10 minutes one way or the other every few days so that they get used to the change slowly.

[zoomama]

I also wait till all dcks have arrived and head out for a later morning playtime and back in by 11/1130. Wash up, eat lunch, a little indoor playtime and naps by 1230/1. Up at 3/330 and snacks and a little more outdoor playtime until pick up. This is the schedule that has "evolved" over the years and seems to work best for all ages and for me, too.