What's you nap time policy?

[Other Mummy]

Same as the rest of you...Nap from 1:00-3:00. Non negotiable. If they've outgrown nap...they've outgrown my daycare as well.

[jammiesandtea]

When parents can't get small children to go to sleep at night, it's not about the nap they had in the afternoon, it's about the parent needing to implement and consistently enforce a proper bedtime routine. Most children will resist sleep and not want to miss out on what everyone else is doing if they are indulged and allowed to get their way when they fuss about it. What's needed is a strict bedtime and a routine of bath, reading a story, or whatever, then lights out and no waffling or negotiating with them. Take control and that is it.

Parents who have bedtime troubles with their kids are not willing or able to take control. That's what it boils down to.

And it shouldn't have to affect YOU negatively by making you work long hours with no break... and it shouldn't affect the child negatively, by making them miss out on sleep that they need, only because their parents aren't willing to step it up and get it done at bedtime.

I'd either put it back on them by explaining exactly that... maybe sugar-coated a little bit, if I cared about keeping them... or I'd fib and let them think the kid didn't nap or only napped what they wanted. It's all in their head and it miraculously improves for them when they think they got their way.

[mickyc]

At my house all children lay down for nap (but my own) but I can totally understand how at around 3.5 it doesn't always work. My daughter is 3.5 and we were doing nap every 2nd day for awhile and now she is to the point of no naps. She sits upstairs and watches a movie on her DVD player. I did have a daycare boy who was 4 who wouldn't sleep and was disruptive in the nap room. We switched to nap every 2nd day. It helped. I currently have a daycare girl who doesn't fall asleep but she does lay in bed for the whole 2.5 hours. She is 4 and I have been waiting for her mom to say something about cutting out naps but she hasn't yet. I certainly am not going to. I imagine for summer I will have to before she goes to school. I wouldn't mind a child over 3 being up for naptime providing they can sit on the couch quietly for the whole 2.5 hours and watch TV. Children under 3 must nap!

[momofnerds]

I could have written the exact same post with the exact same child. The problem I have is that they want the child in bed at 730 for their own quiet time thats why they don't want me to nap them. so by the time they are picked up from my house the parents have spent only 2.5 hours with their own child compared to the 10 hours I do. At 3.5 yrs old I would cut nap as most start to go to school, but not at 3 yrs old.

personally I wouldn't say anything, I know some won't agree but its just easier this way and parents sometimes just don't get it.

[momofnerds]

oh I forgot to add, apparently on the weekend the child takes a nap because its too much for them to deal with, but apparently I'm suppose to just deal with a cranky child.

[mickyc]

there is nothing more annoying than a parent who wants you to not nap their child but puts them to bed so early. My daughter quit naps at 3 but she still goes to bed between 8:30-9 at night and gets up at 7am. She has never been one to need sleep. I don't understand how a child can go to bed at 7:30 or earlier at night. I guess I just never had a child who needed that much sleep but I think if a child needs to go to bed that early then they certainly need a nap during the day.

[AcornsFalling]

Your dcp has a lot of nerve to expect you to cut nap time but then she doesn't!
It is my policy that all children are expected to have a quiet time from 12:30-3:00. Children who are no longer napping are expected to lay down quietly on the couch and watch tv for approx one hour as this provides a restful break during our very active day, and provides lunch and prep time for the care provider. Parents sign off on this as part of my contract.
If they are tired, they will fall asleep on the couch. This is what I began with my daughter when she was about 3.5, as we were having more and more trouble getting her to sleep before 8:30-9:00. Believe me I wanted to keep her napping, as she gladly would have, as it provided me a break with my newborn son! But the evenings were getting too late. This has worked very well for her and provides opportunity to rest when needed. I plan on implementing this same plan with other children. I don't mind them on the couch resting. If they don't stay down and rest, I would put them in a playpen to nap. If they don't like that, they will soon learn to stay quiet and lie down on the couch.

[Secondtimearound]

My full time dcks nap from 1-3 ! I have a part time dcb who is 3 and only comes 2 days a week . He can be picked up anywhere from 12-3 . So I do not nap him but oh my is it a dance !! I tried toys , he is so loud , I have tried tv , he is never still !! So each day he comes I do not get a break until he leaves .

[Crayola kiddies]

My full time dcks nap from 1-3 ! I have a part time dcb who is 3 and only comes 2 days a week . He can be picked up anywhere from 12-3 . So I do not nap him but oh my is it a dance !! I tried toys , he is so loud , I have tried tv , he is never still !! So each day he comes I do not get a break until he leaves .

What ????? In my contract it states that there is to be no pick up between 12-3 as it is quiet time..... I also would not allow such an open ended pick up time .... I would tell the parent they can pick up at 12 and if they are not there by 12 then dont come till 3.... Don't knock or ring the bell anytime between 12:01 and 2:59...... Simple !

[mickyc]

I agree with Crayola Kiddies. No pickup between 12:30 and 3. I had 1 boy getting picked up at 12:30 and mom kept getting later and later and wasn't getting here until around 1 - 1:30 every time. I told her to just come after 3 as it was disruptive to the others (her boy would be quiet until his mom showed up) and he was getting out of routine as that was supposed to be his nap time (he is 17 months). As much as I preferred to have less kids during nap I prefer having my time begin at 12:45 much more. I would also tell your parent not to come until after nap is over.

I am closing early on Christmas eve and new years eve (at 3). I have already posted that there are to be no pickups between 12:30 and 2:30 and that I would be waking kids up at 2:30 for pickup before 3. So they either come before 12:30 or between 2:30 and 3.