Nap help please!!!

[bright sparks]

Well, I don't really get a "2 hour "break". I use the hour and a half to clean-up, prep activities and menu plans, and maybe do a load of laundry, if I'm lucky. I feel that we, as providers, have no job security, no benefits, no pension, no paid holidays, long hours, damage to our homes, etc. The very least I expect is that I have a small amount of time in my 10+ hour day where I can get a few things done without worrying about supervising a rambunctious 2 year old. I had much more time when I worked in the corporate world to do my online banking, zip out at lunch to get stuff done, etc. LOL. And while I agree that each child is different, I don't think expecting a 24 month old to have some down-time is wrong (especially in group care).

I don't think anyone was suggesting that a 2 year old not have some down time, but down time looks different to different people. Down time just may not mean sleeping. Also, if the child is confined to a play pen, aside from the noise, I'm not sure why you wouldn't still be able to do what you have got to do?? I wouldn't get the kid up after 30 minutes, 2 years old is classic power play age, and I wouldn't ever allow the child to dictate my routine. I would however, as I have said previously, adjust my expectation that a child sleep. I don't call it nap time, I call it quiet time. I just have the expectation that children are in a play pen or on their toddler bed, and are quiet. If they are just altogether noisy, then they are seperated and ignored for the duration of naptime unless it is a necessity that I give them some attention.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Well, I don't really get a "2 hour "break". I use the hour and a half to clean-up, prep activities and menu plans, and maybe do a load of laundry, if I'm lucky. I feel that we, as providers, have no job security, no benefits, no pension, no paid holidays, long hours, damage to our homes, etc. The very least I expect is that I have a small amount of time in my 10+ hour day where I can get a few things done without worrying about supervising a rambunctious 2 year old. I had much more time when I worked in the corporate world to do my online banking, zip out at lunch to get stuff done, etc. LOL. And while I agree that each child is different, I don't think expecting a 24 month old to have some down-time is wrong (especially in group care).

I never said expecting some down time is wrong....just pointed out that not every child is a napper. It sucks and I obviously totally get the frustration but it is what it is. We can't force children to nap.....but we can provide the environment for them to have quiet time. Personally, I'd rather have a child with me doing quiet activities instead of fooling around in their playpen for 2 hours. I just gave my suggestion.

I also completely understand not getting set breaks, holiday time, sick time, job security etc etc etc but again, IMO, I knew all that going into this so I don't hold that against anyone. This is the job I chose to do and there are cons to it...but the pros far outweigh them for me

I do sincerely hope that you find a method that works for you and the child and one that mom is okay with too. Good luck!!

[hockey mom]

I agree; its not that she's not sleeping that bothers me, I would be happy if she just quietly played with her bunny and baby; it's that she screams, jumps noisily in the playpen, sings at the top of her voice, etc. I have her in a separate room but I can literally hear her 2 floors down sometimes. Ugh! I guess I will just have to cross my fingers that her crappy nap routine doesn't spread to the other kids.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I would decide on a time that she needs to be in her playpen....30, 45, 60 minutes for example. After the allotted time, I'd get her and have quiet time with you. A 2 year old is young and IMO, to expect her to stay quiet for the whole nap time in a room by herself is unreasonable. I wouldn't want that behaviour waking the others either!!

[Van]

it is good to keep an eye on them for safety reasons because you never know what they are up to and a playpen can be dangerous when they are in it for a long time and not sleeping

[Lee-Bee]

Video monitor, loud background fan (or noise machine), very dark room, and very consistent routine leading to nap. I had a difficult napper that became a huge napper and I seriously had like a 17 part nap routine that I carried her through (closing blinds, closing doors, turning on fan, putting this there etc etc with the other kids this was all done before they came in the room but with this child she needed to see the whole process to really cue her it was in fact time to sleep.

Other key things is to make sure you are getting her down before she is over tired. Maybe she needs to go down earlier than the others. If so, try finishing lunch and running her to her bed before you do everyone else's diapers etc.

You can't expect a young child to be quiet in bed but you can set the expectation that screaming out and singing really loudly is not acceptable. If you have a monitor you can usually use that to say something into the room. "it's time to sleep" "quiet down" etc might be a cue to stop those behaviors.