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Toddler schedule at day care

DS is nowhere near moving up to the toddler room at daycare, but I'm already freaking out about it. His schedule right now at daycare involves 2-3 naps (ideally 2 longer ones, but it doesn't always work out that way), the first happening by 9:30am. When he's home with us, he's rarely awake for more than 2 hours before going down for a nap.

In the toddler room they only nap once, from about 12:30 to 2pm. I CANNOT FATHOM how he will stay awake from 7am (which is when he gets up on DC days) to after noon without completely melting down. AND I really don't like the fact that if he gets into that routine, it means he'll probably only nap once on weekends as well.

If you have  LO in daycare, is this a typical thing, or do some daycares do more than one nap? Most likely he'll move to that room in 4-6 months, so I understand that his schedule and needs could change quite a bit by then, but I just can't imagine things changing that much.

Am I worrying too much? 

Re: Toddler schedule at day care

  • Ha. I could have written this post a few months ago.  My kid took about 4-6 weeks to really adjust to the new schedule.  They have a few photos of him just conking out on the floor when he was tired in the morning.  Eventually, he dropped to one nap on the weekends.  It's kind of great now because it's so much easier to plan.  His w/e nap is usually for about 2-3 hours so we don't make plans generally before that nap.

    It really is easier than they make it out to be.  At least I think it is!

  • I remember freaking out about this too. I was like "how dare they tell my kid when and when not to nap!" 

    A lot might change between now and 4-6 mo. from now so don't worry yet. Oliver wasn't ready for one nap until he was about 14-15 months I think...that's when he moved to the toddler room. I think they keep the kids so busy, they can hold out until after lunch for a nap. On weekends, Oliver still took 2 naps for a little while. It all worked out in the end though, and I liked that daycare got him on a set schedule.

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  • I'll let you know as this will be happening to us beginning next Monday.

    J is just about 14 months.  He's up in the morning between 5am and 5:30am.  He's pretty consistent with his 9:30am nap and was taking 2-3 hour naps with no afternoon nap but in the last week or two, he's only been sleeping an hour in the morning and then an hour in the afternoon.

    I have no idea how he's going to make it to the 1pm nap but figure all the excitement with the kids and new toys will probably keep him up.

    He'll also be napping on a mat instead of a crib so I'm curious to see how he does with that too!

    image

    #1  12.11.11
    #2  10.23.13 EDD
  • Why do daycares push the one nap issue soooo early?  it makes no sense to me.  My kid was two naps a day until maybe 18 months or so, and the only kids I knew who weren't were in daycare.  

    He takes a three hour nap everyday now, and friends with kids DS1's age say the longest their kids are "allowed" to nap at daycare is two hours.   Get that more, but honestly it seems ridiculous to be pushing one nap a day on one year olds! 

    Baby Numbers 11.8.10 The Sequel on or around 10.13.12
  • My kid isn't in day care anymore but I just about strangled them when they cut her down to one nap not long after a year old. that's all I have to say about that.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • M naturally switched to one nap around a year. 
  • Are you guys kidding?  I love having one nap!  It makes it so much easier to schedule things!  When I am home with him during the day, I have until noon to run errands without having to worry about missing his nap time.  I also know that he is going to have a solid two hour nap instead of maybe 45 minutes this time and and hour next time.  

    Anyway, the monster's daycare eased him into the toddler room;  he spent a little more time in there every day, and about a week or two before he "officially" joined, he was napping from 12:30-2:00 in the infant room.   I also know that there was one kid in the toddler room that need three hours to nap, so they had him fall asleep while the other kids were eating lunch.

    As far as how they keep them on a mat instead of a crib, I don't know, but they do.  Sometimes if I am running late, I drop Hunter off as the kids are going down for their naps.  They walk over to their mat and lie down.  I wish they would teach me their witchcraft.   

    Mrs. JEGs
    est 7.17.10 
    image
    Hunter Fillmore
    October 1, 2011 

  • Okay, well I feel better that I'm not crazy for worrying about this. I'm sure he'll be fine, and I know that a lot changes in 4-6 months. Thanks for the input, everyone.
  • Reid just got moved up yesterday (13 months).  They slowly transitioned him over the past 2 weeks.  Two months ago he was taking 2 naps (sometimes 3) at daycare.  They slowly held out on his early nap to make it later and later.  Well from 10:30 to 12.  I was worried about the napping schedule also but he is doing fine with it.  He has been taking one nap now for a few weeks.  I love it on the weekends.  So much easier when going out and also to get stuff done around the house.  

    At first I thought I wasn't going to like him on a schedule but I have changed my tune.  

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  • DS was never much of a morning napper.  He could go until noon and then he looooooved a quick siesta as soon as I fed him when we got home (4-430 or 5).  So the one nap transition at DC wasn't too much of an issue, he actually started to do a long nap in the middle of the day on his own pretty early on.

    He is a loooong sleeper though.  He is definitely in the 2-3 hour nap rather than 90 mins- 2hrs.  They just work with it at DC.  Typically the post-nap activity is story time or puzzles (quiet play), so it gives the kids time to gradually wake on their own.

    As far as weekends go, it is soooo nice.  We all do a Sunday nap after church and brunch and I swear we are going to have Sunday quiet time as a family rule forever.  I love it.  Plus on Saturdays I can run errands or get house stuff done while DS is napping.  Our normal Saturday is outside play, story time at the local library, arts and craft, lunch, nap, other out of the house activity, dinner and bed.  Sundays are much more relaxed. 

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  • imageamy052006:

    Why do daycares push the one nap issue soooo early?  it makes no sense to me.  My kid was two naps a day until maybe 18 months or so, and the only kids I knew who weren't were in daycare.  

    He takes a three hour nap everyday now, and friends with kids DS1's age say the longest their kids are "allowed" to nap at daycare is two hours.   Get that more, but honestly it seems ridiculous to be pushing one nap a day on one year olds! 

    All of this. Most kids won't go to 1 nap until 15-18 months and it is usually 2 hours+. I know they reason to keep kids on a similar routine - but is the 1.5 hour thing hard and fast? That would be an even bigger issue to me.  

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  • I also loved it when Logan switched to one nap a day. So much easier and he started going to bed earlier too. He wasn't in daycare at the time of the switchover though. I think it's totally normal to worry about it (anything to do with your kid really) but I am sure it will end up fine. I also think though that switching a 1 year old to one nap is a little early personally; especially if your kid is up so early. But if the children adjust well, I guess it's working fine. Hopefully, they do a great transition.
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