Nap Time at a New Daycare- Getting My Son Ready

wow, what really jumped out was the amount of time your son spends napping each day! That's an infant schedule.....& one many moms would rejoice to have. Truly, that's a lot of nap for a 14month old!

Typically, by 18 months, most children eliminate the need for the a.m. nap. Most licensed facilities allow for 2 naps for infants & young toddlers, & then move the child to one nap when transitioned to the 2y.o. Room.

Since your son is 14 months, in my in-home daycare, I would allow for a 1 hour morning nap & a 2 hour afternoon nap. I use soft music, dim lights. The schedule for the rest of the kids is worked around allowing for this a.m. nap. There is nothing more distressing than a young toddler needing a nap, & that's "why" I do this! The afternoon nap then coordinates with the group nap.....which allows me to clean, organize, plan activities, have a private lunch, etc. Perfect timing as far as I'm concerned!

Oh, & as far as safety goes, I use my great room for most of my childcare activities. So I am "on duty" with the children at all times.

To prepare your son, I would suggest taking him to the daycare regularly before the move. Right now, one of my moms is prepping her son for joining our group. His big sis has been w/ me for 3 years, he's 11 months old (Mom is a SAHM & brings her children for socialization skills), & he's "visiting" with us on a daily basis.....just an hour or so at a time - with Mom here with him. & this is what I recommend to all of my new families - a brief period of introduction & interaction prior to staying full-time. It truly does ease most fears on all of our parts!

I would also seriously consider downsizing those naps at home! That's a lot of sleep for a 14 month old......take him to the park, take him to a play group.....get him out & about so he's used to leaving home....& that will also take up some of that naptime! Good Luck ....& Peace.

It will take some time but it is time for your son to be down to one longer nap. This should be his nap schedule until he is about Kindergarten age. Just be patient and prepared for him to fall asleep on the way home in the car, which may cause issues with his regular bedtime. It will work out....

You don't say how much he sleeps at night, but most kids that age sleep around 14 hours a day, so if that's being met by the two naps in conjunction with his nighttime sleep, he's right on track. Plus, some people (kids and adults) just need more sleep. That said, getting him shifted into a daycare where he'll be on a different schedule may require adjusting your own schedules at home so it will be an easier transition. Try to make the two sleeping environments as similar as possible. Is he truly in a crib at daycare, or a Pak N Play? Try to put him down in the same bed type at home. If he sleeps with a blanket or lovey at home, make sure he takes it with him to daycare. I would definitely keep the noise machine for now. For one thing, there will be more sound at the sitter's so that will help drown it out. You can worry about weaning him from the noise machine later. We still use one for our 3 year old. Good luck!

Your child will be fine. Cutting out that morning nap will make it easier for him to go down when it is nap time for the rest of the kids. I know you are being a worried Mom and it is fine to have worries... but you must know he will be just fine. For the first week, he will learn his new place.. learn the ways of how things work with his new day time caregiver. Week two will be just like an old hat for him. If he enjoys where he is at, he will go usually without fussing. If he doesn't really like it, he may be clingy to you in week two. And that would be something you need to take cues from.
But for the most part, he will learn the schedule once he gets there. He will be fine =)

does she refuse to let them have a morning nap? Our daycare lady has a specific afternoon naptime set in stone, 1-3, but if the younger kids need a morning nap she puts them upstairs with a monitor, while the rest are downstairs. I would check with her to make sure she wont make an allowance for his morning nap.

I would try to start him on his new schedule to ease him into it so he has a smoother transition to his daycare! Good luck!

I own a childcare center and we do the same nap time schedule for toddlers. I would start pushing his nap back thirty minutes for a few days at a time until you reach the same nap time as the childcare provider. This will allow him to gradually transition so it is not so sudden. Also, we always put music on when the children are napping to drown out the noise from the other children who are not resting. We using calming ocean waves, lullabies, etc. ask her if she is open to that or if she already does play music. His routine is going to be different, but he will adjust. If this is a licensed in home center children children should never be put in a separate room to nap, monitor or no monitor anything can happen and children should never be left unsupervised. I would make sure she is with them at all times. We always have a staff member present when the children are napping. One more suggestion is have you son visit the center the week before even if its for 15 minutes with you so he can become comfortable with his new surrounding, this is what I do for any child starting at my center. It makes the transition so much easier for the children. Good luck!!