Nap Time Help!

[Dia]

I am a toddler teacher with 6 between 18 mo and 3 years. They all nap in a room together. Everyone lays down, get covered and I put a lullabye cd on. I sit between the two that are the hardest to make lay still. After those two are sleeping I move to sit between the next two and continue until everyone is sleeping. Then I have around 2 hours before anyone usually wakes up. If someone wakes up early, they must sit quietly on their cot. If they can do that for a few minutes without making noise I give them a book to look at quietly. Yes, it sometimes takes 20 minutes,to get everyone to sleep, but then I have an hour and 40 minutes to do lunch and planning/cleaning.

This is what I do almost to the T. Except I am at home. I have 5 between the ages of 19m and 3y and they all nap together in our designated daycare room, toys and all everywhere. I also have two infants (4m and 5.5m) who sleep in the living room in pack-n-play bassinets (open floor plan with kitchen in between the two rooms) every toddler naps during nap time, and the infants almost always do also. If not I just bring the infant with me and let them do tummy time or lay on their back in front of me while I pat the other ones. I only have two that need rubbed to sleep, they are the hardest and the others are always out before them, but I would rather sit for 20-30 min getting them to sleep so that I can have that 2-3 hour break from craziness. It is just consistency and rule enforcement, you can't give in.....ever,

[childcaremom]

My god can someone help me please. Nap time is chaos in my house and nothing I do seems to work. How do you all work your nap time? I only have three kids and two available nap rooms very close together.

Every day is a new challenge. I have a 17 month old who usually falls asleep but wakes very early, usually only after an hour and then she will wake the others. Then I have a 2 year old who co sleeps at home and cannot be separated or he will scream and cry. Even napping with the other he often never falls asleep and cries which disturbs the others. Then I have my 21 mo daughter who was a champion napper until these kids came along and now she giggles and is loud during nap time and will take forever to settle.

How can I get these kids to sleep? I do books, songs, dark room, lullabye music. I have tried cry it out, shushing every ten minutes, rubbing backs. I'm just at my witts end. What am I doing wrong?

Nap time troubles are the story of my daycare life lately. I have never experienced this till this past year. All my past groups have napped wonderfully. Now, I am lucky to have 1 in the group who does.

I spent 4 months before Christmas trying to acclimate a child. Nothing worked. I ended up terming.

So now. 4 weeks of transition to get on our schedule. No more. No accomodations (no back rubs, no bottles, no rocking). First week, I go in once to reassure and retuck. Second week, nothing. If by the fourth week they are not on the schedule (or not showing improvement) then I don't keep them. I don't really think it matters what you, the provider do, just be consistent. Same as we would tell a parent. Choose something you can stick with. (your routine sounds much like mine)

I go over my nap expectations with parents thoroughly during interviews.Ask them to help acclimate their child before starting. Say night night to friends, tucked in, I say night night, and leave. I email several times before they start. Still my last 2 new dcks have had horrible times at naps. Turns out dcps have not had any schedules or been rocking them to sleep with a warm bottle or have allowed the child to sleep whenever.

Ultimately, I think that parents need to be on board. 100%. If they aren't, providers have their work cut out for them. I ask about naps during interviews and have my red flags that I won't accept (co-sleepers tops that list). Only you can determine how much of an effort you are willing to put into it. I, for one, will put in the work if I notice improvement. And I have a definite time frame that I am willing to work in. So I have 4 weeks for a transition period. By the end of 2 weeks I need to see complete transition or well on the way. I will let parents know what they need to do to help their child complete the transition at this point. Otherwise, good bye. I feel too strongly about the importance of rest time to let one child destroy it for the rest of the group. If the child doesn't sleep, but rests quietly, and is happy for the rest of the day, fine, i can deal with that. That doesn't happen very often and usually only with a much older child.

Sorry, that was very long winded but it is a struggle that I am having constantly lately. It's very frustrating!

I would put your dd separately. I would put the others together. Tuck them in, night night, and leave. I would not go back in at all. The kids will (hopefully) figure it out. They are more than old enough. Good luck!:hug::hug::hug:

[rosieteddy]

I always start in playroom .I lay every one down.Music not soft.Then I would sit and crochet or read kindle.Hushing when needed.The really tough ones had a magic blanket.Heavy quilt lain over there sleeping bags.It was just heavy enough to calm.When child fell asleep I would take blanket off. After 30 min everyone asleep .I then could have lunch and everyone slept at least 2 hours.

[racemom]

This is what I do almost to the T. Except I am at home. I have 5 between the ages of 19m and 3y and they all nap together in our designated daycare room, toys and all everywhere. I also have two infants (4m and 5.5m) who sleep in the living room in pack-n-play bassinets (open floor plan with kitchen in between the two rooms) every toddler naps during nap time, and the infants almost always do also. If not I just bring the infant with me and let them do tummy time or lay on their back in front of me while I pat the other ones. I only have two that need rubbed to sleep, they are the hardest and the others are always out before them, but I would rather sit for 20-30 min getting them to sleep so that I can have that 2-3 hour break from craziness. It is just consistency and rule enforcement, you can't give in.....ever,

Definitely must be consistent!! If you ever give in even a little to any of them, everyone is awake and peaceful naptime is no longer an option!!!

[Ariana]

I could not agree more about the CIO, and it sounds like we have the same situation. The 18 month old I have is JUST as you described, chaos at home and won't sleep there...they pick her up everytime she cries and she goes to bed with them.

So I was finally able to get her to fall asleep with no crying after sleep training her...but she wakes after an hour and half and cries very loudly. Then I have the 2 and 1/2 year old...similar issues. I feel like it's more of a tantrum at his age. They keep waking eachother, so frustrating!

I would suggest continuing the sleep training after nap as well. Even if they are up they stay in their beds until nap time is over. YOU decide when nap time is over. Ignore them and they will eventually learn that crying is not going to get me out of my bed. It will take a few days or even a week or so but stick with it and they will learn. I did this with my own kids when they were fighting naps. Eventually they will wake and either put themselves back to sleep or lay quietly waiting. Nothing wrong with a child having to lay quietly bored waiting! the other one may even start sleeping trough the tantrum if you don't get them up.

[Unregistered]

While I love to put kids down at 12:30 that can be too late if you're having problems. Not sure when you are putting them down and if they are missing the sleep window.

Nature sounds like the ocean or rain helps. ENYA is good too.

Massaging the palms of the hands or feet if they let you....something to do with reflexology.

Stay in the room with them till asleep.

A cozy body pillow might help co-sleeper. I've heard a heavier folded quilt helps with squirmy kids if they are old enough to have a blanket.

Start nap music before lunch is over...dim lights and room so the mood is set and help them to begin to wind down during lunch.

Books on C.D. (even chapter books) or read a book in a whisper. Or read the Napping House each day or Goodnight Moon.

I've used a foam crown for restless nappers. Telling them it's the nap crown and it's time to sleep like a prince or princess. Might not work with toddlers. Maybe read a story of a sleeping princess quite a few times to go with it.

White twinkly lights that are turned on at naptime....another signal it's quiet time and it sets the mood.

Be consistent....you probably are already.

Sweet dream spray made with real vanilla extract thinned with water to scent the air. Doesn't have to be sprayed close to kids. Also, you can dab a little on your finger and put it on the top of their head. I haven't heard of this being a allergy issue...but possible I guess.

Getting outside each!

[Unregistered]

I want to thank everyone for your suggestions, you really made me feel better about just putting them together and being consistent about not going back in more than once or twice.

I have been putting the toddlers together (including my dd, she needs to learn to fall asleep quietly with others). It takes some time everyday, and there are bad days, but this week has been better.

The co-sleeper is still the challenge. Sometimes he will start crying as soon as he hears the music. It's like he has all this anxiety about sleeping. I hate to judge a parent's sleeping choices but the co-sleepers always seem to have a ton of sleep association issues

[Ariana]

I'm so glad you are having some luck this week. co-sleepers need to break their associations and unfortunately mom has chosen you to do it. It's funny how moms co-sleep because it's best for baby but still go back to work and put them in group care!

Whenever I am sleep training a child I always say and think to myself "the parents have chosen this for their kids" and it helps me. I don't like hearing kids cry and it is so stressful. By thinking about it this way I feel less stress. The parents could have done the sleep training themselves but they just choose not to.

Maybe white noise would help more than music? I crank the white noise super loud and it has never failed me.

[Unregistered]

I am trying to remind myself of that exact thing when he cries, but it's still hard. Honestly though he's two and a half...it's not as if he's a baby.

I love my kids but I would hate having them in bed ever let alone at almost 3 years old!