daycare wants DD to transition to 1 nap

mbtortor · February 2009

DD has never been the best napper at daycare- when she takes 2 naps each is about 45 mins-1 hr. at home she naps 1 hr-2hrs each.
As they prepare her to graduate to the toddler room, they want to try to get her on 1 nap. They allot 2.5 hours for naptime (the toddler class is on more of a "schedule" than the babies are), which would be fine if she slept. But whats been happening this week is that she's napping for 45mins-1hr for just one nap. Resulting in a cranky baby at night-- we used to put her to bed 7-730, but this week we've had to put her down 6:30-6:45. Which means I get to see her for 1 hr max in the evenings.

Do you think I should let daycare dictate her napping sched? It is possible for her to still take 2 naps and not be on the same exact sched as the kids in her class. we go to the pedi next week, so I'll ask then, but I am concerned. TIA!

MissMissy234 · February 2009

I don't know how strict the toddler room in your daycare is, but this worried me when my DD was moving up.

My daycare tries to get them for one nap, but understands that all kids can't do this. So if she needs a nap in the morning she gets it. Even if it's only 1/2 hour, they know that a tired baby=cranky baby so it's only their bets interest to let her get her morning nap. They all nap in the afternoon.

I would talk to them and tell them how cranky she is at night and if they could work in a morning nap until she starts to transition on her own. If they are good they will understand and help.

Goodluck

MrsHK · February 2009

I thought most babies don't drop down to just one nap until they are approx 18 months?

Either way, normal or not, I don't think it's right for daycare to dictate what your DD gets just so it's convenient for them. If it's not in the best interest or most beneficial for your DD than it shouldn't happen. You are paying them to care for your DD.

Taylor44 · February 2009

We are the exact same way. Luckily, we only go to DC 3X a week. Not only do they want them to take one nap a day, they also lay on the floor on mats. It is definitely a new thing for my son. Unfortunately, I don't know if there are many choices. My son has been in the toddler room for a few weeks now, and it has worked ok. He is tired at the end of the day, but the toddler room provides much more structure and learning. I hope he will begin to sleep longer as he gets used to it. GL to you and your daughter.

Mc_Newlywed · February 2009

I think 11 mos/12 mos is a little young to drop to 1 nap. ?Even now my daughter is struggling with it but needs 2 just to get us through the day?

I say that you're the mom. If you think your daughter needs 2 naps then you should dictate that. ?Not them. ?They are clearly doing it out of convenience and not taking your daughter's needs into consideration.?

lucyred · February 2009

Our daycare also has DD on one nap during the day 12-2, they have the policy that the kids get up when they wake up so sometimes she only sleeps an hour sometimes its over 2 hours. Since she has been in the toddler room though she has been good with only the one nap there but when DH picks her up at 4:30ish she usually falls asleep just as they get home so she will nap again. Then she gets up eats dinner and is up til about 8:30 when she goes to bed.

How long has she been in the toddler room? Do you think she can adjust to taking a longer nap? I know that DD needs a total of 3 hours of nap time to make it to her usual bed time.

Taylor44 · February 2009

I just noticed that your daughter is under 12 months. I would definitely ask for them to delay the transition.

FSUSammy · February 2009

She will get used to it! DS transitioned to the big kid side of the infant room at 10 months where they prepare them for the toddler room with 1 nap a day. He was never a good napper at daycare before then and when they transitioned him he became a GREAT napper at daycare. The first week or two he was crankier at night because he was more tired but he quickly got used to it. On the weekends when we are at home if he insists on wanting to go down for an early morning nap I let him and he'll usually take an afternoon nap too on those days but most days he does the 1 nap a day since he's used to it.

Temp174496125006552 · February 2009

My son is not in daycare, but he NEEDS two naps a day. If they tried to tell me they were going to make him only take one, I would tell them that no they aren't, and they need to come up with some other solution. You are paying them and they need to take her needs into account over their convenience. Plus, why would they want a cranky baby on their hands if they can help it?

mrsmikey · February 2009

DS is in the pre-toddler room right now, which is a transition room for the toddler class. It actually works out pretty well, because they have months to transition them to the toddler schedule. Eli has done really, really well with it, and is moving up to the toddler class next month. He dropped to one nap a day, ON HIS OWN, at 11 months. They didn't force it, that's just their "scheduled" nap time, where they put all the babies in their beds and turn off the lights. If the babies don't want to sleep, they don't. And they are allowed to nap at other times if they need to. But they learn that that's nap time, and it doesn't take long for them to acclamate to that schedule. They will also sleep on mats in the toddler class, and I'm a little concerned about that, but if all the other kids his age can do it, then I have no reason to believe he can't. And I have seen toddlers sleeping in there at different parts of the day. They just find them a quiet spot in a corner and let them lay down.

steenger8 · February 2009

My DS also transitioned to one nap per day once he moved to the toddler room. I was a little disappointed with the way he transitioned becasue he was going from 2-3 (45 min - 1 hour) naps in a crib per day in the infant room to just one on the days he "visited" the toddler room on a mat on the floor. He had a terrible time at first, but within 3-4 weeks he was doing great with one 2 - 2.5 hour nap. Its a tough transition, but I think he naps better now than he did in the infant room. Good luck!

jlw2505 · February 2009

At my daycare, once the kids move to the Busy Baby room at a year, they are on 1 nap only. Parents can request that their child not move up if they don't feel they are ready. The kids nap on cots in the Busy Baby room while the infants are in cribs. There is no way they can do different schedules in the Busy Baby room as they set the cots out throughout the room, turn the lights down and stuff like that. A friend of mine did choose to not have her DD move up at a year as she felt she wasn't ready. her DD would visit the Busy Baby room when they had space but was not officially in that room until she moved to one nap.

I personally found that with my older DD, she napped better when she was down to 1 nap. It does take a little adjusting though so you might want to give her more time. My older DD was never a good napper and started napper better when it was only once a day but it took some time to get to that point.

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