for those who use center-based daycare

linjmurx · September 2012

I am thinking of switching from a home-based daycare to a center. I found one that I like, however I am a little concerned about the fact that at 1 year old all kids are switched to one nap per day. My LO is 16 months, and still at two naps. While she would probably be fine making the switch in the next couple of months, I worry about baby #2 that is on the way. I am wondering how it will be for him to be forced to make that change at one year old. Any feedback from people who have experience with this would be appreciated.

thanks

sucredee · September 2012

At our daycare they go to the toddler room as soon as they are a year old AND are walking. For DD that meant she moved up around 14 months old. The first couple of weeks she was a bit grouchy towards bedtime but after that she adjusted fine. She got up around 630, nap at daycare from 12-1ish (they nap until 230 but I work until 1. That said even at home she would rarely nap for more than an hour) and then bed around 7. I think most kids are ready for 1 nap between 12-18 months. I don't know what time your LO goes to bed but it is on the later side it may help to move him to an earlier bedtime.

AimeeL85 · September 2012

DS' daycare did the same thing. He only went to daycare 2 days a week so he was able to manage ok, but he was very tired on those 2 days because he also still took two naps a day at home until he was 18 months. I believe most centers do it this way so I'm not sure if you'd be able to find one that doesn't. I think it's really unfortunate that they do this, to be honest. When he was in the infant room (under 12 months old) one of the teachers said that "half" of them were already moving to one nap - I found that so hard to believe.

rosesandpeonies · September 2012

we use a center and at 12 months they do one nap a day. My daughter switched to one nap a day around that time. Switching to one nap isn't easy no matter when it happens. It takes a week or so of transition.

My best advice....make big changes a few months before baby or a few months after baby. Do not do it around the same time. I know from experience to keep things as routine as possible when the new baby comes.

StefandTodd · September 2012

My son moved to the toddler room at daycare last week (turned 1 the week before). He has not had that hard a time with the nap transition. It's working out fine for us and I think the quality and duration of his one nap (and his night sleep) is better than his two naps at daycare were.

twohniyt · September 2012

My daughter got moved to the Infant 2 room at 10 months since they had to push a few kids early. They only do 1 nap with the Infants 2's, but if she was ever fussy during the transition they were more than happy to give her an extra nap. And for the first couple months she would take 2 several times a week. I am thankful they transitioned her instead of forcing. At 12 months they moved them from the crib to the cot in my center too. She did great on the cot.

drpayne · September 2012

I worried about this transition and it ended up being a non-issue. He did really well.

DaisyJanie · September 2012

My daycare keeps them in the infant room until 18 months, but most of the older kids are on a 1 nap schedule. My LO was at 1 nap/day at daycare starting at about 10 months, but he still did 2 naps a day at home until just a couple weeks ago (14 months). They tried to get him to keep his second nap for a while longer because I asked them to, but he just refused. There was a short transition where he seemed very tired when he came home, and would sometimes fall asleep in the car, but after about a week he was used to it.

AsOctoberFalls · September 2012

At our center, the infant room goes up to 18 months. They nap on demand in the infant room but do 1 nap/day in the toddler room.

DS has been on a one 30 minute nap a day schedule at daycare for MONTHS. They try to get him to take additional naps, but they just can't get him to sleep. At home, he takes two naps - on bad days 45 minutes each, on good days up to 2 hours each.

It's fine. I hate that he's so tired on daycare days, but there's not much we can do about it. I'm sure it won't affect him long-term.

AlexKate45 · September 2012

drpayne:
I worried about this transition and it ended up being a non-issue. He did really well.

Ditto for us. He would take one nap at daycare but two at home on the weekends when he was 12-15mos. Now he just has one on the weekends. No problems.

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