XP: Daycare Advice?

spainy17 · May 2014

Our in-home DC situation is ending this fall (DCP is having her 3rd baby so is going to be a SAHM). Currently we drop off DD at 6am and there are max 3 other kiddos and DCP goes by DD's schedule. She is an early bird so she usually goes down to nap around 11 or noon and naps for 2.5 to 3 hours. She naps in a dark room in a crib right now.

We are looking at a new in home that is certified and more structured than what we have now. On one hand I think the larger group of kids and Montessori type learning will be great for her. My issue is that the start time is a little later (7am) and in general the daily schedule is pushed up way farther and i worry about DD adjusting. Their "naptime" is from 130 to 330 with the kids on cots of pack n plays in one room.

I just worry that since she normally wakes as early as 5 that that is a long wake time for her and that she will be tired and miserable at their lunch time. Can she adjust when the difference is up to 2.5 hours? Should I try and move it gradually over the summer? And move bedtime? I am just sad because we have such a good thing now and while I like this new place the schedule is keeping me from being happy about it. Any advice or did anyone else go through this?

mb314 · May 2014

I agree that 1:30 seems late, but I think your LO will adjust after a few weeks. She may naturally start to go to bed later, wake up later, and nap later once the new daycare schedule is in place. You could try and move it gradually over the summer so that she is napping at 11:30 for a few weeks, then noon/12:30.

FWIW, DS' daycare nap schedule is noon - 2 ish. However, on weekends, he seems ready for a nap at 11 and I put him down earlier to avoid total meltdowns. I can only assume that the structured schedule and the distractions at daycare keep him going until noon better than it does at our house.

TheBorg7of9 · May 2014

I generally think trying to preadjust a kid to a new schedule is a pain and probably won't work. I would just do the change cold turkey and then deal with problems as they come up. Instead of trying to anticipate what the issues might be and probably being wrong.

Pips09 · May 2014

Our daycare does nap time from 1-3. I think kids are amazing at adjusting to daycare schedules. I've also found in-homes to be more flexible than centers. Have you asked about an adjusted nap schedule?

mlee116 · May 2014

Like PP's said, kids are awesome at adjusting to new schedules. You might find that after a week or so at the new DC, she wakes up a little later in the morning or goes to bed a little earlier at night to compensate. FWIW, before DS started DC, I thought he'd never adjust to their schedule. After a few days, he was right in line and it actually improved his schedule at home too.

ccam · May 2014

DS naps at DC from 1-3, but still naps at home on the weekends sometimes as early as 11. I wouldn't even bother trying to make gradual adjustments at home, she will fall into the routine after some transition. DS is so busy from the time he gets there until nap time that it doesn't really affect him.

Jills83 · May 2014

I agree not to worry about pre-adjusting and let him adjust on his own. I had the exact same situation as you ---early waker, relaxed on-the-baby's-schedule caregiver, napping in a crib alone, moving to a more structured daycare setting. My DS fell asleep at the lunch table the first few days at his new DC, but he gradually (over about 2 weeks) adjusted to the new schedule. Now he sleeps a little later in the mornings until about 6:30 (we leave at 7:00). He still takes earlier naps on weekends.

emberlee3 · May 2014

My kids' school has a late nap time, usually 1 or 1:30. It was hard for DS, who was a very early riser like your LO. They set the cots up before lunch, so when he first started he would go to his cot earlier than the other kids.

dashofreality · May 2014

Honestly, I would find somewhere else. I agree that kids are adaptable to daycare, but that means that your DD is going to completely change her schedule. If my math is right your DD is still pretty young. 1:30 is a late naptime. At 2 my DS is wiped by 1 and prefers to nap at 12:30 and he gets up at 7-8. Closer to 3, that time would be no problem. I hate messing with sleep and a good thing so for me it would be a deal breaker - if I really liked the place I would revisit in a year or so.

I would talk to the provider about options for your DD to take an earlier nap, but honestly I wouldn't be a big fan of that either because when she wakes everyone else will be sleeping and your DCP will be having some downtime.

cecilyandgautam · May 2014

You kid will probably shift her night time sleeping to accommodate the later nap. I wouldn't worry about it. Also, some kids will just fall asleep whenever, wherever, if that's what they need to do - I don't know if yours is like that, but mine has just dozed off mid-bite in a high chair when she was transitioning from two to one nap a day. DCP would just shift her to a quiet corner where she could finish her cat nap. Random & spontaneous dozing might occur while your DD adjusts, but she'll find a new equilibrium soon.

DiveFrog · May 2014

I have a kid who basically will just keep going until you decide she needs to sleep, so adjusting schedules is pretty easy. When we switched our DC arrangement around 16months DD went from getting up at 8-8:30am to getting up at 6:30am she easily adjusted to the change.

I will say she has always been a late napper and late to bed. Even at 16months when she was down to one nap, that nap didn't start until 2-3 in the afternoon. When we moved her wake time up to 6:30 she shifted her nap at first to start around 12-1, but by 18months it was back to a 2-3pm start time.

I wouldn't be as concerned with the schedule as the sleep environment. DD has always napped and slept in a cool/dark room with a fan running. If that was all different she would ahve a very hard time sleeping/adjusting to the change.

Want a personalized experience?

XP: Daycare Advice?

Re: XP: Daycare Advice?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards