Daycare Nap Fail - So Frustrated with Daycare Provider

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, my baby is nearly the same age (11 months) and is on almost exactly the schedule you mention at his daycare (also an in-home). At daycare, they only allow morning naps to go about 30 minutes, so he's down at 9, up at 9:30, down at 12 or 12:30, up at 2:30. He melts down nearly every night around 6:30 and we have him in bed by 7. He sleep through the night and is up by 5:30ish am. I nurse him, put him back in crib, and he sleeps for another hour, usually.

This is just how babies this age are (this is my second child and first was almost the same). Embrace the early wakeup, as others have mentioned. My big kid (nearly 5) is asleep by 7:30 and awake by 6 a.m (and still naps in p.m., though that will end with kindergarten). He knows now to stay in bed looking at books, but some kids are just early risers and fighting it doesn't work.

Since we are talking about kids sleeping, I wanted to tell you that my girl was always a napper and I thought that would end with kindergarten too. Let me tell you, kindergarten is *exhausting*! I wish someone had told me to plan ahead for an immediate rest/nap time as soon as she got home. By the holidays she wasn't falling asleep anymore but still needed a solid 30 minutes of downtime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP, my baby is nearly the same age (11 months) and is on almost exactly the schedule you mention at his daycare (also an in-home). At daycare, they only allow morning naps to go about 30 minutes, so he's down at 9, up at 9:30, down at 12 or 12:30, up at 2:30. He melts down nearly every night around 6:30 and we have him in bed by 7. He sleep through the night and is up by 5:30ish am. I nurse him, put him back in crib, and he sleeps for another hour, usually.

This is just how babies this age are (this is my second child and first was almost the same). Embrace the early wakeup, as others have mentioned. My big kid (nearly 5) is asleep by 7:30 and awake by 6 a.m (and still naps in p.m., though that will end with kindergarten). He knows now to stay in bed looking at books, but some kids are just early risers and fighting it doesn't work.


Since we are talking about kids sleeping, I wanted to tell you that my girl was always a napper and I thought that would end with kindergarten too. Let me tell you, kindergarten is *exhausting*! I wish someone had told me to plan ahead for an immediate rest/nap time as soon as she got home. By the holidays she wasn't falling asleep anymore but still needed a solid 30 minutes of downtime.

Yeah, I'm worried about it--he will have to go to after-care because the earliest I can pick him up is 5 p.m. I wish I could just bring him home for a nap after school, but it's just not realistic. I'm already in my office by 7:45 so that I can get out by 4 to pick them both up. This is the sort of working-parent thing that makes me sad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you need special care get a nanny.

Or, you know, stay home and care for your child yourself.

Oh thanks SAHM! Your input is just so helpful on threads like this!!!!

[Anonymous]

I wish more parents were better educated about the consequences of different daycare situations. Most have no clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate to tell you this but I have friends whose kids still wake up at 5am well into the elementary years. They're just early risers. The bright side (to them) is that they are in bed by 7pm.

My almost 4 yo wakes up around 5 am regardless of nap schedule or bedtime. We have tried it all!

Same here. It does not matter when she goes to bed, she wakes up at 5-5:30. That's just how she wired. It sucks, because I am a night owl, but she's getting plenty of sleep, she's jut not getting it during the precise window I would prefer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have been an infant / toddler teacher and am now the parent of a baby who doesn't nap at daycare (although he sleeps great at home).

Your expectations are unrealistic and your frustration with your provider is misplaced.

My advice is don't stress it. Your DC's routine is still constantly changing. If anything, I'd be pushing to try just one nap at this age, hoping he'd sleep from 12:30-3 or so. And, yes, 8:00 is too late for bedtime and 5:00 is reasonable for wake-up. Sorry.

This. Your kid is going to be taking only one nap soon. And FWIW, that immensely helped when my kid dropped to one nap...she started sleeping longer at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy shit. You took your 12 month old to a sleep study because he wakes up at 5am?!? He is an early riser, live with it. It will change, often. Fuck the sleep study and when they say he should nap. If he is tired, he will sleep. Obviously he is tired if he is sleeping at 12:30 there. She also can not force him to sleep longer than 45 mins for the first nap. You have high, unrealistic expectations for your baby. 8pm for a bedtime is late for a one year old. Her schedule sounds better than yours.

+1 I agree with this poster.

I think taking your 12 month old to a sleep study bc he wakes at 5 am might be the most DCUM FTM thing I've ever heard of. Bravo, OP.