How do I make sure nanny gets downtime when kid no longer naps?
![[Post New]](/nanny-forum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| MB here. DD, age 3.5, is in a share with another child, age 2.5. She is dropping her nap at this point, and only sleeps around 50% of the time. I want to make sure our nanny gets some downtime during her day--she has our daughter from 12:00-5:30, but the other child from 8:00-6. Anything I can suggest to help? DD plays well on her own independently, but her room is *tiny* and she doesn't do well with the idea of staying in her room for "quiet time." |
Anonymous
|
There are some "Montessori at home" activities that are very independent and take the children at least 20 minutes to complete. There are also tracing books that are a bit more challenging than coloring books - I got the first in the KUMON series and my 3 year old will sit independently to work on that for awhile.
It's not the full 1.5 hour break that the nanny is probably used to getting, but a few 20 minute breaks through out the day should be doable. |
Anonymous
| Hire a mothers helper to come in for an hour and take over for nanny so she can rest. |
Anonymous
| She can learn to have quiet time. It's good for her to have some down time. Start short 20-30 mins. My charge plays in the playroom for an hour every day. Twice a week she watches a movie in her moms room.-preschool days |
Anonymous
| I believe that down time is important for both your nanny and your child. Even though she is no longer taking naps, it can definitely be beneficial for her to learn to spend some quiet time in her room alone for 45 mins-1 hour per day. It may take some work and time for her to fully understand that we stay in our rooms during quiet time, but with some persistence from both you and your nanny, she will get the picture. |
Anonymous
|
I also recommend quiet time. I'm a nanny and I can only sit down and relax when I know the kids are confined. With activities, the nanny will still be one mentally and won't be able to relax.
Maybe ask your nanny would she'd like to handle it? |
Anonymous
Wow. Getting paid to let a kid watch a movie... Not once but twice a week! Why not just put their kid in daycare? |
Anonymous
| Ugh. OP here. I came in to our sunroom today toet nanny know I was going to pick up DS. DD was awake and nanny was asleep on the couch. Her other charge was asleep upstairs at the other end of the house!! |
Anonymous
Fire her. Thread closed. |
Anonymous
| Your nanny made a serious error in judgement falling asleep with a child awake. Not sure if I would fire for this, depends on whole situation. I do think your kid could learn to have a short quiet time. Find a short CD she likes and tell her she has to lay on her bed and rest until it's over. When the music stupid she can get up. On rare occasions my two yo doesn't nap and I do this for her. I only do thirty minutes but it's enough to give me a short break. |
Anonymous
| Omg stops not stupid.......dam kindle. |
Anonymous
She probably feels terrible. Give her another chance, even the best of us can make a mistake. |
Anonymous
Oh come on... I'm doing the kids laundry, while I eat lunch and watch a 1 hour talk show. Get real. She gets 2hs of tv a week. Not all parents think TV is a vortex to hell. |
Anonymous
My employers tell me to keep the tv on all day. They see no harm in it. To each his own |
Anonymous
| We do quiet time as well - started when she would no longer sleep and now it's around an hour that she is to stay in her room and play quietly. For independent play I would suggest sensory bins, they easily take 20-30 minutes out of the day with minimal supervision. |