Napping schedule different at Daycare- Help!

[duffers]

I am going back to work part time in March and have started to ease my DS into daycare this week. He will eventually be going three days a week. The past three months he has been a great sleeper (routine below), good naps and rarely wakes at night.  The nursery has the children napping from 12-2pm (or sometime around that) so his 10 and 3 naps just won't work there.  He is only 10 months old and really can't do just one nap, so they suggested he could have a short nap around 9:30 and then a longer one at 12. I just don't think he would be tired again by 12 and also I don't think he can last from 2pm until 7:30 bedtime.  Any suggestions as to how to transition.  Besides the separation anxiety this is causing me the most concern!

6:30/7:00am Wake
7am - bottle
8:30 - Breakfast -
10- Nap - (usually 1hr 15 mins)
11:00/11:30 - Bottle
1pm Lunch
3pm - Nap - usually about 1hr (sometimes longer if am nap short)
6:00 - Dinner
7 - Bath, Bottle, Story
7:30 - Bed

Many Thanks - Duffers

[Mia & Scarlett's Mummy]

Hi Duffers

It sounds like your daycare follows a Gina Ford style of napping - a short nap in the morning followed by a good lunchtime nap.

My dd has just started daycare (she's 5 months) and like you I am really worried about her naps.  I've just got her into a routine.  However - they should follow your routine at least to start of with.  When I explained dd naps to them they were happy to keep her in the routine I'd established.  Have they said they aren't willing?

Their is so much going on at nursery that Mia is not sleeping well there anyway and apparently not many of the children do.  The result is that she's in bed for 6pm on her nursery days now but thankfully she has fallen back into her old routine well.

By the way I do the short morning nap followed by a 12-2pm nap with Mia and it works brilliantly for us.  I found that despite my best efforts she didn't want  a nap of more than 45 minutes in the morning after being up for 2 hours after a solid 12 hours sleep.  But this means that by the time its 12noon she's more than ready for a good 2 hour nap sometimes more.  Then around 4pm she has another catnap.  It works much better for us that way.

HTH and Hope your lo enjoys nursery!

[duffers]

Thanks Louise - I hadn't even thought that it followed a certain plan, but now that you mention Gina Ford it all makes sense!  I think the nursery will be pretty accomodating for a little while, keeping the old routine , at least while Ryan is settling in.  What time does Mia go down for the short morning nap?  I thought about a short catnap in the afternoon but likely it will end up being at 6pm when I pick him up. I can't imagine he will be able to keep his eyes open in the stroller for the walk home!  Maybe his bedtime will just get pushed a little later?
Thanks for replying

[Mia & Scarlett's Mummy]

At the moment her routine is:
7am wake
9am 45 minute nap
12-12.30 - 2./2.30pm lunchtime nap
4-5pm 45 minute catnap

This is the routine she put herself into really (while I was trying to put her into 2 long naps and a catnap routine!).  It was only after that I read the Gina Ford book and discovered that dd was following the routines laid out in the book - perhaps she read it before me!

I was also worried that having established a routine nursery would throw her off it because although they followed my requests to put her down at certain times she hasn't slept nearly as well as she does at home.  On Tuesday she only had a 25 minute nap at lunchtime so when I picked her up at 3.30 I put her straight to bed when we got home.  She had a 1.5hour nap and woke really grumpy and grizzled until we put her to bed at 6pm - normally she goes at 7pm but I couldn't take any more!

Anyway the last couple of days have been fine and she's fallen into her old routine easily.  Which is a huge relief after months of battling!

[duffers]

So do you keep the same routine at home & nursery?   I am wondering if I tried to transition him at home to the same routine he will have to follow at nursery if it would make things easier. My only reservation is that he is so happy at the moment with the way things are - and he is sleeping through the night - so I am hesitant to make the change. One thing is for sure I need to give the daycare more specific instruction rather than just let them do what they want. Sounds like our kids are similar - textbook/spirited for sure. Thanks for the help!
Sally (aka Duffers)

[Mia & Scarlett's Mummy]

Hi again Sally

My nursery also like to give the children a lunchtime nap the same as your nursery so luckily for me Mias sleep times at home and nursery are pretty much the same anyway.  However although she doesn't sleep well at nursery (so in effect her routine is different there) so far she has fallen back into her routine well - I've been on the ball about getting her up at the same time each day and think that helps too.

So your lo is spirited too?  Knowing Mias spirited nature I was prepared for short naps at daycare.  She doesn't need much of an excuse not to sleep during the day and with so much happening at daycare I'm surprised they've got her down at all!

I'm sure your dc will find a routine of sorts and as he'll only be there 3 days hopefully he'll adjust to the routine you've got going for him already