I'm Still Laughing!!!

[wdmmom]

I have a DCG (3.5) that only stays 1 afternoon per week and she doesn't like to nap. I have repeatedly told DCM that she doesn't have to sleep but I don't offer toys or tv during naptime. Today she asks me if DCG can have a rest time? What's the difference between nap time and rest time?! To me, it's the exact same thing. You lay down, you rest. If you're tired, you sleep. If you aren't you don't.

I of course suggested that either she add days or take the 1 day a week off. She wants to know the difference in price. Well, there isn't any. I have a fixed fee for part time regardless of the amount of hours.

The only other option I had to offer her was something Nannyde taught me so I threw it out there and ever since I did, I can't stop laughing!

Here's the option:

DCG can stay up and be one on one'd by my assistant but because my assistant would then have to work through her break, it's going to cost $25 a week more. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I haven't had any reply so I can about imagine her eyes popping out of her head and her head spinning!

[laundrymom]

Rofl!!! That's so funny!!

[cheerfuldom]

like having a nap once a week is clearly the most horrible thing one can do to a child

[MarinaVanessa]

Originally Posted by cheerfuldom

like having a nap once a week is clearly the most horrible thing one can do to a child

Clearly! Oh the inhumanity!

[nannyde]

Doesn't it feel great to give a YES now and then.

YES I will be happy to keep her up at nap. It will be 25 dollars for that and my staff assistant will LOVE the extra 2.5 hours.

She's been asking for extra hours so now we will ALL be happy.

[Blackcat31]

I tried this with a PITA mom I have and she was perfectly willing to pay!

Her DD (age 3) is here 10 hours per day, 5 days a week while mom works 4 days at 8.5 hours each.

She also told me that her DD goes to bed at 6:30 p.m. (She is picked up at 5:30).

I recently just told her "No." Her DD will rest like everyone else. So she does.

I am afraid, this mom would have paid some good money for me to keep her DD awake and unrested but seriously? Um, no.

[wdmmom]

She was trying to offer other suggestions in place of nap.

Nope! No tv, no toys, no books, no quiet play.

Nap at the same time as the other kids or don't nap and pay more to have more care.

This DCM said she didn't feel she needed to pay more for a sleeping child or an awake child!? REALLY?!

She said when she was at a center (age 2) she didn't have to nap. That they would have them lay down for 30-60 minutes but if they didn't sleep, they could play! BOLOGNA! Don't you think if they kids knew they could play toys rather than sleep, they'd all be keeping themselves awake just so they could play toys! Any provider or center I've known about, been associated with, had my children in, had friends that worked at, etc. all had a 2 hour rest time.

[Crystal]

Originally Posted by wdmmom

She was trying to offer other suggestions in place of nap.

Nope! No tv, no toys, no books, no quiet play.

Nap at the same time as the other kids or don't nap and pay more to have more care.

This DCM said she didn't feel she needed to pay more for a sleeping child or an awake child!? REALLY?!

She said when she was at a center (age 2) she didn't have to nap. That they would have them lay down for 30-60 minutes but if they didn't sleep, they could play! BOLOGNA! Don't you think if they kids knew they could play toys rather than sleep, they'd all be keeping themselves awake just so they could play toys! Any provider or center I've known about, been associated with, had my children in, had friends that worked at, etc. all had a 2 hour rest time.

Not even books? Really?

I believe the center allowed them to play after an hour of rest time. I do. It's quiet things, like puzzles, play dough etc. but they can play if they can behave.

[wdmmom]

Originally Posted by Crystal

Not even books? Really?

I believe the center allowed them to play after an hour of rest time. I do. It's quiet things, like puzzles, play dough etc. but they can play if they can behave.

Not even books! I have my kids on camera so I am able to perform other tasks associated with the daycare to have 1 child up and needing direct care supervision. And, her rate is reflective of 2.5 hours of indirect care aka nap.

[caligirl]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

I tried this with a PITA mom I have and she was perfectly willing to pay!

Her DD (age 3) is here 10 hours per day, 5 days a week while mom works 4 days at 8.5 hours each.

She also told me that her DD goes to bed at 6:30 p.m. (She is picked up at 5:30).

I recently just told her "No." Her DD will rest like everyone else. So she does.

I am afraid, this mom would have paid some good money for me to keep her DD awake and unrested but seriously? Um, no.

Oh man, this sounds like one of my families......kids are picked up at 5 and in bed by 6:30.....up at 6am and at my door by 7.....SO sad. Her daughter just moved on to pre-k and I have the son (20 months)....she told me last night that she was picking him up early for his doc appt and that she was debating on whether to pick daughter up and take her along, or have the dad come home early so HE could pick up daughter from her preschool .....I said 'why not just get her AFTER the doc appt since her school is open until 6:00 ?? She said 'because that would mean she'd be there for 10 hours....".......I said 'but your son is HERE for 10 hours a day, what's the difference?'........she had no come back.........

[caligirl]

And as for parents thinking the kids should skip naps.......... what I would like to say is 'would YOU like to skip your breaks or lunch hour and just work though it day after day?'....." I NEED my lunch hour, especially working a 10.5 hour day. I cannot even imagine not having some sort of a break during those LONG hours

[nannyde]

Originally Posted by Crystal

Not even books? Really?

I believe the center allowed them to play after an hour of rest time. I do. It's quiet things, like puzzles, play dough etc. but they can play if they can behave.

For me it doesn't matter if I have one up doing quiet activities or all seven up fully playing. It's the same to me. That one child up doing quiet will take more adult supervision and interaction that seven up free playing with each other.

[Crystal]

See, for me, it is MORE work to try to keep one down than it is to allow him to look at books, play puzzles, etc. If he's a non-napper, at some point being made to stay laying down for 2.5 hours is going to cause him to become disruptive.

Honestly, I think providers stress way too much over naptime and make their job much more difficult than it needs to be.

And, back to the old debate that caligirl threw out there.....YES, we all NEED a break....but NO ONE NEEDS 2.5 HOURS.....I don't know any worker in any job that gets THAT much of a break time.

[wdmmom]

Originally Posted by Crystal

See, for me, it is MORE work to try to keep one down than it is to allow him to look at books, play puzzles, etc. If he's a non-napper, at some point being made to stay laying down for 2.5 hours is going to cause him to become disruptive.

Honestly, I think providers stress way too much over naptime and make their job much more difficult than it needs to be.

And, back to the old debate that caligirl threw out there.....YES, we all NEED a break....but NO ONE NEEDS 2.5 HOURS.....I don't know any worker in any job that gets THAT much of a break time.

In this example, I will use someone I know that works 12 hours per day.

He is allowed 1 hour paid lunch and 3 20 minute paid breaks. This totals 2 hours per day. This is also a cush job.

A friend of mine works for a large financial firm. She works 8 hours per day. She gets 1 hour unpaid lunch break and 2 20 minute paid breaks. 1 hour and 40 minutes.

I also know my neighbor works 4 10 hour days. He gets 1 hour paid lunch and 3 20 minute breaks. This is 2 hours.

Just because naptime is 2.5 hours certainly doesn't mean children are getting 2.5 hours of rest. By the time we get out cots, pillows, blankets, sleep mates, change diapers, tuck them in, etc, there's a half hour or more.

To ask for a 2 hour break in a 10+ hour day I don't think is any different than what most employers offer to their employees.

Any child that needs direct care during naptime is going to cost more. If I could be mopping or sanitizing the bathroom but I can't while a child is up and awake, it's more work for me after hours, taking away from my family time and in essence, making me work more hours in a day. I work more, I get paid more.

[daycare]

Huh! I work 14 plus hour days I need a 2 hour break or I can't keep up.
This means I need to be able to rest, eat, cook the next meal and get any paper work done.
How do you manage your stress and attitude without a break.
Btw any person that works an 8 hour shift gets an hour lunch and two 15 min breaks

[Country Kids]

Yes, receiving a 2 1/2 break during a 10-12 hour day get us to almost a regular 8 hour day. Wait, as posted above those people only work 6.5 hours. No there is nothing wrong wanting a 2 hour break at once during your day!

Also, then there are the children that won't take a nap but as soon as mom and dad get them in the car to take them home the fall asleep for the night. If they are woke up they get a second wind and don't fall asleep till the wee hours of the morning! Then guess what, you deal with the grumpy child in the morning.

I just had one fall asleep and we only have 15 min. left of naptime. Do I let them sleep or let them sleep till mom and dad get here. After not getting to eat lunch again, clean, do paperwork, etc. I'm really not in the mood to deal with this child or the grumpiness. They also woke up one of the other children so I have had nooooooooo break for the day. I can feel a headache and stomache coming on.

[Lucy]

Originally Posted by Crystal

See, for me, it is MORE work to try to keep one down than it is to allow him to look at books, play puzzles, etc. If he's a non-napper, at some point being made to stay laying down for 2.5 hours is going to cause him to become disruptive.

Honestly, I think providers stress way too much over naptime and make their job much more difficult than it needs to be.

And, back to the old debate that caligirl threw out there.....YES, we all NEED a break....but NO ONE NEEDS 2.5 HOURS.....I don't know any worker in any job that gets THAT much of a break time.

Amen and high five. This exactly.

There is no difference here. I don't care what it's called as long as it remains quiet.

I understand that daycare kids may not want to sleep and that's OK with me. They don't have to sleep but they do have to be quiet so that the other kids can sleep. I understand that some parents don't want their kids napping at daycare because they think that no nap at daycare will mean less drama at bedtime. I understand but I'm not willing to change my policy for one child's parents.

If I allowed one kid to stay up and play quietly during nap time, I would most certainly have problems with other parents wanting their children to be allowed to stay up and play during nap time. Another problem that could come up is that even quiet activities can get loud and if there are 2 children awake at the same time, they will want to socialize and before long, it can get super loud. If it's just one awake child, then the expectation for me to be the child's one on one nap time playmate arises. During nap time, I don't engage the kids in conversation because I don't want to teach the kids how to stall for more time before nap time. They get my full attention for every other moment of the day.