Originally Posted by nannyde:
i don't see how it's even possible for a kid who's in daycare until 530 or 6 to be in bed by 8:00 after you factor in commute, dinner, bath, and then a little play time, tv time, winding down - whatever you want to call it.
I think it's VERY common. I think one indicator that this is happening is when parents start asking for a short nap or no nap for the child.
If you have a parent that keeps the kid up until ten or eleven every night and when they return to day care for their eleven hour day they go straight back to bed to finish their nights sleep and then have a long three/four hour nap... then YES it could be done.
I also do NOT see parent who put their kid to bed getting them up at five a.m. when they aren't leaveing for work two hours later. I honestly think you were very very very much the exception to the rule.
That's going to put that parent into a six/seven hour night sleep and no time at home when they don't have their kids up. I don't think this is common at all. I think kids who are on eleven hour days at day care go home, have supper, have baths, have some TV time, and go to bed around eight or nine. I think that would be best case normal scenario.
Worst case scenario is travel home, bath, quickie supper, TV and to bed at seven ... seven thirty. This IS possible ... especially for the kids who are not having nap during the day or a short... very early awake time in the afternoon nap.
I don't mind twelve hour days for kids who have parents that work twelve hour days three days a week. I've done that in my many years of caring for kids and I love that. The kid gets the full time hours in here... and they get four days off a week with their parent. That extra two working days off with the parent makes ALL the difference in awake face time with their kid.
i know that it DOES happen, but i think providers are under the impression that it's the norm (and maybe it IS) but that screws parents who are the exception - and so is life, i guess. i worked with a girl at the very daycare my children attended who had 2 year old twins who she said she put to bed at 730-8pm. we didn't even get off work til 6pm and i asked her, HOW?! there was actually another lady who i worked with that said the same thing...and i just couldn't understand it.
i HAD to wake up at 5 and get the kids up bc by the time i got ready, got them ready, and made it to the daycare it was 630 at the earliest, 7 at the latest and i had a 45 minute commute after that which spared 15 minutes for me to be in class by 8 (which of course i had to park, walk, etc. or god forbid stop and get gas while my kids were in daycare <gasp>). is getting gas considering taking advantage since you're not at work? just wondering. that's not directed at you, nannyde - just a general question.
i actually DID ask about how long nap time lasted, especially after learning that kids who went to the same daycare and were on the same nap schedule were going to bed by 8pm when mine were staying up til 10-11pm. i didn't mind spending time with them, but i was worried if they were getting enough sleep at night since they woke up at 5. if a child goes to sleep at 11 and wakes up at 5 that's only six hours, but if they were sleeping for three...or four or more at daycare (if they took 2 naps)...then it would make sense. i loved spending time with them, but of course i couldn't do homework until after they were in bed so an 11pm bedtime for them (due to a super long nap at daycare) usually meant a 2pm bedtime for ME only to turn around and wake up at 5am again!
anyhow, (not directed at you, nannyde) it is entirely understandable that a child could have an 11-12 hour day at daycare even in a 2 parent home. when i was waking up at 5am all that time, my husband was leaving the house at 5am to start work at 6am. therefore, i had to drop off at daycare. then, i would get off at 6 (when i worked at the daycare) and 530 when i didn't work at the daycare (and that was only cus my boss let me leave early since daycare closed at 6) - and he didn't get home until 7, 8, or sometimes 9pm depending on what time it got dark out - time change and all.
point being - don't assume that just because there are 2 parents in a home that they aren't sacrificing enough or don't care or aren't spending any awake time with their child(ren). like i said, we own our home and our cars and we both still have to work to keep above water - not to have fancy cars or vacations (which we're not taking this year). if both parents are working full time or if one parent is working and the other is working and going to school - there's nothing strange about an 11-12 hour day. my kids aren't in daycare anymore, but starting next week i'm going to have to get a neighbor to put my kids on the bus because i won't get home from work until 830am, my husband has to be AT work by 7am, and my children's bus comes AT 7am. again - two parent home, no fancy cars, a house that's paid for, and we STILL have a need for childcare even if it is only for 30 minutes. i would dare say most daycare parents don't own their cars and homes free and clear so it just doesn't seem strange to me at all.