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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How to Manage Infant Naps with Toddler Group?
LittleScholars 11:41 AM 09-26-2016
In February, my own little one will join our group. Admittedly, I have very, very little experience with infants (and that is why I don't take accept them into my program currently). My toddlers are on a super solid routine and they all nap two full hours/until I wake them without fail. They are also super active and noisy when they are awake (and this is why they nap so well)! I'm thinking about what life will be like when an infant joins us.
Any tips on how to allow for multiple naps, while not mandating quiet from toddlers? Will infants just sleep through it (I honestly have no idea)? I do plan on carefully sleep training my little one so he is accustomed to the daycare environment (particularly the noise of the environment), but I'm a bit lost beyond that. My new daycare space is much larger than my current space, but it is all one floor with no private rooms (there will be a kitchen nook I could tuck a pack'n'play in). I also plan to babywear a lot, so I suppose sometimes the infant could sleep in the carrier, but I don't want to create a dependency. The baby books don't answer this one!
Thank you so much!
Any tips on how to allow for multiple naps, while not mandating quiet from toddlers? Will infants just sleep through it (I honestly have no idea)? I do plan on carefully sleep training my little one so he is accustomed to the daycare environment (particularly the noise of the environment), but I'm a bit lost beyond that. My new daycare space is much larger than my current space, but it is all one floor with no private rooms (there will be a kitchen nook I could tuck a pack'n'play in). I also plan to babywear a lot, so I suppose sometimes the infant could sleep in the carrier, but I don't want to create a dependency. The baby books don't answer this one!
Thank you so much!
Controlled Chaos 12:01 PM 09-26-2016
My 3rd was born into a daycare where I had 7 kiddos for the most part. I wore her a lot for the first 3 months. By 6 months I had another infant I was watching lol - it was a little nuts but they were both good babies. I napped her in a pac n play in another room when possible. When she hit 6-9 months ish I was able to sleep train her to a nice 2 nap schedule. She was on a 1 nap a day schedule with the toddlers by 15m ish.
Good luck and congrats! And well done having the last few months of pregnancy in the cold months - well played
Good luck and congrats! And well done having the last few months of pregnancy in the cold months - well played
LittleScholars 12:35 PM 09-26-2016
Originally Posted by Controlled Chaos:
My 3rd was born into a daycare where I had 7 kiddos for the most part. I wore her a lot for the first 3 months. By 6 months I had another infant I was watching lol - it was a little nuts but they were both good babies. I napped her in a pac n play in another room when possible. When she hit 6-9 months ish I was able to sleep train her to a nice 2 nap schedule. She was on a 1 nap a day schedule with the toddlers by 15m ish.
Good luck and congrats! And well done having the last few months of pregnancy in the cold months - well played
Haha!! I had no idea that this timing was on my side until recently!! And thank you! My 3rd was born into a daycare where I had 7 kiddos for the most part. I wore her a lot for the first 3 months. By 6 months I had another infant I was watching lol - it was a little nuts but they were both good babies. I napped her in a pac n play in another room when possible. When she hit 6-9 months ish I was able to sleep train her to a nice 2 nap schedule. She was on a 1 nap a day schedule with the toddlers by 15m ish.
Good luck and congrats! And well done having the last few months of pregnancy in the cold months - well played
So, it sounds like you just kind of make it happen to start and then get on a schedule when that's a bit more appropriate?
Controlled Chaos 12:41 PM 09-26-2016
Originally Posted by LittleScholars:
Haha!! I had no idea that this timing was on my side until recently!! And thank you!
So, it sounds like you just kind of make it happen to start and then get on a schedule when that's a bit more appropriate?
Yes, I mean from day one I made sure she slept in a crib at night, no sleep props, our home was noisy so she learned to sleep through it. I followed her schedule more for the first few months. I tried to set her on a more daycare friendly nap schedule around 6 months. Like 9-11am and 1-3 were optimal so I slowly shifted her towards those time.Haha!! I had no idea that this timing was on my side until recently!! And thank you!
So, it sounds like you just kind of make it happen to start and then get on a schedule when that's a bit more appropriate?
Pestle 06:26 PM 09-26-2016
I have only one infant at a time so it's easy to either plunk them down in a crib/bouncy seat or, if they're screamy, babywear during the toddler nap time.
lovemydaycare0912 08:42 PM 09-26-2016
I have 2 infants who sleep in pack n plays in the living room. They decided since last week to not take morning naps anymore but when they did, they slept through the ruckus.
LittleScholars 05:01 AM 09-27-2016
Originally Posted by lovemydaycare0912:
I have 2 infants who sleep in pack n plays in the living room. They decided since last week to not take morning naps anymore but when they did, they slept through the ruckus.
This makes me hopeful!!I have 2 infants who sleep in pack n plays in the living room. They decided since last week to not take morning naps anymore but when they did, they slept through the ruckus.
Lovisa 06:14 AM 09-27-2016
I have several loud toddlers a who only take one nap a day and one infant who naps through out the day while they play. I'm all about white noise! The cheap box fans are the best for white noise (20 bucks at Walmart or Target usually) and I've never had a problem with the baby being woken up by the toddlers 
Indoorvoice 06:30 AM 09-27-2016
My daughter is 4 months right now. I think she was already accustomed to the noise from inside the womb! The first few months she napped whenever she needed to for as long as she needed and noise did not bother her at all. In my state, my own children can sleep in non daycare areas, so now she naps in her room from 8:30 to 10, 1230-3, and 5-6. A fan is a must! I swear by it. It drowns out pretty much everything.