I'm curious...when your dck's lay down do you wake them after a specific amount of time such as nap/quiet time is from 12-2 so at 2:00 you wake them up?.....or do you just let them continue sleeping until they wake?

I'm only asking because I had ALL 8 of my dck's (age 2-5) sleeping yesterday and today. Yesterday they laid down at 12:30 and at 2:00 I woke 5 of them and the other 3 were already awake and waiting to get up...today they all laid down at 12:30 and it is now 3:00 and they are all still sound asleep...do I wake them or let them sleep?

If I let them sleep going on the thought that they must "need" it then I'm sure I will get grief from parents who will tell me some version of: "So and so wont go to bed tonight now because they slept so long" Just curious how other providers handle this situation....

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I let mine sleep. The old saying letting sleeping dogs lay

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I lay them all down at noon and close the blinds which makes the room a little darker and if by 2pm none of them are awake I open the blinds and start setting things out/walk around/turn on some kids music etc. Pretty much I do what I need to do and not worry about noise. This usually wakes at least one of them then that one child will begin to play which wakes another child and so on and so forth. If this doesn't help then I take the blankets off of them and begin talking to them gently at first then normally.

So in brief, yes I wake them if they sleep past 2pm.

** I guess I should add that if none of this works then I let them sleep until they wake but the activity and noise usually wakes them up.

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Half and half..... Mine have background white noise everyday. At 3pm I shut it off and all rise, on their own, within 15 minutes.

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I let mine sleep, if the parents ask I am honest and tell them exactly what time the child woke up, if they don't ask I don't tell.

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I begin to lay mine down between 12:30-1:00. I wake everyone up for snacks around 3:30. There is hardly ever a time, they are awake.

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I also let them sleep UNLESS a parent says don't let them sleep more than ...
but all my parents tell me to let them sleep and not wake them up which is really nice. They stagger getting up and it's better than having them all get up at once, for me anyways,it makes it's easier.

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Can I ask what type of white noise machine you use?

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Naptime here is 1 until whenever they wake up...but I get them all up at 3:30 for snack and diaper changes.

They all nap in a separate nap room with a CD of radio static playing on repeat. Works like a charm and the parents rarely believe me about how well their kiddos nap here.

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I let my DCK's sleep until they wake up by themselves. They go down at 1pm and sometimes don't wake until 3:30 or so. Kid's need their sleep, so to me and the parents, that is very important. The kids tend to get crabby if they don't get enough sleep and that is hard on the provider and the parents.

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I put the children down for nap between 12:30 and 1:00. I let them sleep until they wake up. The majority of them are awake by 3:30 and then we do diaper changes and snack. It is nice to just let them sleep until they wake because I am able to get a lot done and it is easier when the children wake up on their own than all at once.

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I put on classical music for the kids. They go down between 12:30-1:00. They are usually up by 3. One dcg will sleep longer sometimes because she will stay up later at night to be with her mom who gets off work between 7-8.

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I put them down at 1pm and they roughly wake up on their own around 330pm or a bit later. I have so many requests about not letting them sleep or letting them sleep for an hour its so crazy. Parents just don't get it, the kids are busy, they wear themselves out they need the rest.
Another issue I have is, is that parents don't get the fact that when its quiet time, I run around cleaning up, making dinner, having my own lunch. Because if I didn't do this during the day, by the time my own children went to bed it would be almost 9pm before I would be able to do anything.

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I put mine down at 12 and they sleep until 2. If they are still sleeping I will let them sleep until 2:30. Then I start making noise and singing "If your happy and you know it". My little 18 month old will stand up in her playpen and start singing and moving her little arms. I have nap time in my contract, It states ALL children must Nap or take a rest from 12:00 to 2:00. And during my interview with parents I always cover all rules in my handbook. I tell them that if any of my rules are not for them or their child, then I understand and there are many other childcare places.

So far I have been lucky and have great parents, with only my new mom and the baby I just took. But I made the decision to let her go.

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i have to do things a little different here, because we have to leave to go to the bus stop at 3:15 for the afterschool kids. so i do wake them by 2:30 so i can change diapers and bundle up. but on nonschool days, i let them sleep as long as they want.

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Depends on the day - if so and so had a rough night I will let them sleep until they wake - however I would not let them sleep more than 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

Also depends on our afternoon activities...i might need them all up at a certain time to go to the park, outside or whatever.

I usually wake up 1/2 of mine and 1/2 are already awake.

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Of course...
A cheap plastic box fan behind a mounted gate, and a classical music/ocean sounds CD, set to "repeat", on a low, monotonous volume. Same "song", everyday for years and years. I got it as a gift from my pediatrician "Timeless Sea, by John St. John"

I am required to be in the same room/area, kids cannot be separated, so I have to be reading, cleaning toys or working on the computer...generally just being boring That's where the childcare forums come in handy

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I can't imagine staying in the room at nap time and having all of the kids in the same room. The day the State requires that will be the day I quit doing day care. I can see it in a Center where they have many infants in one room and they do all of their care out of room but I do not understand why they would require that in a home day care.

I'm assuming they don't do any inspections during nap time since you couldn't leave the room to answer the door. You couldn't do any departures during that time either. How do they do that?

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Nap time here is 1-3 and snack is at 3:30. All but one of mine are usually up by 3 and I wake the remaining dcb up at 3:30 for snack - otherwise he will wet himself.

If a parent tells me the child had a rough night, are getting over an illness, or are otherwise "not themselves" I will let them sleep until they wake up regardless of the time - even if it's pickup (I had this happen once! )

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Exactly... I am told everything I cannot do but offered no solutions to be able to function effectively. I generally just do the best I can and hope for the best. I did have to make a completely separate daycare from my home to make it work. I have a large 900 sq ft room divided into sections to separate them physically from one another while still being in the same space. I also have one "group" area for circle/exercise/activity times.

The most economical fix I could find....

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