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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Nap Time Dilemma
MsKara 04:13 AM 06-11-2010
We have three rooms upstairs. One is our main bedroom, another is my 6 yr old son's room and lastly is our 2 yr old daughter's room. But children's bedrooms are a bit on the small side. We've been using our daughter's room for napping up until this point. It works out really well. However, we are also in training to be foster parents and they said we needed to create a space that is "just" my daughter's and foster child's space. They advised napping all the daycare kids downstairs (where the daycare is). Has anyone been through the hassle of breaking down and setting up playpens everyday? I have three rooms downstairs and can separate the kids, but can't separate the noise very well as the rooms are right next to each other. I am also going through licensing to have 12 kids. Nap time is the MAJOR dilemma.
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Carole's Daycare 09:00 AM 06-11-2010
I actually keep my upstairs for my family only, except I have occasionally kept a playpen in my office or bedroom (not my kids rooms) if I had a baby who needed total quiet to sleep. My downstairs is relatively small- I have a Living room, kitchen, laundry & bath. I keep a playpen in the laundry room for baby/toddler that cries upon waking & would wake everyone up if I have 1. Everyone else I space out on nap mats and put on classical/new age music. I use cable digital music channel. It helps them fall asleep and covers small annoying noises like tossing/turning, breathing etc lol. My kids all sleep fine during nap- if I have a trouble maker- their mat gets moved to the kitchen with me and they lose Friday treat. Once or twice of that and - miracle of miracles, even if they arent asleep they lie quietly. My school agers in the summer have curriculum/homework & reading in the kitchen, or can play outside. If they keep kids awake- they lose priveledges also. I have a license for 12- but I typically only keep one in a playpen at a time- I transition them to nap mats at about 18 months. Right now I have a 23 m, 2- 2 yr olds, 2- 3 yr olds, 2- 4 yr olds, 3 school agers- and a drop in 2 & 3 yr old. All are on mats- so I have a 2nd tiny TV/DVD in the laundry room for videos for school agers instead of a playpen right now. The first day or two you might have a small challenge, but they get with the program as long as they each have their blanket. Good Luck!
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Greenshadow 09:26 AM 06-11-2010
I have my daycare downstairs too. I have five kids in my care. My own son sleeps in his own crib upstairs in his room. One of the little girl's that I watch doesnt sleep well with others, so she is in a playpen in my oldest son's bedroom. I have the others downstairs. My downstairs consists of a living room, dining room and kitchen with a small hallway for laundry and extra bathroom. The hallway sleeps one playpen for a little boy who prefers to sleep in the dark but likes hearing the sounds of the music or me in the kitchen. The other two sleep in playpens in the living room. No problems at all. I put on regular radio music and just turn it way down and I have a ceiling fan that is on too. It drowns out any noises from the other kids wonderfully. I will eventually move them to mats but as of now, the playpens work well for me. I clean up the kitchen after they all go down for naps, but then I go upstairs (like now) to my bedroom to eat my lunch and go on the computer. I have a baby monitor that stays on so I can hear them. Works great for me! I really dont use my upstairs for childcare unless I absolutely have to.
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melskids 09:53 AM 06-11-2010
i have a one level home, and a family room which is dedicated daycare space. they all sleep on mats together, except for the baby who is in a playpen in my room. at night, i dont bother taking the playpen down, i just drag it in to the daycre room and leave it there. as far as noise, they all know to be quiet, even when they first wake up. they will lay on their mat quietly until i tell them they can get up. which is funny, cause i never trained them to do that, or made them lay there, they just do...lol now next week the SA start for summer and im not sure how thats gonna work out. they can play out in the living/dining room during nap, but hopfully they can be quiet.....we'll see
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boysx5 11:11 AM 06-11-2010
I just keep my upstairs bedroom just for my family didn't feel the need to have anyone up there. I have pack and plays set up in my basement where I have daycare set up and at nap time I nap them all down there. The older ones who don't nap since first day of summer vacation here hang out in my family room and watch t.v. there it takes a bit of everyone getting use to the noise but they do finally get it
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