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justgettingstarted 02:29 PM 06-19-2012
I have a 5 month old DCB that I'm trying to get into a schedule. Parents are first timers and it's been a couple of years since I've cared for a young infant. How many naps and how often/long is typical? I've read posts with Nannyde's schedule but my little guy doesn't get here until 9 or 9:30 and I need him to nap at 12:30 with the others. I've been putting him down right when he gets here but he's starting to resist that first nap and sometimes doesn't fall asleep until 10 then I wake him up at 10:30 which isn't making much sense. He has a bottle at about 11:30 and 3:30 each day which works well.
cheerfuldom 02:40 PM 06-19-2012
Will he go back down at 12:30 if he is up at 10? seems like a 5 month old should be tired after 2.5 hours.
Michael 02:43 PM 06-19-2012
Welcome back. 
justgettingstarted 05:18 PM 06-19-2012
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
Will he go back down at 12:30 if he is up at 10? seems like a 5 month old should be tired after 2.5 hours.
I wake him at 10:30 so that he will go back down at 12:30 but he's up talking or crying for up to an hour to get that half hour of sleep. I don't think he could make it straight through to 12:30. Should I talk to parents about keeping him up in the morning more? Do you all work with parents like that or work around their home schedule? Will he go back down at 12:30 if he is up at 10? seems like a 5 month old should be tired after 2.5 hours.
Btw it took a long time for me to reply because said DCB had a huge poop that leaked so bad I had to bathe him and scrub out my bouncy seat
nothingwithoutjoy 05:53 PM 06-19-2012
With infants, I follow their natural rhythms and schedules, rather than prescribing mine for them. But what usually worked for me and them was to have the babies nap while the bigger kids played outside in the mornings (either in a sling on me, or on a blanket in the grass, or a pack-and-play set up even in the snow, or in a stroller on a walk), and then try to get them down for another nap during my regular nap time. If they didn't nap then, they'd have some play time on a blanket on the floor while I did my nap-time work, and then some one-on-one time with me.
cheerfuldom 08:26 PM 06-19-2012
I agree with Lise, even though that is probably what you dont want to hear. If my schedule was not working for a baby, I would just do what was working provided that he was happy. I have had huge lengths of times where I never had all the kids napping at once. I currently do have all the kids on one nap schedule but that is very recent since my littlest is now over a year. Before that, the babies (as much as 3 kids) where up when the big kids were down and I never did get a complete break from the kids. However, this is what they were happy with and that was good enough for me at the time.
If this is absolutely not an option for you, you could also explain the situation to mom and dad and see if they can drop off earlier in the morning, so baby can get a full morning nap (which is needed) and then take the second with the other kids later.
If this is absolutely not an option for you, you could also explain the situation to mom and dad and see if they can drop off earlier in the morning, so baby can get a full morning nap (which is needed) and then take the second with the other kids later.
justgettingstarted 10:02 PM 06-19-2012
Originally Posted by Lise:
With infants, I follow their natural rhythms and schedules, rather than prescribing mine for them. But what usually worked for me and them was to have the babies nap while the bigger kids played outside in the mornings (either in a sling on me, or on a blanket in the grass, or a pack-and-play set up even in the snow, or in a stroller on a walk), and then try to get them down for another nap during my regular nap time. If they didn't nap then, they'd have some play time on a blanket on the floor while I did my nap-time work, and then some one-on-one time with me.
I agree that I should follow his natural schedule to a point. The first week he was here I followed his lead and he was pretty consistent on his nap and feeding needs so I modified our schedule to fit his. His schedule will of course change as he gets older but I feel like the parents are disrupting his natural schedule (mom wakes him at 6 to breastfeed before work and then they put him down for a nap right away and it takes a while for him to go back to sleep but he usually does). If they let him stay up he would be ready for a nap when he gets here and all would be fine but I know DCD likes to sleep in. Also, I'm okay with him being up occasionally during afternoon nap but I like to put all the kids down and once they are asleep I have one on one time with my son before his nap (books, song, etc) and I won't compromise that - he's the only reason I do daycare.With infants, I follow their natural rhythms and schedules, rather than prescribing mine for them. But what usually worked for me and them was to have the babies nap while the bigger kids played outside in the mornings (either in a sling on me, or on a blanket in the grass, or a pack-and-play set up even in the snow, or in a stroller on a walk), and then try to get them down for another nap during my regular nap time. If they didn't nap then, they'd have some play time on a blanket on the floor while I did my nap-time work, and then some one-on-one time with me.
I spoke with DCD and told him the issue and asked him to discuss with DCM if they could keep him up a bit more in the morning so he was ready for nap at drop off and he said he would. I do a lot of special for them so I don't feel like that's too much to ask.
Lyss 10:42 PM 06-19-2012
I have 2 6mo olds (my own and a DCG) plus 2 two year olds. I've had to rearrange my napping areas and my daily schedule to work with the babies schedules.
My 6mos DCG arrives at 9-930 and goes down almost immediately after arrival. Mom also wakes her to breastfeed before mom leaves for work (6:30ish) and I talked to parents asking that she not nap before arriving so she naps when she gets here. So she arrives 9-930ish, I let her play for like 10mins tops then I put her down and she sleeps til about 10:30 or 11, I do not wake her. Both 6mo olds can only last 2-2.5hours before they need to go down again. I prefer the infants to go down a little after the bigger kids so that they sleep a bit longer, giving me time to get snack done with the older ones when they wake up (infants both usually sleep 1ish to 2:45-3, big kids sleep 12 to 2-2:30ish) but that doesn't always work.
My 6mos DCG arrives at 9-930 and goes down almost immediately after arrival. Mom also wakes her to breastfeed before mom leaves for work (6:30ish) and I talked to parents asking that she not nap before arriving so she naps when she gets here. So she arrives 9-930ish, I let her play for like 10mins tops then I put her down and she sleeps til about 10:30 or 11, I do not wake her. Both 6mo olds can only last 2-2.5hours before they need to go down again. I prefer the infants to go down a little after the bigger kids so that they sleep a bit longer, giving me time to get snack done with the older ones when they wake up (infants both usually sleep 1ish to 2:45-3, big kids sleep 12 to 2-2:30ish) but that doesn't always work.
justgettingstarted 11:00 AM 06-20-2012
Originally Posted by Lyss:
I have 2 6mo olds (my own and a DCG) plus 2 two year olds. I've had to rearrange my napping areas and my daily schedule to work with the babies schedules.
My 6mos DCG arrives at 9-930 and goes down almost immediately after arrival. Mom also wakes her to breastfeed before mom leaves for work (6:30ish) and I talked to parents asking that she not nap before arriving so she naps when she gets here. So she arrives 9-930ish, I let her play for like 10mins tops then I put her down and she sleeps til about 10:30 or 11, I do not wake her. Both 6mo olds can only last 2-2.5hours before they need to go down again. I prefer the infants to go down a little after the bigger kids so that they sleep a bit longer, giving me time to get snack done with the older ones when they wake up (infants both usually sleep 1ish to 2:45-3, big kids sleep 12 to 2-2:30ish) but that doesn't always work.
This is what I was hoping for but his morning DCD tells me he likes to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning so he needs to sleep in and DCM is busy getting ready for work so they want him to sleep. I politely told him that in a couple more months (if not sooner) he won't want to go back to sleep so their schedule will be changing anyway. So I'm just keeping him up as long as possible and hoping he doesn't wake up screaming while he others are napping. The whole day is a mess already. Because he's up he wanted to have a bottle early but would only take half his normal amount and is cranky so I've been with him instead of playing with the kids. I haven't been able to take any pics of the kids yet. Just venting (or perhaps whining) because I had such a nice schedule worked out. I have 2 6mo olds (my own and a DCG) plus 2 two year olds. I've had to rearrange my napping areas and my daily schedule to work with the babies schedules.
My 6mos DCG arrives at 9-930 and goes down almost immediately after arrival. Mom also wakes her to breastfeed before mom leaves for work (6:30ish) and I talked to parents asking that she not nap before arriving so she naps when she gets here. So she arrives 9-930ish, I let her play for like 10mins tops then I put her down and she sleeps til about 10:30 or 11, I do not wake her. Both 6mo olds can only last 2-2.5hours before they need to go down again. I prefer the infants to go down a little after the bigger kids so that they sleep a bit longer, giving me time to get snack done with the older ones when they wake up (infants both usually sleep 1ish to 2:45-3, big kids sleep 12 to 2-2:30ish) but that doesn't always work.