My first daycare girl starts Monday and I am trying to get a schedule figured out. She is 17 months and I have a 14 month old of my own. My son usually eats breakfast at 8am, naps at 10am, lunch at noon, and pm nap at 3pm. Is that a normal schedule to use for the daycare girl too? At what age should I switch them to one nap a day? Also, the mom informed me that the only way her child will take a nap is if she is put down with milk. I have a no food/drink rule in the carpeted areas in my home. Should I tell the mom that she will have to nap without her milk? Eeek, I am all confused.

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I've been doing daycare for almost 9 months now and I watch almost exclusively infants and toddlers. I have found that it's easiest to start out from the very first day doing meals at all our regular times. Naps are harder, but I do try to have everyone napping all together if at all possible. This might mean that for the first few days, you have to keep her up longer than usual (or do it in stages) to get her napping on the schedule you want everyone on.

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I would adjust the new dcg to your current schedule. And I never put kids to bed with any cup or bottle. I will feed before naps, but not ever in their beds.

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I would ask the Mom what the current schedule is. You know your son's schedule, so she may know her daughter's too. She may already be on one nap/day. It usually happens between 14-18 months (12 months if encouraged). I would start out by following the girl's schedule as closely as reasonable for the first week. Then start making gradual adjustments. If you try to make drastic changes she may just get overtired and then you will have a crabby child on your hands that won't sleep at all. I don't know if she has been in child care before or not, but if not, that is a huge change. Even if she has, it is still a change, she will need time.

As far as the milk to sleep, I would just tell the mom that is not something you are willing to do, it is against your rules/policies (yet another adjustment for the girl). You can always throw in the "have you talked to the Dr. for other suggestions on how to put her to sleep?" I know that going to sleep with milk is bad for the teeth, so that way maybe the doctor would talk to her about it for at home too! You may have a rough time for the first few days, but she will get used to not having her milk. Just sit with her, pat/rub her back, have lullaby music on. Hopefully you will just have her so worn out she will just fall right to sleep!

I do exclusively infants and toddlers too. Our schedule for toddlers goes like this:
8:30 breakfast
9:30 diapers
9-10 play time, art, activities, etc.
10 Gross motor, outdoor
11:15 diapers
11:30 lunch
12 nap (usually they are all up by 2, but I have good night sleepers)
2 diapers
2:30 snack
WI requires diapers every 2 hours at least(unless sleeping) and to offer food every 3 hours.

For infants I just write that we will follow the infants cues for eating and sleeping and shortly after they turn one I will encourage just one nap a day.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

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they will learn different rules for daycare and home. Here I keep everyone on the same schedule as much as possible. By about 11 mo they are usually off bottle, by 13-15 mo they are on a cot and out of a crib. So her laying down with milk would be a non issue for here.

4:30-7 arrival & family interaction
child’s choice cooperative play
7:00 bathroom & diapers
7:30 morning songs and sharing
8:00 child’s choice gross motor play or games
8:30 bathroom & diapers
9:00 snack
9:30 group activity & foundation skills
10:00 child’s choice rotated center items & bathroom/diapers
10:30 child’s choice gross motor play
11:00 literacy language development
11:30 social sharing, lunch
12:00 bathroom & diapers
12:30 nap time
2:30 bathroom & diapers
2:45 snack
3:00 child’s choice centers & creative expression
3:30 child’s choice decided daily
4:00 bathroom & diapers
4:30 literacy language development
4:45 bathroom & diapers
5:00 family interaction, child’s choice gross motor play
5:00 to close cooperative play child’s choice

This is a general schedule that will be adjusted daily to meet the needs of the children or to take advantage of special activities.

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Most of the kids I have watched have been on 1 nap after they turned a yr. If they need 2 I would try to have them take it right away in the morning so they will be ready for an afternoon nap. I find it easier to just have them start your normal routine right away.

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I think it's good to start at your regular routine except my only concern I have for you is that your child naps in the afternoon at 3pm. Most parents don't like their kid sleeping after 3pm so this is something you should talk to the parents about to make sure that they are ok with it. All of my DC kids are up way before 3pm even the littles so just check in with mom and make sure she's ok with this routine. If theis DC kid is on a similar schedule I don't see a problem.

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I have a 15 month old and a 14 month old little boys, I was told by both Moms that the only way they would go to bed was with a bottle. I have never given them a bottle at my house period and neither boy has had an issue with it. The boys have never asked and I have never offered.

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i think a 3:00 nap is really late.

i'd def. tell the mom the girl isn't going to have milk at nap. it's not healthy and she shouldn't be doing it anyway.

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After a day or two dcg will adjust to your schedule, I'm sure. Although, I agree with the other posters that 3:00 pm is a little late for napping. I would definately not give her milk at nap time though!

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So, I think then what I will do is keep them on the schedule I have for right now and get her used to taking a nap without the milk. Mom said that my son's schedule is normal for her too. And she is picking up between 2:30 and 3pm so it works for now. I never thought 3pm was late, he used to go down at 4pm LOL! Then in a couple weeks I will try to get the kids to start taking one nap a day.

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Definatly adjust to your schedule, At 14 months I start pushing the 1 nap, sometimes it falls back though, with growth spurts and teething, making them extra tired, If my one 14 month old boy needs a morning nap, I do it between 9am-10pm and shoot for a power nap, of 30 minutes, So he will be ready for an afternoon nap.
I would not lay them down with a bottle, But I also would not tell the mother That she is wrong in doing so, I would just state that you don't do liquids in your cribs, its your policy, or just dont say anything at all. Yes we know its bad for teeth, and they shouldnt have milk to go to sleep. But I discourage telling parents how to raise their children, it could just make for an unhappy parent right off the bat. He'll do fine at your house after a couple weeks with no milk, Its going to take him a week or two to really get comfortable at your place anyways, and children know there at different rules at their house VS your house.

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That's great that their schedule and yours are similar (for the late nap). It will really make it easy for you especially if they are picking up the child at or before 3pm.

I agree with posters that say no to milk at nap. I don't do this either here at daycare even at a parent's request. If they ask me why I don't do this I just explain the tooth decay possibilities but more importantly the fact that you have a greater chance of having the child get an ear infection. Remember that our nose, throat and ear cavities are closely connected so giving a child something to drink while they are laying down can lead to some of the liquid entering the ear canal and staying there causing bacteria to grow and giving the child an ear infection. Deffinetely not fun

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I've had kids that were used to bottles during nap, binkies all day and sippies in their hands all day and I just don't do it from day one and never have a problem. I try to keep kids close to their own schedule but usually find after a week or so everyone adjusts to one schedule.

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I have a 12 month old DCB and a 15 month old DCB

8am-8:30am- arrive, breakfest, diaper changes
8:30am-11am- free play in or outside
11am-11:30am- lunch, and diaper changes
11:30am-1:30pm- nap time
1:30pm-2pm- snack, and diaper changes
2pm-5pm- free play in or outside (diaper changes at 3:30)
5pm-5:30pm- diaper changes, clean up, depature

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I may be the oddball here, but I go by whatever schedule the parent wants me to follow, even if I dont agree with it. Afterall, they are the ones hiring me, so I figure I have to do what they want. Now if they want their baby to go for a nap with a bottle, I dont have a problem with it. Again, its the parents wishes, and I want the child to be as comfortable as possible. I mean really, think about it..if it was YOUR baby that went to bed with a bottle, and thats what they were used to and soothed them, wouldnt you want the DCP following the closet habits to home? I as a parent would be pretty upset if I found out the DCP was not following my rules for my own child. Whom am I to judge how they raise their child? They are the ones paying me, so I feel it is my obligation to follow their wishes, with in reason. Now in my handbook it says they are not allowed to bring any suckers or hard candy, and that eating will be done in the kitchen, and all shoes are expected to be removed when they come in. That is respect of my home to follow things like that, and if a parent is uncomfortable or doesn't like the rules of my home, then they certainly have the right not to use my daycare, but on the same token, I feel I have to respect their choices in how they raise their children, and if they are not going to worry about tooth decay, I am not either. That responsibility is not on my shoulders. I am only responsible to take care of their child while they are away. JMO.

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I don't know about anywhere else, but here, it is against the regulations to put a child to bed with anything to eat or drink - especially an infant. So, even if parents want it, I don't do it. Same with those who insist that their child cannot nap - my regs say that all kids must have a quiet time, so they all do.

I had a little boy who walked around all day at home with a pacifier and a sippy cup and a blankie. Here, the blankie, the pacifier and sippy cup was put up as soon as he walked in the door. He adjusted within days to not having any of that until nap (minus the sippy cup, of course). Kids do adjust. They are smart enough to know the difference between home and daycare. And, incidently, that boy was the best napper I've ever had in here.

The parents don't "hire" me - I don't "work" for them. They "choose" to bring their child to my daycare, and I choose to take them. If they don't agree with the way that I run my business, they can either suck it up or leave. I've not had anyone leave yet. I choose to conduct my business as a partnership with the parents, to do what is in the best interest of the child, but ultimately, this is my business and I will not cater to all the different myriad of strange requests that parents ask of me. I set a schedule and stick to it and the kids eventually fall into that schedule.

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I disagree. It may be "your" business, or "my" business, but clients ARE customers. Without customers, nobody would be in business. Clients are hiring DCP as we are providing a service. If I have my carpets shampooed, I am being provided a service for a price. I am hiring a certain company to do the work in my home. If I tell them to shampoo the bedrooms, and they decide they are dirty enough or do the dining room because it is in my best interest, that is NOT what I am hiring them to do. Same with DC, like it or not, your are being "hired" by a family to provide them a service, and we are to honor what they are paying us to do. You cant just go and change a childs schedule or habits just because you want to without the parents ok. That is decietfull, and if I ever found out some DCP was making up the rules for MY child, I would pull them out so fast their head would spin. If you dont like the schedule or habits the kids are on, dont accept them into your care if you cant honor the parents wishes.

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Legomom, are you licensed in your state for daycare? What I was saying is that there are certain things that are against our regulations and we could get into trouble for doing them anyway, if we are caught. Things that I mentioned above are not allowed. And I'm not going to jeopardize my business for parents who insist I do it their way.

You may have missed the part where I said: "I choose to conduct my business as a partnership with the parents, to do what is in the best interest of the child, but ultimately, this is my business and I will not cater to all the different myriad of strange requests that parents ask of me. I set a schedule and stick to it and the kids eventually fall into that schedule." I am not willfully deceiving anyone. My policies and procedures are spelled out very clearly in my handbook. They know where I stand on things and how I do things before they even sign a contract. And then, they do sign that contract to show that they have read, understand, and agree with my terms. If there's anything in there that they can't deal with, they continue on their way.

I'm not completely inflexible, but I won't break the rules for anyone. Bottles in bed? Nope - like I said, I'm not going to jeopardize my business for one family who is asking me to do something against the rules. Naps at 3pm instead of 1 or 1:30? My handbook says that I will ease the child into our schedule. No, I'm not going to make him nap at 1 on his first day if he's used to napping at 3. But I can guarantee by the end of the first week he will be going down with the rest of them, and probably sleeping by then too. The parents know this and they either agree or don't. I'm not trying to pull anything over on anyone.

Yes, clients are customers, but just as you could pick a different carpet cleaning company, based on their "policies", so can daycare families pick someone different. Not everyone's parenting style will match with mine, but the families I have here are great and they like me and are happy with the way that I'm caring for their children.

I'm willing to bet that the clients that I have, and the kind that I want to have in my dc, are more concerned with how I follow the rules, rather than how I break them just because some parents ask me to. I might not agree with all the rules, but they are there for a reason, and I'm sure if I were to get in trouble for breaking rules set by licensing, the parents will probably start to wonder what else I'm doing with these children that I shouldn't be doing.

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No I am not licensed and this is one of the reasons why. Obviously I am not saying that I bow to every request, and I said stated within reason, in case you missed that part. I understand and totaly get not breaking the law, but I dont think the law is telling you when to do naps...You talk about "what is in the best interest of the children" Do you honestly think changing their schedule is in the childs best interest?? I think it may be more for your best interest, so you dont have to put kids down at different times, but I would certainly disagree that it is for the childs best interest! Again, I would want a provider that is going to follow MY childs schedule that I established because only I know what is best for my child & my family and times that naps are given effect the childs sleep time & wake time at home, and I am not going to have interupted sleep due to the fact that a DCP is going to put my child down at a time is is convienant for HER so she can go do a load of laundry or something. I pride myself in giving custom care & that IS for the best interest of the child & the relationship with the family, even if it inconveinances me. I chose this job, and thats what I have to deal with. If you can find parents that are find with that, more power to you, but I would not be comfortable with it, and I think it's an area DCP need to look at more closely.

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I don't think any of us who have set schedules (and it seems this is the majority, if you read through the responses above) are giving up quality childcare and good customer service to convenience ourselves! I'm a darn good provider and my kids like me and my parents like me. I've never had them question anything I've done or have any problem with anything. I work with them if their child(ren) are having any type of issue at all until we come up with a good solution for all.

For the people who are insistent that their schedules stay the exact same at daycare, and want you to do things that other dcp's won't, they have people like you who will do that for them. For those who are more concerned with good communication and quality childcare, they have people like me. And please DO NOT think that I'm saying you do not provide quality daycare - I don't even know you so I have no way of knowing if you do or not. I'm just saying that there are so many types of families and parenting styles, and it's just a good thing that there are different dc styles to fit all the different families. But please don't make it sound like I'm not doing MY job because I do things differently than you do.

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I never said you or anyone else was not doing their job, so please do not take it that way, but from what I have seen, most DCP want to get all the kids on the schedules THEY set to make it easier on them. I'm sure you are a great DCP as well, and if you can get clients to agree with your policies, thats great, I'm only saying I would have a hard time offering it or using one myself, and for me, custom scheduling has been a selling point for me. Just for a example, I have one client who came to me from another DCP who didnt like the schedule the DCP had her child on, and therefore created a situation where the child was then waking up at 5am, so she left..Now she has the schedule she would prefer her child to be on and is the same one she has on the weekends, and now the child wakes up at 7 instead of 5, which gives the parents the extra sleep they need. Some parents may be willing to try to switch to new schedules, but if it isnt working, it can cause bad feelings and then the parents may feel trapped, or very sorry they have to leave. It just doesnt work for everyone.

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Yes I do want all of my daycare kids on the same schedule, with the exception of infants, This does make it easier on ME, and for them to actually. I love Nap/quiet time......do I want all my kids up and down at different times, cause thats what its like at home........NO, I Need that couple of hours to myself, To clean in peace eat in peace, Read a book for 30 minutes, or watch TV for a little bit, This refreshes me for the afternoon, And keeps me sane. We work 10-12 hours with children everyday, not to mention our own all day, just as regular job get breaks, we deserve a break also. Kids transistion just fine to schedules, And I know most of my daycare kids, Keep their daycare schedules on the weekends at home after a while, They have 5 naps here vs 2 at home, So the schedule at my daycare is the one their bodies adjust to more, my daycare boy who just started a couple months ago, His mom called me a month before he started to see what my nap schedule was, so they could start adjusting him, Because they knew, the majority of all naps he takes will be at my house. I am a big advocater for parents, but when you drop your children off at someone elses house, You follow there rules.........Because you let your children wear shoes in your house, it means daycare should allow that also, Because you give your kid a sippy cup to walk all over the house, means daycare should? because you let your kid walk around with a binkie all day means daycare should? you can't do all of this stuff when your caring for multiple children............you just Cant conform to every parents rules.

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Well said.

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I agree! 100%

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