Anyone else have kids that won't nap at daycare?

Things are getting worse & worse with naps at daycare. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of daycare options since we only go part time. The boys go 2-3 times per week from 7am to 3pm. We LIKE the daycare we're at, but are disappointed that their infant room has 'closed' (due to census) & now the boys' room has ages ranging from 5 mos to 18 mos. When we started there, it was all toddlers so there was a 'set' afternoon nap time & the boys did so-so with that (they're still on 2 naps, so morning naps were hit or miss). But, now that the babies are in there, there really isn't a 'set' naptime anymore.

Lately we've went from so-so naps to NONE AT ALL. They claim that they 'try', but no luck. They try to rock them (although I'm not sure for how long), but my kids have never been rocked to sleep & don't really do well with that. Their excuses for the no naps are that the boys are too distracted (which I could easily see with all the other babies up & partying in the room), that they just weren't tired, or that they were crying too much & it was distracting to the other kids. So I think the boys have now realized that if they stand up in their cribs & cry, someone will get them & they won't have to nap. Regardless, it's becoming a huge issue. They fall asleep on the drive home from daycare, so I've been allowing them to doze in their carseats for about 20-30 mins, but when I wake them, they're miserable. I honestly thought we were going to have to put them to bed at 5pm tonight! They screamed an entire 30 mins straight & I had NO CLUE what to do for them!

When I've confronted the staff, they say that they're difficult to get to nap (which they aren't at home, they go right down) & that they should "sleep good for us tonight now"! BULL! Anyone with a right mind would know that a 13 mo old who hasn't napped all day is NOT going to sleep well at night!

I'm just so frustrated. Bedtime has become a battle, regardless of what time we go with. They scream & cry & scream, whereas bedtime is usually super easy. They wake in the night & cry now and then are up crying between 4-5am. It's getting soooo old. The days that they're home with me, they're usually taking 2 GOOD naps & sleeping excellently at night. But this going back & forth is taking a toll on them (and us) and it's even worse when they're in daycare 2 days in a row.

Do any of you have any suggestions? I'm at my wit's end & bedtimes have been leaving all 3 of us in tears. I just don't know what to do!!!!

HELP!

 

That is so tough. How many children are in the same room when your kids are trying to nap? Are they expected to nap in the same room where other children are playing? What time do they nap at home on the days when they are not in daycare? Do they have any comfort items (soft blankets, soothers or stuffed animals) that they use in bed at home and can take with them to daycare? It's hard for me to understand the daycare's system - do they not select a time (say one o'clock) when the lights go out and everyone naps? I guess you can't really tell them what to do with all of the kids - but I think it would be okay to tell them what time your kids need to nap. They need to be in the same rhythm as at home so their little body clocks can predict when it's time to sleep. Anyway, I guess I'm not being very helpful but I just wanted to say that I feel for you. To me, naps are an essential part of development and it doesn't sound like the daycare staff feel the same way. I'm curious as to what other posters will say.

 

They know my boys' schedule (naps at 8:30 & 1pm). The boys have their blankies & loveys from home there (well, spares, but they don't care). I even brought in the same sound machine from home that we use! The staff claims that they try to follow our schedule, but it hasn't happened in a LONG time.

The room can go up to 8 kids & usually is pretty close to that with my 2 there. The ages range from 5 mos to 18 mos, so they can't SET a nap time anymore. They used to turn all the lights down & put on music at noon, but now since all the babies are in there, a lot of the kids nap at various times, so the lights would be off while others were awake, etc. The room has shelving units that separate the sleeping cribs with the rest of the room, so while the kids are 'separate', there's no wall separating them. They can still hear/see all the other kids in the room.

I'm slightly anal about naps at home so not having them on daycare days is driving me insane. It's not good for their learning & development. It leads to horribly overtired, overstimulated little crabs at night that throw tantrums, don't eat well, & can't settle to fall asleep. It's horrible. I was up with Conner 3 times last night & it took Aiden an hour to fall asleep (at which time I had to rub his back/head).

Hopefully someone will have some insight for me....

 

It just sounds so mixed up, how can they be expected to nap if all the others are not napping. I know I couldn't sleep with the other kids playing next door and being able to hear them. I think u need to address this with the owner/manager of the daycare, they need to come up with something else. Its not your boys its them that has the problem.