Change if routine!

Help!! My kids will be starting day care 3x a week in august! I talked to the center they will be going to about the schedule. The do breakfast at 8:30. (Mine eat at 7:00-7:15). They do lunch at 11:30 (same here) and naps at noon (1:30 for us). Also the twins still take a morning nap. Sometimes it lasts for two hours!! How do i go about adjusting their routine so that they are ready in august. I know shorten their morning nap but what else.

 

How old are your kids?? It seems that it would be really hard for the twins not to have 2 naps a day if they are under 18 months...BUT if daycare wont work with you I would just try to gradually phase out that morning nap before August. Their bedtime will probably need to be moved up, to like 6 or 6:30 so they can fulfill their sleep requirements. That may be difficult for you if you are picking them up from daycare at say, 5pm, them hope to feed bathe and bed! They will get the hang of it tho and soon it will not be a problem!

I wouldnt worry too much about the feeds...Maybe give them a snack before you leave for daycare so they aren't starving in the morning. Then they can eat again at daycare if they didnt get enough at home. I like the nutrigrain bars for a quick breakfast...not to filling. Or a banana or something.

I would work on the sleep routine changes and not stress too much about meals. That will fall into place.

Just some ideas! Hope something stikes a chord and eases your mind! It will all work out...don't stress too much.

 

All my kids dropped to 1 nap/day at 11.5 months so depending on how old they are it is possible.

I wouldn't worry about the feeds as a PP said. I would still feed them breakfast before they leave the house. If they are anything like my kids they eat ALL MORNING LONG and then not as much in the afternoon and evening so they often have 2 breakfasts and a snack before we even get to lunch, also at 11:30 at my house.

 

If you feel your children are too young to drop their morning nap, I would discuss this with the daycare center. I looked at several options and all of them were willing to give the babies a short morning nap provided they have a good routine and do not take ages or very specific conditions to settle. Most of the daycare centers I visited had either one or two cribs or swings in the main room for extra naps for the babies or a quiet cosy corner with cushions and blankets where the children could snuggle down whenever they need it.

Regarding breakfast: I would offer them some milk (bottle or nursing session) and a small breakfast (maybe some fruit or yoghurt with a bit of cereal mixed in) before you leave home and then let their care provider know if they need to eat a proper breakfast or a snack breakfast at daycare.

 

I was also wondering how old your kids are. I have worked in 2 mothers day out programs (both for 4 years each) and 2 seperate day cares, a KinderCare and a private day care, both for multiple years. Both of the actual day care centers didn't even move babies out of the nursery til age 2. In the nursery at KinderCare our nursery was seperated by a half wall into under 1 and 1-2. We followed the parents schedule until they hit the 2 year old room. I would check into why they have such a strict schedule for such little ones. Is there a 1 year old room or are they in the same room as the infants and if so why would a morning nap be an issue? As far as feeding I wouldn't worry about changing it to much. This is just my opinion though.