Childminders Club: Afternoon activities for children who've just started nursery

[looneytune]

Me again

My ds and mindee 1 (both just turned 3) started going to nursery every morning last week. On the 3rd day I took them and my toddler mindee to a local country park for a picnic, walk and play in the adventure playground as it was a lovely day. Unfortunately mindee 1 fell asleep in the car on the way back (around 4ish) and when we got back to mine, it was impossible to wake her up (she is very very hard to wake up once she's nodded off, her mum knows this!!).

Anyway, I couldn't get her up until around 5 o'clock, I really tried but obviously not the whole time as had to cook dinners etc! I think her parents were a bit annoyed as they couldn't get her to settle for sleep until around 9pm and mum suggested we don't do too much in the afternoon until they are more used to going to nursery every day.

So, my questions are:

• Any experience of roughly how long kids take to get used to it? Weeks, Months? (this is all new to me)

• What do you think would be suitable activities? (I really wanted to be outdoors more with this lovely weather!)

• Any other advice/comments?

Thanks :)

Is there something you can give her to play with in the car to avoid falling asleep? a bowl of raisins or grapes?
Would they nap in the car on the way to the park after nursery so they are fresher? Thats what I have to do with ds - force him to nap if we're out and about in the afternoon - or have to stay near to home if no nap.
It will only get harder as the heat starts as they will be more knackered more easily.

I wouldn't give raisins or grapes in the car in case of choking (I have to be more careful with other people's children).

Can I ask how you make them nap? Just trying to see if I could as I have no idea how I would make them whilst I'm driving.

As for giving them something to do in car on way back, that could work yes but knowing mindee, she'd fall asleep on the sofa whilst I'm making dinner (this has happened a few times before - what can I do??)

I have to stay in at the moment because mindee has to sleep and ds needs to sleep too but what about getting paintbrushes and water and painting on the patio/outside walls.

Cheers, I know I can do all that stuff, I'm more thinking about where I can go. I.e. going to visit the fish at World of Water etc (they love this and not using too much energy) just need more ideas but suppose I ought to stay home based for a while.

BTW, all my younger mindees have to sleep too but I've told the parents the babies will need to be able to nap on the go rather than having to always be formal sleeps in cot iyswim

I mean that I drive around for 30 or 40 mins - then that makes ds fall asleep. Then I can let him nap in the car for an hour or so before we arrive anywhere. I just take a magazine with me or return home and leave him in the driveway.
What time do you pick them up from nursery?

Oh I see. Don't think I could do that due to commitments with the babies etc. I pick up at 11.30am, walk to car which can take us to around 11.45am and then the drive home would be around 15 mins (if went home that is)

could you go straight out to park etc - then head home about 2ish. so that they may not be tired enough to sleep and if they are then its early enough to kacker them further after nap?
Maybe you can only go on outings at the beginning of the week when they are fresher and just have garden play later in the week? They'll be outside playing at nursery anyway. I tend to bring ds indoors around 3ish and let him watch a dvd in the hope he has a little nap on the couch (which he is doing now). then just keep him up till 8 - seems a shame to pap them into bed so early when its a lovely evening.

I'll have a word with mindee's mum as she asked for the nap to be dropped altogether earlier in the year so I need to see what she's happy with.

I suppose I can try what you've suggested, just a shame as I like to take all the mindees out together. At least the rest are babies (apart from 1 toddler 1 day a week who will be leaving soon) - if they were older it wouldn't be fair on the others if I stopped doing certain stuff.

That's very much for the advice, has given me some things to think about :)