Just to check CM's - do your under 2's/3's have a chance to nap?

[flossam]

As my 21month old seems more often than not have a nap when he is at our CM's, resulting in constant screaming when he gets home or crashing out asleep at 4.30 when he gets picked up. Also then on my days off he has mammouth 3/4 hrs naps to compensate, which is excellent for my MN/housework time but not so good when I want to make the most of the time I have to spend with him.

BTW I do appreciate that when busy/doing activities/ out and about it is not always possible but it seems more often than not that he goes without a sleep.

If my mindees need to have a nap I try to incorporate it into our day, however with permission from parents I sometimes have to slightly alter naptime so that we can fit everything else into our day.
For example I had a 1 year old mindee start with me 3 months ago who was allowed to have his nap whenever it suited him during the day but I asked if it was ok for me to try to get his nap late morning like my other 2 mindees who still have a nap (don't have them all on same days) as this fits in well with our activities eg just come home from morning toddler groups etc, doesn't interfere with afternoon activities and school runs. It has worked very well and mum is pleased that on her days off she can now plan things as she knows what time he is ready for his sleep and he goes to bed earlier now he naps in the morning
I have never had a parent not willing to fit in with this but if I did I would have to explain that if they need a nap at other times it would have to be in the car/pushchair.

i always go to toddler group, park etc in the morning then we head home for lunch
after lunch children have a nap then we have quite play till school pick up time
i dont have any under 5's in school hols so this works well for me

i have dd2 who is 10mths and she naps between 12-2pm sometimes we stay in while she has her nap sometimes we go out and she has to sleep in car/ pushchair but it just depends on what the older children want to do really, unless i think she really needs a good nap, like if she hasnt slept well or is ill.

Errrrr yess!

There is no way that I could send home a totally exhauseted toddler who hasn't slept all day as I know what it is like to have screaming all through tea / bed etc.

My DD and other little ones either sleep at home, or in the buggy while we are out. But I much prefer them to sleep in a cot here.

Why not have a word?

I suppose it depends on how often he is at the CM. If my ds misses his nap 1-2 times a week he is probably alright though he gets very grumpy but much more than that and eventually his night sleep suffers.

TBh this was a major concern with me when I placed ds with a childminder and I chose someone who took this into account. Ds at 21 months old still has a short morning nap and longer post-lunch nap with his CM. His am one is now most often in the puchchair etc - though until recently it was in a cot almost always. His 1.20-2.30pm nap fits in with her school run and is in a cot 95% of the time.

To my mind good sleep is in a par with good nutrition for young childen. I give them equal importance. I know that ds would be much less likely to sleep well in a puchchair for his afternoon nap but would be OK with that 1-2 times a week.

If he were regularly having no nap at all I'd definitley have a word and tbh this would be a deal breaker for me if the CM were not willing to try and fit in time for a nap for him most days whether in a pushchair or in a cot.

My little ones always have a sleep either from 11 until wake up or go straight down for 1 hour at 3.30 after school pick up! I know roughly when they will sleep and plan toddler groups outings etc round this. If we are out for a day they sleep in the car on the way home and v occasionally in the pushchair. My own DD is a horror if i dont put her down and so i always try to help my parents by listening to their wishes