Do you follow nurseries routine on days at home?

[Summerdays2014]

Hi,

My just turned 1 year old has just started nursery 3 days a week and has settled really well.

I'm wondering if I should stick to their routine even on days at home, however they have lunch at 11.30 dinner at 3.30 and just one nap at 12. At home I would do 2 naps (they have tried at nursery but he will not go down in the morning so just has one 40minute nap at lunch - hoping this will lengthen as he is exhausted at bedtime) and lunch and dinner later which works better for me. I don't want to confuse him though so not sure what to do for the best.

Also, any ideas about the sleep thing? He seems too young for just one nap but I'm not sure what can be done if he won't go down and won't sleep longer than 40 minutes at lunch. Do you think this will change as he gets more used to his new surroundings?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Is he a reliable napper for you? Mine was dreadful but the nursery routine really worked, so I would shovel a big lunch into her at 1130 and she'd be guaranteed to conk out for a couple of hours at home, a bit less at nursery. Was worth the endless meal preparation. I'd do a snack at 2/3 and push tea a bit later if that would work better for you. If he'll nap ok for you and he's tired, you could always do two naps at the end of the week.

I roughly follow their schedule. DS also needs two naps and they dropped one at first (I think so all the babies are sleeping at the same time or something) but I insisted that they reinstated it. Some days he will refuse one of the naps but they try him every day now. They also do lunch at 11.30 and snack at 3.30 so he naps after breakfast and after lunch and I try to stick to the food schedule. He gets dinner at about 5.30 at home whether he's at nursery or not.

Meant to sa, has he literally only just started? Mine was a terrible napper at nursery at first, think it was just the new environment/lots going on etc. but he has steadily got better (been in about 6 months now) and will have at least an hour twice a day. Get them to persist with two naps if he needs them, it might take a while but once they are more settled they do sleep a bit more. My 17 month old would be a nightmare on just 40 minutes a day.

My DD switched to one nap at around a year old, was great, one 2 hour nap a day, I got loads done! :D

I don't stick to nursery routines too rigidly as we do different activities to nursery, so some may tire her out less or more. I just feed her at similar times where possible but not as early at 11.30, think my nursery do lunch at 11.45, so I am for 12.15 - 12.30.

At nursery she naps for just an hour, with me she naps for two.

My DD switched to one nap at around a year old, was great, one 2 hour nap a day, I got loads done! :D

I don't stick to nursery routines too rigidly as we do different activities to nursery, so some may tire her out less or more. I just feed her at similar times where possible but not as early at 11.30, think my nursery do lunch at 11.45, so I am for 12.15 - 12.30.

At nursery she naps for just an hour, with me she naps for two.

Thanks for all replies so far.
Yes he has literally just started, he's only done two days and is with me today and tomorrow then back at nursery on Friday. I'm pleased they got him to nap at all and appreciate that it'll probably take some time to get him used to napping there. At home he has two naps at about 8.30 (he gets up 5.30-6.00am) and then about 1pm, both for 30 mins to an hour. I have to rock him to sleep with a dummy then I let him sleep on me as its so hard to get him in the cot (he settles fine in cot at night for some reason and puts himself to sleep)

My little ones have never been at nursery so no first hand experience but I really wouldn't worry about sticking to a routine that doesn't work when you are at home. Just do what works. Babies are surprisingly flexible.