During nap time I am struggling with trying to get 5 children to sleep at the same time. 2 are mine, 3 are not. They all need naps! ( according to me and their parents) Right now after lunch and play time, we settle into our spots. They each have a blanket they must stay on. We read stories, and then they must go to sleep. Right now I am spending at least 45 minutes each day sitting in the doorway shushing them, telling them to be still, or to stop trying to play with something. If I leave the room for even a few seconds, they immediately get up, start talking, etc.
I am trying to find a way to get them to behave and take a nap as they should. I can keep my kids in line, but how do I deal with the other kids? I have spoken to their parents, and they are on board with trying to get them to behave better, but I am looking for suggestions of what type of system to use. 2 of the children sleep until their mothers pick them up, so an immediate after nap reward does not work. There isn't any tv time in our day, so that can't be taken away either.
I've been trying to come up with some type of sticker chart or something to show their parents, but I can't really think of what the motivator would be....I hope this makes sense, and any suggestions are appreciated.
How about reading to them until they are either asleep or at least very sleepy! If kids aren't tired they are not going to fall asleep as you want them too! They want to play still and talk! But reading to them will calm them all down, and keep reading to them until they have all calmed down! Good luck
Repetition...drill Sargent mentality..seperation of space...comfortable places to sleep, etc...music is good..very very dark conditions...quiet house. All of this works for me. I do licensed home childcare. I have 2 toddler beds and 4 packNplays in one room. I have 5 asleep in there right now, ages 16 months to just-turned-3. I also have 2 infants (3 mos and 4 mos) sleeping elsewhere in the house in PackNPlays.
But mine know the drill. As soon as lunch is done, we wash up, potty (only my under 2 year olds are in diapers)...and into bed. Its a VERY dark room and I am militant about no talking or noise, heads on pillows, etc. I get renegades on some days, but not very often. Its a kind of training. I have a cheap $15 baby monitor so I can hear them and I am in there immediately shushing the offender. After a reasonable time..I will scoop up the noisy ones, especially the littlest one...she will learn to lay quiet..most of the time they wake, roll over and go back to sleep.
Be very no nonsense about it and consistent. BTW..I have music on, 2 layers of room darkening shades (target brand inexpensive ones) with blinds as well...no toys in there and separators between the wall of pack N plays..anda curtain between the toddler beds....spaces are clearly defined and I insist on heads on pillows...so no standing sorta stuff.
Good luck!
So they play, clean up, eat, clean up and then you read to them in a darkened room?
How about playing some soothing music or a book on tape for the first 30 to 45 minutes after you finish reading. .Play the same music each day.. Vivaldi is a great composer of soothing music.. play it fairly softly. .. It will help to calm them.. It will block out other sounds in and outside of the building. Also during lunch make sure it is not a raucous time with lots of loud talking and too much excitement.. It will take a child double the time to calm down than it did to get riled up.
I am assuming you are watching children in your home?? I also watch kids in my home. We live in a three bedroom home. I have the kids all sleep in different rooms. If I have a child sleep downstairs, where there are toys, I make sure I only use that room for a child that is in a pack n play. I put each child in a bedroom, close the door, and they all go to sleep at 1:00 (even the babies!). At times I let two older children sleep in the same room, but only the older ones who understand that the time is for sleeping only!
How old are the kids?
Next, kids often need a WIND-down time, before nap, to key down. They can't do this AT nap time... so BEFORE actual nap time... start winding them down already... make everything quiet... turn off things, make the room dark etc. Read stories to them, while they get into their spots.
You have to do something, CALM and QUIET... BEFORE actual nap time... to key them down.
Personally, I would NOT have a "play time" after lunch... because it will just get them too hyper, before nap. For me, if my kids horse-play before nap or sleep... they CANNOT sleep. Even if tired.
So, after lunch time for your group of kids.... have a wind-down time, and transition them into something QUIET... like read to them. And also cue them, verbally.... ie: "After lunch, we get ready for nap....and wind-down..." Then, do it. Emphasize, "TEAM work".... when doing so.... use that word.... also say "This is our routine..."
In their nap room... have NOTHING in there to play with. Just their sleep mats etc. And make that room DARK. Take out anything stimulating...
Really, do NOT have a 'play-time' after lunch... and before nap, have them use the bathroom or change their diapers etc. Make that a routine too. For my son, he 'cannot' nap, if he has to poop, for example. Which he does, after a meal.
For me, it takes me about 1/2 hour to 1 hour to Wind-down my kids BEFORE actual nap time. So, I get them ready for nap... BEFORE the actual nap time. Make sense? Otherwise, getting them ready and wound-down, eats into the actual nap time.
Its all about PREPPING them, BEFORE actual nap time... and getting them to key down.
good luck,
Susan
maybe reward with cartoons after if every one sleeps. good luck.R.
When I worked at a daycare center we did this reward system with an ice cream party. Every day the kids went to sleep they received a ticket for the ice cream party. The first ticket had to be used for either a bowl& spoon or ice cream cone, the second ticket was one scoop of ice cream, all the rest of the tickets were used for toppings or extra scoop of ice cream. We used M&M's, whipped cream, flavored syrup, different flavored chips etc... We also did a pizza one with portions of individual dough, sauce, cheese, meats, veggi's etc... Maybe that would work in your situation. The other thing that I remembered doing was sitting between them and patting their backs. The only problem with that was that sometimes they would not go to sleep until you patted the backs. I prefered the just sitting quietly, working on paperwork, reading etc... until they fell asleep.
Two words: separate rooms! Having a playmate right there beside one at nap time is just too tempting.
Rules: Feet stay on the blanket. Voices are whispery. A toy or a book is all right, but the toy or book must be quiet, too. (Sometimes a child just doesn't sleep, so the item should keep them quietly occupied.)
You could try playing some soft instrumental music.
Is the floor soft enough with one blanket? (I remember back in medieval times when I was little; we were supposed to take a nap on a towel on a hard floor and it was totally impossible!)
Todays 'leader' for the Mamapedia email is about sleepy time and makes all kinds of sense. If the children feel sufficiently comforted before sleeping, they can relax better.
Also, if you can make nap-time sound like more of a privilege than a punishment, that'll go a lot further toward peaceful sleep. So often we say, "You have to..." or "You must..." instead of "You get to...." or "You may..."
Attitude will go a long way. If they could relax in different areas (rooms) of the house or building, it may help, too.
You don't mention how old the children are. If they are 2, closer to 3 or older, they may just not be able to nap on command. You really can't force a child to sleep. As long as they are resting quietly, I wouldn't call it misbehaving. You can call it "quiet resting time" instead of "nap time" and give the older ones books or quiet toys that have to be played with only on their resting space, and turn on some soft music. Instead of leaving the room, can you stay and read a magazine or something? Those that can fall asleep will. After an hour, those that don't, probably aren't going to, and I would let them get up and do something in another part of the house, or outside until the others wake up. Good luck!
try putting the kids in two different rooms or three or whatever it takes to get them to all "nap"
