The Daycare Diaries: The Routine of Napping

Before I began working as a child care provider, I could not imagine getting two children to nap at the same time, much less eight or ten children. Then I started working at a child care center. Ten or twelve children, ranging in age from 12 months to 3 years, would lay down on their little resting mats and fall asleep! Even on a crazy day, at least half would sleep for a good two hours. Amazing! Then I would be home on my days off, struggling to get my two children (2 1/2 years and 11 months old) to nap, without success.

One of the most important things that I have learned after five years in the child care business is... Keep a routine! When I say "routine", I don't mean that at precisely 12:53pm each and every day at my child care program, we lay down to sleep. It means that each day, we eat our lunch, use the restroom, wash our hands and then lay down for rest time. In that order. Bed time works the same way for my own children. Children love routine! They know what to expect. No surprises.

Of course, I cannot guarentee that they will all sleep every day, or that their naps will last for the same amount of time each day. Hey, I'm not a miracle worker here... but I do have all eight children sleeping right now. And that's routine!