I have four toddlers 15-19 mo old that sleep fairly well and are able to be put down at the same time for the most part. But I have two 8 month olds whose naps are still all over the place and are still coslept so they hate the crib and it will take me forever to get them to sleep. I feel like my whole day is dealing with these guys and naps. My cribs are in a separate room and it is dark with a noise machine. But the younger ones sleep in the playroom because they won't sleep in the separate room and scream which disrupts everyone. Is it too early to try to get them on my daycare nap schedule instead of spending all day fussing with their naps? I don't want to mess up their rest if they still need more than two naps. My older kids are having a morning and afternoon nap, the split naps seem to work better for them. If they all could nap at the same time it would be so beneficial for the whole group. If this is a change I can attempt, how can I address it with the parents? I have one parent that won't even drop their LO off until after their first morning nap, whenever that happens.

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8 month olds can be put on a morning and afternoon nap schedule. In fact, I personally feel they are ready for a scheduled day. I would write up a schedule for the day: arrival, meals, bottles, diaper changes, naps, playtime, storytime, anything you do with your group. Hand it to the parents telling them this is our day, and it would be helpful if you could follow it at home also.

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How many days are they with you for care? At this age they need two naps and I would require mom to bring in after they wake in the morning. The unscheduled morning nap is likely throwing this kid off schedule at your house. I usually wait 1/2 hour after being brought to my house and they go for nap. Sleep for an hour (usually 9-10am) and then second nap is at 1pm.

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You have 6 kids all under age two?!!!

I am licensed for 16 kids (with minimum of two providers) and I can still only have 4 kids under age two!

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Same here... I can have 4 under age 2 IF I have more than one adult. With one adult, I could have 3 under 2.

My state allows a specialized infant/toddler license where you ONLY take infants/toddlers but even then the MAX number of kids under age 2 I could have with one adult is 4 and only 2 of those can be under age 1.

Here is the Mass ratios and the ratios seem similar

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Here you can have six with an assistant. All my guys are part time so they aren't always here. The eight month olds are here four days a week and two days a week.

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Ahh, part timers......

That probably plays into your issue too. It's hard to have routine when parents do the opposite at home (co-sleep) and its even harder to have a routine when the kids only come part time.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd try to talk with the parents more about not co-sleeping...NOT that I think co-sleeping is/isn't okay, it's just that it interferes with what you need at daycare. If the parent won't or can't....I'd seriously consider terminating care. This job is hard but it's impossible if there is no working WITH each other (parents and provider).

I'd also discuss what times your nap time is and push parents to try and observe the same routine. The more a parent is willing to work with you, the more positive their child's experience with you is.

Parents need to give their child the tools to thrive not jsut survive!

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I think cosleeping is your main issue and the child is not able to fall asleep on their own without someone there. I have 3 part time infants and none of them have issues sleeping here even though they are on different routines at home. They equate their beds with sleeping so they sleep without any issues when I put them there. Cosleepers cannot sleep alone no matter what the routine is.

Parents 100% have to give up cosleeping or at the very least allow the child to fall asleep alone before going to bed with them. The kids have to learn to fall asleep alone to adjust to a group daycare setting.

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