Managing nap times with 2 babies

**MrsP2C** · 03-02-2013, 11:52 PM

I currently mind a 10 mth old who has 2 short naps of 35/40 mins at 9:30 usually in the buggy or car en route to an activity & 1:30pm typically in the travel cot upstairs. This works well with school/nursery runs, mealtime etc and none of my other mindees nap so juggling sleep times hasn't been an issue so far.
However, I've got a new 1 yr old starting in 2 weeks & she has just one 2 hour sleep after a bottle around 11am. Ideally she'd go down in the cot for this long but I do a lunchtime nursery run plus sleeping in the morning will mean missing all our activities! Unfortunately most activities involve a car journey so even if she nodded off on the way home it would mean transporting sleeping child into buggy/cot once we got home so what do I do with the other baby & pre-schooler?

Sorry for the questions & I'm sure I'll figure it out but as you can probably tell I'm quite anxious about managing 2 babies plus 3 yr old for the first time and would really appreciate some guidance from you more experienced CM's :smile:
Many thanks

**jackie 7** · 04-02-2013, 09:33 AM

My one year olds have a nap around 9 for half an hour then 1 1/2-2 hours after lunch. I find that if they sleep too early they fall asleep at 4 30/5 Ask parents if you can adjust their hours more in Lind with the others.

**AliceK** · 04-02-2013, 10:02 AM

I have 2 x 1yr olds. One of them manages to stay awake until after lunch and will then have about 2hrs. The other one will usually go down about 10 / 10.30 for an hour. I have never yet had 2 LO's who will nap at the same time. I also have a lunchtime nursery run but I walk so if one of them wants to nap in the buggy they can. Most children will fit around you especially if they are kept busy and can wait until after lunch for their nap.

xxxx

**atmkids** · 04-02-2013, 11:00 AM

I have three under 2's some days. The 11 and 13 month olds have a short nap of up to an hour at about 9ish and then all three go down at 1pm for up to 2 hrs.

The youngest has only been with me for a couple of weeks but he soon got the hang of our routine

**nipper** · 04-02-2013, 11:27 AM

My nine month old mindee started having an hour nap around 10ish and then again after lunch, however he is still awake and playing happily, having just had a bottle, so I'm going to see if he can make it to lunchtime (possibly give him an early lunch).

On Fridays I have him and a just turned one year old, who has started having her nap after lunch...usually gets quite grotty around 11am though, so I find I have to put her down before him. They have travel cots in separate rooms so no chance of disturbing each other. Well, that's the theory anyway.

Most days I play it by ear and if they are rubbing eyes or crying, then it's off to bed with them and just make a note of it on their daily diary. By about the age of 12 months, I think they should be able to make it to lunchtime (or anytime from 11.30 onwards). If. however. they have woken up at silly o'clock (earlier than say 6.30am) then a mid morning nap is a good option just to redress the balance.

I agree it can be hard juggling naptimes, especially if in the morning you attend toddler groups and they fall asleep in the pushchair or in the car on the way home. I prefer mine to have had at least one sleep in the travel cot but again if this isn't possible then I'm not too worried.

**silvermist** · 04-02-2013, 11:39 AM

I dont know how Ive managed it but I have 3 under 2 twice a week and they all go down for a nap at the same time! Its a miracle!

I asked one of my los Mums if she minded that nap times may alter once the los get into our routine and she was fine with it. x

**TAZ** · 04-02-2013, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by atmkids

I have three under 2's some days. The 11 and 13 month olds have a short nap of up to an hour at about 9ish and then all three go down at 1pm for up to 2 hrs.

The youngest has only been with me for a couple of weeks but he soon got the hang of our routine

This is basically the routine I've always used, long nap in pm & other nap (varying length or not at all, depending on need in am). I've not yet had a child who didn't quickly adjust to this routine. Fits well around am activities, school/nursery runs, and frees me up to do more focused activities with older pre-schoolers in the pm.

**The Juggler** · 04-02-2013, 02:00 PM

i have 3 asleep upstairs just now. 1 year old, 2 year old, 4 year old and a nearly 4 lying quietly reading a book.

As babies all of them napped in morning if needed and again in pm but as they dropped morning nap, pm nap got longer. the older girls usually only have 45 mins now and the one doesn't always sleep but she has a nice rest.

**samb** · 04-02-2013, 02:11 PM

I also get myself worked up thinking about how I will work- my hardest thing is the preschool run is 12-12:45 - as the little ones drop their morning naps I then have to give them an early lunch so that t doesn't matter if they fall asleep on the pre school run. At the mo I have only 1 day with 2 sleeping - 1 has short sleep in buggy on way back from toddlers then other ones tends to fall asleep in buggy on ores school run and as he's waking I put baby down in travel cot for his 2nd nap. It does take juggling and some thought but it totally doable. After half term I have a new just turned 1yr old starting and then every day I will have 2 that nap plus 1 awake.