How do you manage different routines?

[kmc13]

Hi,

This week I've been doing some settling in sessions with a 22 month old and even though he's only a month younger than my own daughter his routine is quite different to hers. For example he tends to have a nap before lunch and my daughter has hers after lunch.

So as a new childminder I just wondered how other childminders deal with managing several routines into their own routine? Do you stick to each childs routine or follow a general one?

Thanks

[FloraDora]

I have started with child's own routine but slowly it evolves into mine of a nap after lunch. The last LO I had that napped at 11.30 didn't want to when the others were still playing...we had an early lunch to start with ...now goes up at 1/1.15 along with others, parents haven't minded.

[loocyloo]

I always start with child's routine and then gently move it towards mine!
We sleep after lunch ... sometimes lunch is quite early!

[moggy]

Same here- Long morning nap is soon 'adjusted' to a long afternoon nap. Not for my convenience but to keep them going through to 5.30/6pm pick-up time- 4/5pm is very tough if they haven't had a good afternoon nap.

I find it works by having that morning nap in buggy while walking to an activity, they tend to wake when we arrive (so not a long nap) and generally are then fine to get through rest of morning and then ready for another nap 1pm.

Once they manage to get to the morning activity without falling asleep I then get them back for an early lunch and nap around 12/12.30 and slowly push that back to 1pm.

All my little ones have ended up with this 1pm long nap and it works for us all.

It helps if parents cooperate and do same routine at home.