Forum : Mums

hi, your post made me feel really sad... im a nursery nurse and ALL nurseries should treat children as individuals, the plans should fit around the child, not the other way round. it is true many chiildren have a nap around lunchtime, simply because this is the middle of the day and an equal distance between am wake up/bedtime (many parents dont want there child to sleep later in the day as it disrupts them being able to settle their child at night) but if your child needs this pattern of sleep then he should have it. I know at our nursery the children follow a routine but each childs needs are assessed,. speak to the nursery staff (surely they must find it difficult with a teary child come late afternoon so will be happy to adapt?) all children need different levels of sleep and will all naturally stop napping when there ready.

Just remember they are providing a service FOR YOU, and should be happy to meet your childs needs. x

I agree the nursery should fit around your childs routine, if he needs to sleep in the morning and afternoon then there should be a quiet area he can go to rest. Speak to the nursery and ask for him to still sleep in the morning and afternoon.

Hi, i am a nursery nurse,everyone is right the nursery should fit with the childs routine. If you feel that your child needs more sleep it is imporant to discuss this with his keyworker and remember that the nursery is a service and you know what is best for your child.

hi hun
my son is 2and 10mths and he still has a nap sometimes morning sometimes after lunch for an hour or so whatever, my son isnt at nursery but just thought it would help you to know little ones still need a nap and some are more tired than others. i would talk to your little ones nursery about what you feel is best for him take care

hi hun. i used to work in a nursery, but i left to have my son. im affraid thats the way so me toddler rooms are. we used to go with what parents wanted but the children used to get woken up by other children. thats what nurseries are like. if some children needed sleeps in the morning we would put them down for one but only if they were falling asleep. certain rooms have different routines and they tend to stick to them xx

my son is in the baby room and as he is nearly ready to move to toddlers, they want to not only change his feeding routine (currentley snack about ten then lunch at one then dinner at four) to luch at half eleven and a snack at three with nothing else but change his sleeping from two naps a day in a quiet room in a big pram to sleeping in a pushchair in a noisy toddler room.
My son sleeps twelve hours a night and two naps a day which can be 2hours each, he is very girny if he does not get sleep or food he needs. he has settled very well with the current staff but they changed his feeding routine on monday and he was very girny going home i gave him some fruit in the back of my car which settled him, he really needs his dinner at nursery but the toddler room doesnt do dinners

Hi Kate,
Like some of the other ladies on here I also work in a nursery & after reading your message I am quite appalled what they're asking of you. The whole point of a nursery should be to support children in their own routines not make them change into the routine they want! Also, I think having them sleep in pushchairs is terrible. Obviously it's not feesible to buy lots of cots or beds for all the children but at my nursery we do have cots in the baby room & in the toddler room we use mattresses on the floor.
I would have a word with either your son's key worker or the manager & explain your concerns about his feeding & sleeping. They should cater to your request, if not I would consider looking elsewhere!
Hope this helps, good luck with it.
Jodie xxx