About Me

child care for special needs kids

Having a special needs child comes with an extreme level of responsibility, and oftentimes, more expenses. So, what do you do when you have to go to work and need someone to care for your child? I struggled with this for about two years before I couldn't financially stay home with my son any longer. I spent a lot of time looking for information about finding the right child care center for my son and what I could do to prepare him for the transition from home to the center. On this blog you will find tips that can help the process go much smoother for you and your child.

Search

Latest Posts

Tags

child care for special needs kids

3 Tips For Helping Your Child Nap At Daycare

by Sid Van Minnen

If your child is used to taking their naps in a specific spot, it can be tricky convincing them to nap in a new location. When you're sending your little one to daycare for the first time, you want everything to go as smoothly as possible, including the acclimation of their sleep schedule to the new environment. Here are a few tips you can follow to help your child get used to napping at daycare.

1. Send a Favorite Lovey or Blanket

Many daycare centers encourage parents to send a favorite lovey or blanket for their child to sleep with. The presence of a familiar item can be comforting to your child, and a number of children sleep better when they have a comforting object nearby. Make sure that clearly label any item that you send with your child so that your daycare center can easily identify who it belongs to.

If possible, you might want to pick up a couple extras of your child's security object. This will allow you to keep one security object at home while keeping the other one at daycare.

2. Make Sure You Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule at Home

One thing that you can do to encourage your child to nap at daycare is to stick with a consist sleep schedule at home. Children who are well-rested tend to sleep better than those who are overtired. Having a consistent routine will assist your child with knowing what to expect next in their day, whether they are at daycare or home.

When possible, put your child down for a nap at a similar time as their daycare time. At nighttime, put them down at a bedtime that provides them with an ample amount of sleep for their age and specific sleep needs; this will help keep your child rested so they aren't resistant to napping. 

3. Be Patient

The setting at daycare often serves as a source of positive peer pressure for many children. Though your child isn't used to napping at a different time in an environment that differs from their own setting, they'll be surrounded by several other children who have adapted to taking naps at daycare.

Seeing these other children nap can encourage your child to try napping in a new setting and help them understand that it's okay to sleep in a new spot. However, this process can take time. Try to be patient and give your child at least a few weeks to become accustomed to napping at daycare. For more information, talk to day cares like Carousel Of Learning Pre-School & Nursery.

Share