Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

I've been calling daycare centers and completely forgot to ask what age group my lo will be part of. The last center I called said 18month - 3year old is in the same class.
Is this normal? Seems like such a large age range to be together. Dd will be 18 months when I put her in daycare

If your lo is in a class like this, do they follow a schedule in terms of napping, or will they follow your lo's individual schedule? (For example, dd naps from noon - 2pm daily, will they follow that or will they get her on a group schedule where nap time may be at 1pm for all kids?)

Message edited 6/4/2014 1:43:58 PM.

Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

DD was switched to a new room at 18 months and then moved again when she turned 2. So it was 18-24 months in one room. Generally they keep all kids under 2 in one room because there are different required ratios of teachers to kids. This is in MD though so it may be different in NY.

Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

Is it a large center? I saw that in an in-home place we looked at but our center, and other larger centers I looked at, break out rooms in 6 month intervals for the most part.

As for napping - they have a set naptime. In our center, starting at 12 mos it's between 12-3. If you wake up before 3, you can play quietly.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

My DD is in a daycare center and recently graduated to the 18-36 mos. room. I'm not crazy about how much bigger and rougher the other kids seem, but it is what it is. She does seem to be doing fine despite my anxiety over it.

They have a set nap time and don't adhere to individual schedules. Nap time is way earlier than my DD's usual schedule (she's only in daycare 3 days a week), so most of the time DD refuses to nap and is allowed to play quietly while other kids sleep. Then she is a crank in the evening at home until bedtime.

It's not a perfect situation by any means, but I've learned to take the good with the not so good. DD learns a lot in daycare and is very social, so all in all I think it's good for her. The positives outweigh the negatives.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

Message edited 6/4/2014 2:46:39 PM.

Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

My daycare breask it but by the following:

8 wks - 6 mons
6mons- 1 year
1 year - 18 months
18-24 months
2 yo
3yo potty trained
3yo not potty trained.
and then up.

There is a big gap even in the 2yo room so no I would not liek a place that had 18 mons with 3yos.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

We use a large corporate center and they break it up much more than that.

18 months-2 years

2 year old room

3 to 3.5 (preschool)

3.5-4 (preschool- just another side of the room with a different teacher)

4 year old room (PreK)

Message edited 6/4/2014 2:58:31 PM.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

Most of the centers I looked at had:

newborn - 6 months
6 months - 12 months
13 months - 18 months
19 months - 2 years
2 year old
3 year old
4 year old

The centers follow the individual newborns schedules, but as the kids get older, all the kids are on the same schedule.

Typically, for 18 months, the nap was a 2-hour afternoon nap starting around 12:30. Obviously some kids sleep longer than other kids, but that's when it's quiet with the lights low and the music playing.

18 months to 3 years is a pretty big age difference. IMO, I would not like that setting b/c I want DS to be learning and I think it's hard to structure learning to such a wide age range. That's specifically why I chose a center, rather than in-home (where all the age ranges are grouped together).

Also, you know the experience I had with that - DS was a newborn in day care and seeing the 18+ month olds running and hitting each other made me worried about DS's safety.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

Our daycare has toddler rooms (12/13 months until 2) and two's rooms (2 until 3 and potty trained).

Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

Ours was like 6w to 1 yr, 1 to 18/24 month, 2,3,smaller younger four,larger older four

Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

I use a pretty big center with multiple locations. My DS was just moved up to the toddler room. It's 18 months-3 when they move to the preschool room.

They all nap after lunch...so from about 12:45 or so. My DS takes a 2 hour nap--12:45-2:45. This is not my ideal schedule on weekends but we stick to it as much as possible so it doesn't mess him up there.

As for the age range, it gives me more angst than him. He seems to be doing fine with all of it.

Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

That seems like a big gap, I don't think I woul be happy with that. We have 18-24 months, then 2-3 years, 3-4....18 months to 3 yo is a big gap.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

Yup. My DS is 27months. He started in daycare at 18 months and his room is 18months to 3 yr olds. It seems to work so I don't have a problem with it. They do follow a schedule. They usually have breakfast at 8:30am, then they play or do crafts and circle time. Lunch is around 11:30-12:00, then nap time is about 3 hours and they get a snack at around 3:30. Im usually there to pick up DS by 3:30 so I don't know what goes on afterwards.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

at our old IN HOME center, that was how it was. Actually, it was 6 weeks to 5 years but there was special focus with specific teachers on different ages. The kids were all together though.

At our current daycare (center)

6w-7/8m
7/8m - 14ishm
14m - 24m
2
3
4
5

Moving up really depends on milestones when they are young.

Re: Question re: 18month-3yr olds in daycare

dd was in the infant room until 18 mo then to the toddler room which is 18-36 mo. i find that its a double edge sword. while she is one of the youngest she came home the first week and sat on the potty and went, shes learning so much being exposed to everything her age and older. That's to say the good behavior and some of the bad too.