Nap Time at Daycare

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Jameson was transitioning to a cot at daycare. Well, there was not much transitioning that needed to happen: he took to it right away. Thankfully other kids were already using it, so he knew what it was for after a few minutes of getting his back rubbed (aww).

However, after a few days, the teachers mentioned that he might like a pillow or something to lay on, because he was using his tiny little security blanket to put his head on. The thing is maybe a foot long, not even big enough to bunch into a pillow at all, so that certainly wouldn’t do.

I asked what the other parents had been doing, and they said one of the kids had a sleeping bag to lay on, others had blanks and pillows. I immediately went on to Amazon to see what I could find, starting with “sleeping bags for toddlers” and quickly realizing that what I was really looking for was more like a “nap mat”.

There is a huge range of nap mats, and you can find a good number of thick, well-made ones on Etsy.

However, I restricted myself to Amazon Prime available ones because I wanted to get it as soon as possible and because, well, he’s a toddler! I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something that he may ruin with stains and tears in a few months.

I found what I consider to be a good solution. Here was my criteria:

  1. Since they are on cots, I didn’t feel that he needed a lot of cushion (plus, he was doing fine sleeping on it for 2 hours at a time without any extra padding).
  2. I wanted something with an attached pillow. The pillow was the point of this whole thing, but I wanted it attached so that it wouldn’t get separated
  3. Likewise, I wanted an attached blanket
  4. I wanted something with a removable pillow, so it didn’t get destroyed in the wash
  5. Preferred something that allowed his feet to breathe, so it wasn’t a sleeping bag (that’s why I changed my search terms to “nap mat”
  6. Not costly; I expect to have to replace this 1-2 times a year. Cause he’s a boy, in daycare.
  7. Amazon Prime available

After some searching, I found this one: Hometex Nap N Go Nap Roll

It was so perfect. The only real poor thing the reviews had to say on this one is that it didn’t have much cushion (unnecessary for my son on a cot); and a flimsy zipper. Easily taken into consideration by careful zipping and unzipping, as well as washing with it zipped.

And it’s only $20!

Did I mention I got the one with a dog on it too?

I’m happy to say that Jameson is taking full 2-1/2 to 3 hour naps daily now, and he loves his roll. Actually, all the kids do. He has his own cot all week, and Brian said one day a couple were stacked, with his on top and a couple of the kids went to pile on it. The teachers had to move it back into the crib area so they wouldn’t play on it!

We put his extra blanket (soon to be removed since it’s been so warm recently) and his security blanket in the mat, and we roll it all up together on Mondays. We only wash this every other week or so.

There is even in a little nap tag area on the front!

Excuse the quality of these next few photos, I had a toddler in the way, you know how it is…

Jameson likes to put his hands underneath him when he’s getting ready to sleep. It’s our signal that he’s really tired, if he lays on our shoulder and tries to tuck his hands under himself.

If you were wondering, this is our security blanket. Because Jameson is not allowed (or wasn’t, when he was in a crib) to have stuffed animals, we couldn’t bring in his little bear lovey. Instead we sent him in with this little blanket, and it actually is now his preference over the little bear.

So I had to buy another, of course.

Apparently Jameson and his best friend at daycare, Nathan, we placed next to each other once Nathan was transitioned. However, they only wanted to talk and play, so they had to be separated. Not surprised.

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