The No-Nap Blues

Web MD states that 90 minutes should be “just perfect” for naps.  Well – what do you do when your little one decides to roll around, sing and play for those 90 minutes? Stanton gets in his bed just fine, it’s the going to sleep that seems to be the problem. Daily, I, the Really-Needs-a-Break Mom, sit through an hour or more of listening to Stanton sing, play, talk to somebody, rearrange his pillows, etc. instead of going to sleep.

By 4:00, he clearly begins to regret his no-nap decision, but now it’s too late to take a nap. The Really-Needs-a-Break Mom in me has made that mistake! Napping at 4:00 only leads to a child who won’t go to bed until midnight! This clearly only happened once and right then and there I made a vow with myself to never allow a late nap again. A late nap is NOT better than no nap!

No-nap days lead to the “suffrage hours” which clearly fall between 4:45 and 6:00, which, coincidentally happen to be the same time my relief support (husband) arrives home from work. I’m sure his nose leads him through the door as he tries to decipher what might be for dinner. Instead, he enters to find a wild child in just a diaper, no spot to sit in the living room as I’ve given up and allowed Stanton to make a cave out of the couch cushions, and me, my hair in the remains of a ponytail, dressed in pj bottoms and a t-shirt. Dinner? What’s that? Didn’t you pick something up on your way home? Oh wait, there’s a bag of chips and a jar of peanut butter….does that count?

Seriously though, what are families to do when their toddler decides naps aren’t needed? I guess cocktail hour is an escape…except for the fact that now I’m pregnant, so I’ll just reach for the bag of cookies instead!

Ginger

Yes- he's growing up!