"a rare occasion" -for Jenna anyway..now Zac too!?
taken March 2008
I have always loved nap time -not just quiet time, or rest time- but nap time. It's a nice break. I can take a shower until the hot water is gone (very green of me, I know), read, call a friend, blog, or take a nap myself. It's like an hour or so to reclaim sanity. Knowing that they are asleep, so sweet and peaceful is very good for my soul. (deep breath)
Jenna gave up her nap at about the time Zac was born at age 2. She was one of the rare few that didn't nap during 3 and 4 year old preschool- drove the teachers nuts for the same reason that I love naps. She just laid on the cot, waiting to be able to get up, finding it impossible not to talk to herself. Zac, however, has been a better napper. Sleeping longer than 45 minutes and waking up converted from tired monster to sweet(ish), playful boy until bedtime.
Now that Jenna is in school. It has just been the 2 of us, easy right?! Not. Jenna (although I miss her) is essentially gone from the house from 7:20 to 3pm. Zac has been near awful, I will continue to blame the adjustment of the move and try not to think that I have gone terribly wrong as a parent!. Even with a planned, structured day of eating, cleaning together, playing puzzles, cars, dinosaurs, lunch, play dough, etc, the day is mediocre when he doesn't nap. He is fighting nap tooth and nail, even though the monster in him is telling me that he needs a nap at about 12:00. He starts being mean to the dog, yelling at me, gets wound up, he just gets plain mean. (I am that way too when I am tired. Don't they know that one day they will embrace a nap!?) I read that 75% of 3 year olds still nap, then drop to only 25% at age 4! I wanted those 7 more months for him to be in the majority! Just nap. I guess I should be grateful that he didn't give up his naps at 2.
It's funny. I remember a first-time-mom in early labor telling me that she hadn't been able to sleep well toward the end of the pregnancy...unwanting to, but waking up early and unrestfulness, uncomfortable nights. We speculated that perhaps that is preparation for the new baby...unrestful nights and all. Zac is preparing me again for uncomfortable, not so leisurely days and nights that are catered to a new baby's needs. Reminding me that I cannot control all things. Structured and planned or not, some days are just better than others, nap or no nap. Some days there is no time for sanity or more appropriately serenity. That or I should find it somewhere else or look harder. "Enjoy the journey" right? Adjustments and optimism are needed when parenting, aren't they!
6 comments:
I think naps are WONDERFUL!
Oh boy! If I don't get a nap I'm ornery, thus, everyone else is too! I count down the minutes to Coleman's nap time! He is getting less and less into it too, and he's not quite 2 yet...which makes me worry that he'll give them up right as our new one gets here too! Sometimes a good nap is the only part of the journey that's enjoyable, sometimes.
Mandy..Hi
Cute post about NAPPING. I'm not much of a napper now; however when my kids were little I remember needing a nap around 3:00 everyday. I would just get in that OZONE comfortableness and the door would fly open as the kids would come home from school around 3:20.
Just that 20 min. would take me through til bedtime.I hear you love your new home, as in Kentucky.
Naps are sacred at this house too. I am lucky, Hyrum is one of those 25% who still take a nap at four. Most of the days he does anyways. I hope he starts taking naps for you again.
I was so sad when Gavin dropped his nap. He stopped at about 2 /12 if I remember right. It was quite the adjustment, more for me, but thankfully preschool has taken its place. Sanity has returned!
Christian dropped his nap too and he is not even 3!!! Give zacy a couple weeks and he will be back to taking naps.
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