Way back in November, I wrote in this here blog about Ariel no longer always taking naps and how difficult it was to deal with the fact that my afternoon “breaks” would be coming to an end.
The fact that Ariel and Racecar are four and five and the word nap still surfaces in our lives is pretty outstanding. I know this. Believe me, I do. I know there are many o’ Moms that lost their quiet times when their children were much, much younger. I count my blessings, oh yes I do.
What you don’t know, is on that very night I wrote that post, I took a pregnancy test that was positive, which would explain my fatigue. After that day and for the next four months, I took a nap every afternoon, after I coaxed my children to slumber in their own beds for an hour. As you can imagine, it worked out very well.
Even though most days they would fall asleep during nap time, that same night after having a nap, it would take them an hour to fall asleep and then each morning it would be difficult to wake them up. On days they did not nap, they would immediately fall asleep at night and wake up a little easier each morning. It became obvious to me that they no longer NEEDED a nap. I just felt I needed them to take a nap.
And I do. But it’s for selfish reasons. Our day starts at seven, by two in the afternoon they I am tired and need a break.
So, I have created what I call a naptual agreement. We begin quiet time at one, with no TV, no Wii, no computer and they typically play (fairly) quietly together and at two or maybe later, they must go into their rooms and read or play quietly with their doors shut. Then I can go into my living room and stare at the wall. or blog or twitter or well, stare at the wall.
They don’t nap, I still get a break AND they go to bed happily and willingly, nice and early every night. It works out pretty well.
Makes me wonder why I held on so tightly to nap time, I wish I had thought of this months ago.
April 30th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Oh boy did I have the same problem. Although it wasn’t during the week since we worked anyways, but on the weekends we looked forward to naps. Now? They have long sinced passed.
We tend to call them “rests” . Something about that three lettered word that freaks them out. But I am going to agree, falling asleep at night is so much easier and I wouldn’t want to trade it now.
Funny thing, if JC is tired, he will just go lay down and sleep. Their little bodies let them know.
But I still want my weekend nap!
April 30th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Mine are 4 and 3 (both girls) and my 4 year old stopped on her 4th birthday and my 3 year old is hit or miss. Easier to put to bed with no nap but sometimes she can’t make it through the day. I do insist on a ‘rest time’ though no matter if there’s a nap or not. I think it’s important for them to have a period of down time and I need it for my sanity. Works well for everyone.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Yeah, we do the whole “Quiet time” thing here too. My big thing is you don’t have to sleep, but you DO have to go in your room for a little while.
And I think they know it’s for me and not them, but oh well!
April 30th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
What a great term you have coined
You’re SO clever.
Yes, you have had it VERY good with the nap-taking still at their ages, wow. Alex’s naps have been few and far between lately…fading probably since January, or so. He is 3 1/2 this month. I was really hoping to continue those naps until he is at least 4. Many days he needs one…it’s so obvious that he needs one, but we try to do quiet time instead. Yes, it is much easier to get him to bed (and nice to have that extra time with the hubby in the evenings) when he goes to bed early on no-nap days.
But when he really needs one…and if I time it just right by coming back from somewhere around 1:30/2:00, or so, he will crash in the car and will typically transfer to his bed. Hallelujah! It is the only way I can get him to sleep once in a while during the day…the car does it for him when it’s at just the right time.
Sounds like you have a great system in place for you and the kiddos right now
April 30th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
My children are teens now and I really missed the nap time when they out grew it. I also came up with “quite time” I added something to make it more fun. Each of my kids had a “quite time box” I would bring it out only at “quite time” for them to play with. I would put things in it like puzzles, books a Mr. Potatoe head. I would add things and take things out and the kids would never know what they would find. It made “quite time” that much more fun.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:59 am
I have two girls. A three year old and a 6 month old. THE DAY my oldest turned two, she never napped again. And that was right around when I got pregnant with #2.
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