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I have been called the nap nazi before.
Control freak. House bound.
While I think the whole "nazi" title is a bit much, I am no Hitler thank you...
I am obsessed with my kids napping. I often feel my heart sink when the nap isn't long enough (ie: according to the "What to Expect" bible). What am I doing wrong? OMG maybe they just are not nappers (Nooooooooooooo!) THEY MUST NAP.
I continue day in and day out to pursue the perfect nap..
What is the perfect nap? For me it's a quick feed, into the crib wide awake smiling and 2 hours later I hear singing...
Reality? A long feed, into the crib wide awake (sometimes), screaming and fussing for anywhere between 1 and 15 minutes and then they are up within an hour. All of that work for one hour?
I need longer naps people...why?
Several reasons.
1. Babies need to nap. Cranky twins is not a treat, trust me.
2. I need to work. I mark papers when the twins nap. Especially in the AM. No nap = no marking = no money
3. I need a break. Let's be honest here. Even if I choose to simply sit, watch TV and drink coffee...maybe even read some trash mag. Nap time is MY time and I deserve more then 45 minutes of ME time each day!
4. I DO 7 BEDTIMES A DAY. 2 naps each for the twins, and bed time for the twins and Cole. I need a fast smooth, well tuned process.
But why does my self worth as a mom relate at all to how much my kids nap? It's one of the first questions people ask. Do they sleep? Will they nap at the same time? All the while we dread the day they stop napping (god forbid it's before they are 3!)
I wish I could chill about this nap thing. I was the SAME with Cole. I was hoping 5 years later I would have ditched this behaviour. I am proud to admit that I have eased up a bit on the PM nap schedule. Having Cole means venturing outdoors or running errands. I cannot expect a 2 hour nap in the cribs each afternoon.
The trade off is that the boys are in bed at 6 and 7pm for the NIGHT. Can I blame them for not napping during the day when they sleep so well at night?
Why am I expecting the best of both worlds?
Are all mom's as nap obsessed as me?
Is there nap rehab? Sign me up.
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I was the exact same way. Mine are 8 & 10 now and they still follow a night time routine. I was very programmed about napping and routines. I think it really helps. When they were babies they were down at 6pm too.
ReplyDeleteI would have to come to nap rehab with you too. When Kamden was a baby it was all about getting them to nap together. If it didn't work, I was a failure! Little did I know that I was beyond lucky that Jack was still napping well over the age of 3.
ReplyDeleteI needed (and still do) the me time. So basically I am no help at all. I can just nod along!
i was the same way-nap time was PRECIOUS to me...and i expected it. unfortunately, just like you, kaden was NOT a napper until he was15 months old. He would sleep perfect at bed time, but ONLY and EXACTLY 30 minutes each - not a minute more or less. It drove me MAD. I thought I was doomed to never have a couple hours to myself. But, eventually, he did nap 2 hours, and still does! And as long as he wants to nap, I will nap him - even if he's five years old!!!!! Good Luck...it will come!
ReplyDeletePS: I think sometimes Todd thinks I am the Nap Nazi too!
I am totally like you. I worked so hard to get my boys to nap and sleep well. Unfortunately, Caleb gave up his nap before age 2 and Justin has just recently given up his nap. I'm still in mourning of my 1-2 hours of free time! However, like your boys, mine go to bed by 7:30 and sleep until 7:30 the next morning. And I can't complaing about that!!
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