The Ode to the Nap!

For any of you that may not have taken a nap in a long time, I highly recommend it! It is amazing the benefits that a nap brings: less wrinkles, more energy, the ability to help you not bite your kids heads off....

New moms always hear the advice, sleep when your baby sleeps. Most think, 'no, think of all I can get done when my baby is sleeping' but soon will begin napping out of sheer necessity. As the baby grows the naps become less frequent but there is still that long time that you come to depend upon.

Then the tricky part happens, you have another! No longer are you totally free to sleep when the baby sleeps, not unless you want your house torn apart by a two-year-old that is; so what do you do? You find and work for that cherished time when both are sleeping at the same time. Oh the joy! Now it is much more tempting to stay awake as not only do you have things you want to do but there is the mess a two-year-old brings that needs to be dealt with. But alas, you often give in and nap still.

As the baby begins sleeping through the night (something it took my kids an unheard of amount of time to figure out) then you begin to be less dependent upon that nap. Some days you may even be able to stay up and have some time to your self...

Oh but my story isn't over yet. For something far worse begins to happen, the older child start to give up their nap! What, what is happening?? Your whole world begins falling apart as that precious time you had to yourself is vanishing!!!

But as a Mother you are wise beyond your years and you find ways around this, maybe a bonus show for the older child, quiet time in their room. We women are wise! Every once in a while you may still get one of those lucky days where due to vacation, not having a nap for over a week... suddenly everyone wants to nap!

There is nothing quite like lying on the couch, cuddling up under a blanket and taking a nap while I know both of my kids are quietly sleeping. Oh the joy of a nap!