Linden is sitting up stairs in my room having 'quiet time' with some books right now because he won't go to sleep. He is happy to sit on my bed and read if it means not having a nap. Before I went up there and gave him some books I thought he had been sleeping...an hour went by! Then I heard him start crying and screaming so I thought he had fallen off the bed, I ran up there and he had certainly not been sleeping. He had been sticking his feet in the slats on our bed and had gotten one foot jammed in there. Turkey!
What I want to know is when is the right time to start taking out day time naps all together? I don't feel like Linden is ready for that - oh my, I hope he's not! - but every so often he just won't go to sleep. Then on other days he'll sleep for 3 hours in the afternoon.
I seem to remember my own parents enforcing afternoon naps until I went to school. Now, the memory of my childhoon is often blurred and I have been known to think that things really happened when infact I either dreampt of them or just imagined them happening. One example of this was when I was a kid and one night we were sitting around the dinner table all laughing and sharing funny memories. I piped up and laughing so hard I said, "Remember the time I was Gumby for Halloween and couldn't climb up our neighbors stairs because my legs were too stiff in the costume?? Ah hahaha!!!!" Suddenly there was an awkward silence followed by an outburst of laughter by my parents. "Laura, you were never Gumby for Halloween, you saw that on America's Funniest home videos!" My siblings then added to the laughter and I have never lived that moment down. Thankfully, I now know that I possess this amazing ability to make dreams a reality and have gotten over myself. I can laugh at myself in these times and really....I quite enjoy them when they come. It does, however, usually make me nervous when I am telling some amazing story that I may have actually made it up. Back to napping as a child, THAT I remember. Even when we were older my parents always had us nap on Sundays. I am so thankful for this, though I wasn't at the time, and regularily nap on Sundays (and any other opporunity).
So...what did you do? When did your kids quit the afternoon nap? How did you make the transition? I do plan on having my kids nap until they go to kinderschool and even then will have them nap on Sundays...but it's good to hear other people's stories! Am I dreaming to think that my plans are possible? Perhaps this is one dream I can't make into reality.
Linden is now downstairs asking me as many questions as humanly possible. I must give ear. Thankfully, he's a happy camper even though he didn't nap today. I love my boys.
LAUR.
PS - If you are a person that I have told some crazy story to and are now questioning my credibility, please know that I am an honest person with a lot of true stories....it's just that some times some stories I only think happened. Oh boy..... I'm starting to sound really bad... I have good intentions..... oh man.....
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well, you know my story! Mike never napped after 2 years old, and Starla never napped after 1 year old. BUT they went to bed by 7 each night and were quiet until 6 a.m., and that worked for me MOST of the time. I would get SO tired late afternoons, and I DID fall asleep with the kids bouncing on me..at least once. Quiet times in their rooms reading for an hour each day seems like a BETTER idea than what I did, Laura! I know that the Johnsons made their girls have quiet time, as that was when Heather would have her devotions and exercise. love ya! miss ya! Maybe we can talk tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteI knew the Gumby story was going to come up the minute i started reading that paragraph!! love it!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as bedtime at night became a hassle (I mean more than the regular stuff) then naptime in the afternoon was no more!!! For Madelyne this was well after she was three, for Emma, it was more like 2 1/2. They will still nap on occasion - especially since being in school - and when they're growing!
ReplyDeleteAnd we LOVE our Sunday naps too - come to think of it they're all sleeping right now and I'm on the computer - I better run and get in some sleep before they wake up!
I agree with Lisa - once bedtime became a complete hassle (ie. not going to sleep until 10:30 or 11 p.m.), the naptime was cut out. For Charlie, he napped until he went to kindergarten. For Lola, she stopped at around 3. Sometimes the naptime returns depending on health or growth issues. Today, I imposed quiet time for 1/2 an hour because I just could not handle their bickering (plus it's been so hot that I get completely knackered by the time lunch is finished and done with).
ReplyDeleteSo, those are my two cents. Spend them if you like. ;)