The Importance of Napping

Elizabeth and Dylan both gave up napping on a regular basis during their respective second years of life. This was very disturbing to me seeing as how when Elizabeth was 2 I had an infant (Dylan) and for Dylan's second year I was either VERY pregnant or had an infant. These kids either have very good or very bad timing, depending on their goals.

(side note: I believe their ultimate goal is to drive me straight to the looney bin)

So, with Benjamin I am determined to keep him napping regularly for as long as I possibly can.

I enforce the double nap a day policy strenuously.

No matter what, Ben is in his crib ready for a morning nap (fed, changed, binked) by 10 am at the latest, but usually around 9:30. This works out GREAT when he wakes up at 7:30 or 8 am but not so much when he snoozes until 9 am. Those are the days when I wish I had a nanny or a clone or a secret panic room to hide in.

But I digress.
The morning nap is essential because without it, he is a grump. An intolerable grump.
He must be napping by 10 because he has to be awake and in the car by 11:45 so Elizabeth gets to school on time (noon).

The round trip to school, drop off and back takes an hour. So on days when we come home, we're back by 1 pm at the latest. Then Ben has a lunch, some juice and takes another nap by no later than 1:30 pm. This is essential because he has to be up and in the car by 3 pm so we get to school in time to pick up Elizabeth at 3:30.

You can see, there is little room for error in the schedule and sometimes mistakes are made. If we stay in town during school, Ben does not nap until almost 4 pm when we get home. Then he sleeps through family dinner, which is fine, but he'll be up until after 8 pm.

When he properly naps in the afternoon, he's up at 3, awake for family dinner and sleepy again by 7-7:30 pm. Perfect.

Very rarely do we have a perfect day during the school week. Or on any day where anything needs to be accomplished outside the house. Friday through Sunday are usually good days. Every other day, eh, toss-up.

He's napping now, and will probably sleep until his usual 11:30 ish. God willing.

I just wish that Dylan would nap....that would really be a miracle. I need that miracle today!