A Nap Time Rant

I am one annoyed woman. Nap time is precious around here. Nap time gives me a couple of hours to either nap myself (something I would love to be doing on this rainy day) or get caught up on my many “projects”. Lately it has been rare that I’ve been able to get all three boys settled down for a nap on the same day. I think for 4 or 5 days in a row now at least one of the boys has not napped, some days it’s been two.

Here’s the thing… the boys are tired and need a nap. The unbelievable crabbiness by late afternoon is proof enough. (That last hour waiting for Nick to get home to back me up has been brutal lately!) My children are much more agreeable (and definitely earn more stars for their charts) when they’ve had a good night of sleep and a good nap. Plus, according to my favorite sleep book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (which now comes in a version if you have twins or triplets!) 82% of three year olds still take an afternoon nap and children this age need 12 hours of sleep a day, so if your child is getting 12 hours at night they may not need that afternoon nap. My boys definitely do not get 12 hours at night. We’re lucky to get 10. Lucky. Even on days when they don’t nap. It’s brutal I tell ya!

Further proof? Children passing out on my couch at about 2:30pm…

I’ve so annoyed the boys with my requests for them to at the very least sit in their beds and read quietly, or even sit on the couch and watch a movie quietly that I seem to have moved up a notch on the motherhood scale of meanness. This afternoon Jackson got so annoyed with me he began crying and wailing “Please Daddy, come home!”. Sorry kid, you’re stuck with me!

*sigh* Ok, rant over.