NAP TIME
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My kids have never been long sleepers during the night, but they more than make up for it when it comes to nap time.
Some of you will know that my kids are early risers – always have been, always will be. I have two Gro-Clocks, and for the most part it will keep the kids in their bedrooms, but they still wake early. I’m talking 530am. And they go to bed at 730pm.
Now that’s not EARLY by baby standards, but my kids are 2 and 4. For a bloody long time, their wake time was 430-5am. Every single day. Which is why I am an early riser – to get a head start on them.
To make up for these early mornings, my kids have always been great at nap time.
My 2 year old still often has 2 naps a day – 1 x 30 min nap, and 1 x 2 hour nap.
My 4 year old, every-now-and-then, will have a 2 hour nap (depending on her night sleep), and whether or not she’s at Kindy.
Those nap times keep me sane. Even though I get up early in the morning, for some time to myself, it is nice to have a break in the day.
As such, even though my daughter sometimes doesn’t need / have a nap, I will still put her in her bedroom for some time-out. Not in a negative way, but because I need the break. And so does she – from me!
When she is at Kindy, she doesn’t have a nap. But on weekends, school holidays, etc – it’s an hour AT LEAST in her bedroom away from us. She plays happily, sometimes going to sleep, sometimes just playing.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing that she’s in there – sometimes we both need a break from each other.
As my son grows older, and his naps become less, I will also be encouraging this.
Does it make me selfish? Probably. But it helps me to get through the day – we all need a break from each other at some point.
Do your kids have a nap? If not, do you give them time alone so you can have a break?
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