I don’t know why, but I am just lacking patience today big time. Seems like all my Fridays are like this. Whereas most people enjoy Fridays, I do not especially, because by the end of the week, I am running on empty and the weekend is spent trying to tank up for the week ahead.
People tell me.. “Enjoy it while you can, because he won’t be little forever”. I get it, I really do. And I DO enjoy him. I love my son with all of my being. I devote all of my days (and parts of my nights) to him and his happiness and I truly enjoy most of it.
Toddlers are EXHAUSTING though. They are tenacious and full of energy and my boy seems to never need to nap or rest to recoup that energy. Although, by the end of the day, if he hasn’t taken an hour-long nap (or longer, but who are we kidding here?), he is a BEAR. He is downright awful to be around and super duper cranky. But, try as I might, he is not a child to be scheduled, so I have learned to watch signals. Yawning? Rubbing eyes? Whining more often than usual? Time for a nap. So, I attempt to get him down for a nap.
I do the whole naptime ritual at least twice a day. I read at least two books, usually more. He gets two homeopathic Hyland’s Teething Tablets and we “brush” our teeth. The music and white noise are carefully selected and then I lay down next to him on a mattress in his room. Usually, if the nap is going to stick, he falls asleep within 10 minutes and I transfer him to his crib and cover him up with blankets. If not, it’s very obvious and we go about our day.
On most days, one of naps does stick, but I am lucky if it lasts more than 30 minutes. That’s his average. Sometimes, the planets align and he takes an hour and a half nap, but that’s maybe once a week. Maybe. If I’m lucky.
I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. He has ample time to run around and play, both inside and outside (though lately it’s been dreadful weather, so the last few days we’ve skipped outdoor time). We get out of the house usually at least once a day to run errands, and he has a very large playroom inside where nothing is “off limits”. I am a stay-at-home-mom and have nothing else to do other than to take care of him and the house. I did sign him up at a local “The Little Gym” for a once a week class in the mornings. He loved the trial class. I am hoping that it will let him release some of that energy he has.
The two things that really bother me about his lack of naps is, first, that sleep is SO important for children his age (he is 15 months old), so I feel incredibly guilty and worried that he isn’t getting enough daytime sleep, and, second, that I resent the lack of time for me to recharge during the day.
So, what is the deal with my little guy not napping?