Recently I went through a grieving process. That unfortunate time has come upon my 3.5 year old daughter. No more naps.
I wanted to cry.
Did any of you feel that way when your child stopped napping?
I’ve been denying it for months. I didn’t want to give up nap time for selfish reasons. In my mind, nap time is about ME. I need some time alone to relax and nap time usually gave me that. Taking nap time away from me is like taking a pacifier away from a baby. Not easy.
But there’s one key thing I’ve learned:
I used to think no naps = no me time. That’s actually not true. Keep reading and I’ll show you why.
I honestly thought she still needed a short nap in the afternoons. The problem is she’d take FOREVER to fall asleep at night. Every night the bedtime process was becoming more of a drama because she simply wasn’t tired enough to go to sleep. She’d use any tactic available to get out of bed. Then the hubby and I were forced to spend “our time” bringing her back to bed over and over again. We weren’t able to relax or have any time together.
So starting last week, we let go of nap time. {Sigh}
Here’s what we did:
At her old nap time I told her she didn’t have to take a nap. She was really excited about that! Instead I told her she’d get to have “special alone time”. During special alone time she can do whatever she wants as long as she can do the following:
Stay in her room until the timer goes off
Have fun
Be quiet
I set the timer for 45 minutes, suggested a couple toys and activities she could do, and closed the door. Since I’m a baby monitoraholic, I kept the camera on in her room so I could keep an eye on things.
Now before you get all excited thinking this is going to be an easy fix, think about this:
The afternoons will get worse before they get better. The first couple of afternoons were rough. At first she didn’t really know what to do and stayed really quiet. Physically she wasn’t used to this new change and was really tired and cranky in the late afternoons. And let’s face it–I was tired and cranky too!
But think of this change as an investment. Trust me–if it’s truly time to say goodbye to naps it will be worth the change. So if you’re in that spot, keep trying.
Here’s the great part: now things are MUCH better. For all of us. During my daughter’s “special alone time” I can count on a break (as long as her little brother sleeps!) and it’s wonderful! I have time to relax, blog, take a shower, whatever. I have me time again!!!
It’s also been great for my daughter. Since giving up naps she goes to sleep at night much faster. I’ve also noticed her pretending and creativity flourish. I’ve seen my mostly shy little girl start acting out all sorts of scenes and having fun by herself. I guess the time away from me is forcing her to entertain herself. Who knew?!?
Now the hubby and I have “our time” in the evenings back!
I no longer grieve the loss of nap time.
So–what was the process like for you? I’d love to hear your stories!
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