Saturday, August 20, 2011

bed times & nap times



 (unfortunatley, Mason takes a lot of naps right here)

As Moms we all know that bed times & nap times are the best part of the day. Admit it! We all love our kids but when the house is quiet... I breathe a huge sigh of relief. Like I am off the clock, know what I mean? Don't tell me I am the only one because I know I am not.

Last year was a little rough for nap time. 4 kids in school, 2 different schools, 4 different release times. Yeah, the afternoons were a crazy running around time. My 2 year old was able to go down for a nap and stayed with his big brother (while he was sleeping) for 20-30 minutes while I picked up my daughter. It wasn't the best situation but certainly not the worse either.

This year, I have 4 kids in school during the day, 2 different schools and 3 different release times. Which is good and bad.

1st grader: out at 2:00
4&5th grader: out at 3:00
7th grader: out at 3:10

My question? When do I let Mason( my 2 yr old) take a nap?! Seriously. I can either try to get him to go down from 11-2. Put him down at 1:00 and leave him while I pick up the first grader (our school is just a couple of blocks away), wait until like 2:30, wait until my older boys get home and then pick my daughter up a little later OR no more naps and put him down way early at night.

I am torn. I love nap time but having him in bed early is also nice because I have time to help my older kids with homework, chores, and their evening activities.

So opinions please. What would you do if it was you?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is hard. =( I've done the equivalent of going a short distance away with sleeping kids at home. It's not like I'd be sure to notice anything bad happening in their sleep even if I was only in the other room anyway. But it is nerve wracking.

Do you have any neighbor ladies who might be willing to stop by for a few minutes while you make the run? Grandma types would be the most likely bet unless you know of nearby home schooled (and therefore already at home) teenagers. Or does the 1st grader have any class mates in your neighborhood who would be willing to walk past your house on the way home?

Good luck.

=( I'm not looking forward to that stage in the children's life.

Hannah

Book Loving Mommy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Book Loving Mommy said...

If you put him down for a nap at the earlier time, he may also go down for an early bedtime. Otherwise I would leave him with your older boys while you picked up Harmony. I am too paranoid to leave a child by himself, even for a short time....what if a fire started? I only say that because I know someone who was at the neighbors while her kids slept and a fire started. By the time she noticed, it was too late. So, those are my choices. :) Good Luck!

And yes, I loved my kids' nap times! Unfortunately, they don't take naps so I now look forward to teh 8:00 bedtime! :)

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