Need I say more. I suppose to some degree how successful you are at parenting or at least getting your children to sleep can be summed up in your emotional reaction to this word. Do you cringe or sigh in contentment. Lately it has been cringing all the way for me. With a 5, 3 and 1 year old I find getting them all to sleep at the same time is the hardest part of my day, yet if I don’t do that no one naps unless they fall asleep in exhaustion somewhere crazy. Once when Two was about a year and a half we were out in the woods digging and filling fence posts on a family members property. Two wanted to go with his dad and grandpa though we knew they would be gone a long time. He was getting more and more tired yet the job wasn’t done. Finally he laid down in the road (easement really), hardly used mind you and fell asleep. Did I mention it was a gravel road.

Anyway kids do crazy things when they are tired and while I can handle a certain amount of craziness I do try to minimize it as much as possible. Proeun thinks I am too strict with a schedule and sometimes I agree. The past couple of days I haven’t put the older ones down for nap strictly because I couldn’t handle the frustration. it was heavenly really. I take the youngest and go lie down and let the older ones do their thing knowing that at least I won’t have to fight with them at bed time either. The only problem is sometimes they fall asleep unexpectedly.
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By the way this ratty chair is the first thing I want to recover or at least make a slipcover for. Try telling the kids they can’t eat ice cream in their chair.

So what made me think I could handle putting the kids down for nap today? I don’t know–a momentary lapse of insanity or maybe just the desire to feel like I am at least trying to do right by my children and make sure all their needs are met, especially sleep. So here is how the cycle goes. Mavis is ready for nap first. She starts fussing and crying. I rush around trying to get the other ones ready with a crying baby on my hip. We finally get in bed and read a story while I start nursing Mavis to sleep. Two and Avrl begin fidgeting, making noise and bumping the baby. Mavis ends up waking up. Sometimes this happens before the other 2 have fallen asleep then I know it is no nap for the day and any plans that involve car trips need to be canceled.

For obvious reasons. Other times the older 2 have fallen asleep and I know I will have to try to figure out a way to put Mavis down again later.

With my personality I find disruptions in plans particularly difficult to deal with. So I was thinking about it and maybe the solution is more planning rather than less. In the past I have shut off the TV 2 hours before bed. This gives us plenty of time for a quick snack or drink, bath, and nice long story time with cuddling. Bedtime seems to go better when I am not rushed. Maybe a similar solution could be used for nap. Or maybe the kids are ready to leave nap behind, though I definitely am not.

But I have to look for the silver lining. While the older 2 napped I was able to cuddle with Mavis and just enjoy looking at her. Other times it’s Avril who is awake and gets some one on one time, or Two. In essence I have to learn not to take my plans so seriously. it the children fall asleep at inopportune moments at least I get some cute pictures.