The Holy Grail of Parenthood

Posted on 04.09.07 in Parenthood and there are 16 comments.

All THREE of my kids are napping at the same time.

It’s glorious. Simply glorious.

I’m off now to take a little snooze myself. I never used to like to take naps but during these crazy newborn weeks, I treasure them.

Are you a napper?

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What drug and/or combination of drugs do you use?  Our three-year old has not napped in a year and our 6-week old is headed the same direction.  So, I ask again, is it a cocktail or is it earplugs and duct tape?

Euphrony,
I’m afraid I don’t have a formula. I think I was just blessed with really good sleepers. Both my girls take at least a 1-2 hour nap every afternoon and they go to bed by 7:30pm and sleep 11-12 hours.

How else do you think I have time for all the stuff I do?

Everyday on my way home from work, I promise myself I’m taking a nap as soon as I get home...something about the drive that wears me out.  But when I get home and start looking at everything I should be doing instead...I always feel too guilty to lie down.  Unless I’m sick, I don’t usually nap.

I guess I can only blaim myself, or to be more precise my genes.  I get by on around five hours a night and I go at it until I drop like a dead horse.

Lil’E is in bed by 8:30 most nights, at which time she proceeds to play in her room until 10:30 or later; or until we threaten to isolate her in a 3x3 box (joking, but not by much).  It matters not if she has toys or books in her room, she’ll talk a brick wall to death.

Liler’E is a Klingon, stuck to mom or I all but a few hours a day.  We’ll get him to sleep 2-3 hours in his bed at night, but he won’t any other time.  When Lil’E was this age, we’d try to leave her to cry it out; after 60-90 minutes of nonstop crying from one this little, even the heardest heart goes to pick them up.

I don’t like naps, because I like the quiet.  It is rare that all 3 are sleeping for naps at the same time!  That is a wonderful accomplishement on your part so soon!

I have fairly serious sleep-related headache problems, if I sleep too much that is. So naps are very rare and not generally sought. Usually I have to be very sick or very unusually exhausted to actually nap.

Cristy,
I think I’m the same way. While I’m doing something that prevents me from napping (say, like watching my three kids) all I want to do is take a nap, but once the kids are napping, taking a nap is the very last thing I want to do.

Like Kristin, I just enjoy the silence and I also enjoy the opportunity to do stuff uninterrupted.

Euphrony,
Well, my kids aren’t always asleep by 7:30pm and they don’t always sleep the entire time during their 1-2 hour nap. Normally, they play (the girls share a room) and talk for a good bit before they fall asleep. I just see that as bonus time.

Kristin,
I can’t take credit for the simultaneous napping. My son is only two weeks old, so he pretty much sleeps all the time, except when I’m trying to sleep of course.

C-Hammer,
I don’t get headaches, that would be a real bummer, but unless I’m terribly tired, I rarely feel better after a nap.

Bigtime napper.  Have to have a 20 power nap every day.

Sometimes I nap when I don’t sleep well the night before. It hits me as I’m driving the kids home from school and I pull into the garage, let them pile out of the car, let the seat back and wait for them to turn out the lights.

Just give me 15 minutes kids . . .

And btw, I voted for you as best music on Blogger’s Choice awards, congratulations!

C-Hammer, I’m the same way!  I’ve never talked to anyone else who gets headaches from over-sleeping.  If I sleep too late in the morning or take a nap, I end up with a migraine.  No fun.

Michelle,
Thanks for the tip...I just won’t get out of my car before I take that nap.  It just might work!

You voted for me? What Blogger’s Choice Award? Could you send me a link? Interesting.

I wish I could do that with my kids, but being 4, 2, and 2 weeks old I’m sure that leaving them for 15 minutes in the house alone without me would result in some sort of visit to the hospital. Especially, with the way my two older girls “love” on their new little brother.

I’ll definitely keep that in mind, though, for the future.

I loved naps in college, but since I started working I haven’t been able to take them like I used to.  I get the headaches a couple of you guys were talking about. 

And Kat, I’m exactly like you...I think all I want is a nap until the kids go to sleep...then I think of a million things that I need to do in peace and quiet.  I did take naps with my then almost 2-yr-old when I was expecting #2.  That was almost a requirement to get through the day when pregnant.  But now, my oldest hasn’t napped since she was 2 1/2, and my little guy is a TERRIBLE sleeper. 

Euphrony, your kids sound so very similar to mine!!  Our little guy hated his crib and rarely slept there.  He always loved our bed.  Now he’s 18 months old and sleeping in a queen-size bed in his room.  I’m still having to spend a good bit of time there with him, but hopefully he’ll get used to it soon.  We also tried the cry-it-out thing with #1, and my husband caved in even before I did.  Our kids would scream blood-curdling screams and then start to ram their heads into the crib/wall.  Not worth it to me.  From what I’ve heard from our parents, the kids come by this no-sleep (and temper) thing honest. 

Gee...sorry for that long post...I had no idea how I was rambling…

I am a napper of the highest order. It helps, of course, that I’m child-free and single. I nap a lot. I tell myself that its a privilege of being single at my advanced age (33), but it’s really a case of being insanely lazy. 

I don’t sound that interesting, do I? No wonder I’m still on my own....

On the contrary, Heather. That sounds AWESOME. You can take naps w-h-e-n-e-v-e-r you want to. At this season in my life, that sounds profoundly more interesting than being a rock star or a millionaire. Speaking of naps, I just put my girls to bed and my son is still sleeping so I imagine I’d better take advantage of this break in the time-space continuum.

Thanks for commenting Heather!

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