SAHM: Naptime

Ahhh, the joys of naptime. Peace and quiet have forsaken us all day, but with naptime our sanity returns. The beloved best friend to any parent becomes more of a moment of sanctuary and clarity to the stay-at-home mom.

The one question that many stay-at-home moms have (especially new ones), what should I do during naptime? Many are tempted to do everything humanly possible during naptime. However, in my many years as a stay-at-home mom, I've discovered that doesn't help. It only makes mom more frazzled, tired, frustrated, and exasperated. To answer this question, it's best to know what stage of parenting you're in. Each stage has it's own requirements, exhaustion amounts, and things that need to be done.

For moms to newborns, napping right along with your baby is your best bet. You will need as much sleep as you can possibly get at this time. Late nights, early mornings, and hormonal crashes make for a very sleep-deprived mommy. As the weeks go by, and your body starts to adjust, you'll find that you're less exhausted and will be able to take minutes during naptime to do small chores like filling the dishwasher, throwing in a load of laundry, or just reading a chapter in that new book you bought six months ago.

For moms of toddlers, you're probably dealing with a messy house every time the little one goes down for a nap. Take a few minutes (no more than five or ten, depending on how long your toddler naps) and just throw clutter into baskets in the corner of the room. One of these days your home will go back to its neat and tidy self, but this isn't the time for that. Deal with clutter in small batches, because you know that as soon as the little prince or princess awakens the mess will return in sixty seconds flat. If your child sleeps for an hour, no more than thirty minutes of cleaning. Use the other thirty for yourself! You can shower, make phone calls, read, paint your nails, watch a television show that's been on the DVR for weeks, or just enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts.

For moms of preschoolers, well, all I can say is, I hope you enjoyed nap time up to now. You've probably discovered that naps are quickly (if not already) becoming a thing of the past. Everyone say it with me... NOOOOOOOO!!!! Unfortunately, it's part of the natural progression of childhood (and motherhood). It's not a fun one, but it's one nonetheless. On the upside, this is the age when your child will start being able to entertain themselves for more than two minutes at a time. Set up a fingerpainting session at the kitchen table while you're doing laundry in the next room. Turn on their favorite television show while you make an important phone call. Send them to the grandparents' house to enjoy being ultimately spoiled for a couple of hours. This is a fun age, and before you know it they'll be starting kindergarten and you'll wonder why you ever worried about cleaning the house during naptime.

Naptime for a stay-at-home mom can be relaxing, frenzied, a rushed moment of the day when you're trying to get everything done all at once. Yet, it doesn't have to be that way. Take a breath, look around, and determine exactly what's a NEED and what's a WANT. Do you really need that pile of clean t-shirts folded right this minute, or do you smell so bad that you really, really need a shower instead? Trust me, the laundry can wait, and you'll feel 100% better after that shower. Life with children doesn't have to be frantic. If only we had someone to tell us that from the very beginning!

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