Mourning the Loss of Naptime…

Every afternoon, around 1:30, I dutifully go through the naptime routine for Madi and Parker. We change diapers/go to the bathroom, read two stories, pray, sing a song, give kisses and hugs, and I come downstairs.

Ten minutes later, Parker is sitting up in his bed and singing his lungs out.

Twenty minutes later, Parker comes trotting down the stairs and peeks around the corner. When Madi hears his door open, she comes tearing down the hallway after him. She has not been sleeping either, just reading under her covers.

This has been happening almost every day for the entire summer. Well, there was that one solid week of napping after we came home from South Haven…

As I write this, I am convinced that I have been in denial about something, so here goes…

Madi and Parker are done with their afternoon naps.

Gasp…choke…swoon…sob…

I have been hanging onto the idea of napping way past the expiration date. I just kept thinking that maybe…just maybe…they would take a nap today even though they had not slept in weeks. Then the next day would roll around, and I would try it again, with no success.

What finally made me face up to it was a Google search on how you know when your toddler is done napping. My kids met every criteria. Rats.

I also read that it was okay to “mourn” the loss of naptime as a parent. Break out the black duds, folks, because I am officially in mourning.

Now let me clarify…I love my kids. There is nothing I would rather be doing than spending my days playing games, reading books, running around the backyard, and whatever else they come up with. However…constant “togetherness” can be rough. I need my space and I get cranky when I don’t get it. So the idea of just saying “we’re done” to napping is a hard concept to swallow.

I know…I know…just put them in quiet time. But that always seemed like conceding to me…like you were giving up that last thread of hope that one day they would suddenly just go back to sleeping an hour and a half every day.

I guess that thread has snapped.

A new strategy is required for the Hammond household. The kids are growing up, and I need to get with the program…probably one that doesn’t include much “alone time” for Mommy. I just need to be sad about it for say, 24 hours, and then I will be okay. Let’s just hope that Fiona doesn’t give up naps even earlier than Parker!