An ode to naps

Isn’t it ironic that for Simon, the number one way to ruin an otherwise lovely afternoon is the intrusion of a two hour nap, and yet for me, the number one way to make an otherwise lovely afternoon absolute perfection is the indulgence of a two hour nap.

(Did you hear that the French government is even considering making a short nap official government policy? Somebody ought to feed this to Harper as a way to appease all those alienated public servants.)

It’s to the point that I have to actively deceive Simon into taking his afternoon nap. Embarrassing though it is to admit, he’s three years old and I’m having a harder and harder time outwitting him. First, he figured out the bed was a danger zone, and if he let me entice him in for a ‘cuddle’, he was doomed. Once he caught on, he started resisting going in to the bedroom after lunch, then resisting any motion toward the second floor of the house.

I’ve had to work hard to keep ahead of him. Today, I resorted to tempting him with old photographs, one of his weaknesses, to lure him into the bedroom. Once I got him into the room, I tried to convince him to join me in the bed, “because I’m so tired after working hard all morning, and I’d really like you to come and help me have a little rest.” Clever little monkey would have none of that. Eventually, through a combination of persistance, insistence and obstinance, I finally coerced him onto the bed, with Simon protesting the whole time.

I knew I’d won a battle once I got a soother in his mouth, and victory was mine after a few short minutes of lying together in the darked room, my arms wrapped tightly around him to discourage fidgeting. I think less than five minutes passed before his breathing was deep and regular, and his body was calm after the wave of tiny twitches that are always a harbringer of his deepest sleep. The hardest part was deciding to extricate myself from his warmth and get on with my afternoon, rather than giving in to a nap myself.

He awoke two hours later in a foul mood, entirely too aware of my duplicitousness. “Mommy,” he whined, yawning and indignant, “I didn’t want to take a nap.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Sadly, I may be the first, but I certainly won’t be the last woman to use my wicked ways to trick the poor boy into doing my will.

***

Bonus conversation!

Tristan has suddenly discovered the Disney movie Toy Story and runs around the house shouting things like, “To infinity and beyond!” and “I’m Buzz Lightyear. I come in peace.”

Today, while I was pulling on my boots and coat to come to work, the boys were bouncing about nearby.

Me, enveloping Tristan in a bear hug: “I love you, Tristan. Have a great day!”
Tristan: “I’m not Tristan, I’m Buzz Lightyear!”
Me: “Right. Okay, Buzz, have a great day.”

Me, turning to Simon: “And you, Woody! You have a great day, too.”
Simon, indignantly: “I’m not Woody! I’m Mr Potato Head!”

Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

10 thoughts on “An ode to naps”

  1. I had to give up lying down with Rachel because the dark room and her body heat were too much to resist. I’d “lie down for just a minute” with her at 7:30, and next thing I knew, I was waking up and it was 10:30 and my evening was gone.
    When Simon’s a teen, and wants to sleep all weekend, you can remind him how he used to hate naps.

  2. Wow – Simon still naps??? My son was king of the naps when he was little. Three hour naps in the afternoon – right up until he turned three. At three, he stopped taking naps entirely like someone had thrown a switch or something. It was a tough adjustment to make (for me) as I got most of my work done during those naps. Daycare was not far behind.

  3. None of MY kids would nap at 3. Which is why I’m still tired to this day. 😉
    Nathan has dicovered toy story too. He wants all of them Toy Sotry 1001. I keep telling him there is only 2 but he seems to get upset about that. Nathanlove to jump off the couch saying That catch phase.
    TOO FUNNY!

  4. Nap time is so precious. I always say, ‘okay, today during my son’s nap, I will lie down and rest, too!’ But I always end up cleaning up, making lunch, etc., and before I know it, my little guy is re-charged and ready to go again and I yell at myself for not taking that time to just do nothing! I haven’t even thought about the day that will be here before I know it – the day when he’ll stop napping altogether! If we do have another baby, how will I handle a newborn and a 3 or 4 year old? When will I get to sleep? Anyway!

  5. My daughter is Outwitting, Outplaying and Outlasting us in the game of Nap Survivor. I think that the time of the regular nap may soon be over… *whimper*

  6. Y’see, that’s why we call it “quiet time”. It’s not a NAP. Heaven forfend. It’s staying on the bed, VERY QUIETLY, coloring or reading a book. Quiet time.

  7. I am so jealous. Naps went out with garbage at about 2 – 21/2. For the last six months J would nap on the couch, not even in his bed, as soon as he touched his pillow he would wake up! Every now and then he takes a nap and I love it, I fall asleep too :).
    As for naps at work, back in the day when I worked at Nortel and they had lots of cash, naps were encouraged. There were rooms with cots and loungers and if you needed to take a few you would go and lie down. Of course when things started to go down those rooms were the first to go ;). I still thought it was a great idea, especially for those working long hours trying to get a product out.

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