There's a lot to be said for nap time....
When my mother was raising her three children, there were a few things she insisted upon. One of the most important was nap time.
She often said that she didn't mind, as each of us grew older, whether we actually slept or not during those two hours, but she firmly believed in the value of rest for her growing little ones, as well as for herself.
I thought her views in that area made perfect sense, but unfortunately each of my three little ones decided to give up sleeping in the afternoon around the age of two. And I foolishly let them.
Daughter #2 is far wiser than I. Though her four year old, unlike her two year old sister, does not start to doze off in the car on the return trip from pre-school, she still follows a nap schedule for both girls. Only she refers to it as "rest time."
This past week while looking after her little ones I could certainly appreciate the value of such a routine. As the clock struck one, I found that I too was in need of a little rest time. While C slept peacefully in her crib for two hours, M entertained herself in her bedroom with some toys and books. I made myself a restorative cup of tea, stretched out on a bed upstairs and read my book. It was precisely the boost I needed to get through what are often the most difficult hours of the day for parents ( and grandparents) between three o'clock and bedtime.
There were a couple of afternoons where I admit I did let M come and lie down on the bed with me for the last half hour or so. Technically, we were still resting. We had lots of cuddles and her chatter, and questions - such as, "Grandmom, when I'm twenty five, will you teach me to drive your Mini?" - are memories I will treasure always.
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