Baby Nap Time V/s Mommy Nap Time: Let the battle begin!!

"Lets Go OUT!"

Lately there have been many days that I’ve been alone with my 17 month old son. Husband out of town, nanny sick, plenty reasons. But I’m taking this in my stride, and as ‘practice’for when we get back home. Yes we’re shifting back to India in a months’ time (sob sob!) and I’m a 100% sure the maid I find there for my child won’t be as loving, disciplined & reliable as both the nannies we had here in Jakarta!

So a typical day for my 17 month old boy is waking up at an unearthly hour, going down to the playground, breakfast, bath and back to sleep again at probably 10 am. His morning nap time is when the house is being cleaned, the food is being cooked, lunch is being had and basically all of us tip toe around the house, to keep the noise to humanly impossible low levels, so the baby can sleep well for as long as he wants to.

In the afternoons, I long to be in a horizontal position. Snooze, read, anything as long as I’m HORIZONTAL. All chores are through and it’s time for stretching! But that’s also the time he is up, fed& energized, i.e. running around from one end of the house to the other in glee (does sugar mysteriously manage to sneak in in his meals & milk?). Even the brain scientists say that it’s ridiculous to expect productivity at 3 pm. And the sleep scientists say napping is a way to live a fuller healthier life! So that’s when the nanny steps in as a saviour from heaven and plays with him while I’m nicely tucked in for an hour.

So what happens when I’m alone? Well that’s the time to get a bit wicked! Hahaha *wicked witch laugh*. Umm, I mean it’s time to put on “The Practical Mom” hat & switch his nap time.

So before we enter the usual-nap-time-danger-zone, I create a good “let’s go out!” buzz. Shoes are being worn. His Barney bag is being packed with his milky, water& tissues. This is guaranteed to keep him excited enough to chase any semblance of sleepiness away. Then I whisk him away to some place entertaining (which is ANY PLACE outside the house actually): the mall (so much space to run around! Cool!), the book store (so many shelves to climb & so many books to be rearranged! Cool!), grocery shopping(shopping cart ride! Cool!) & a couple of times to attend Sunday mass at the Church! (choir singing! Cool! i.e. first 5 mins. Milk time! Cool! i.e. next 5 mins. Walking around in the lovely church garden & having fresh avocado juice from their canteen: the rest of the time!)

By the time we’re back it’s almost 1. Feed both of us a quick lunch, pump some milk & then we’re off to sleep. That’s the easiest time to put him to sleep cuz of the sleep build up+ running around. He sleeps within a few mins! That’s how I switch his nap time to suit MY nap time. Hahaha*wicked witch laugh*

"Sleep when the mommy sleeps" is the new theory. So I can conserve energy, avoid pitiful tears welling up in my weary eyes, keep my hands from tearing my hair off and keep myself from screaming “I can’t take this anymore! Just leave me alone!!”

But the next day my nanny’s back, and so is his old routine….sigh!