And She Finally Sleeps

Like I am sure many of you, December seemed like a blur. It was very busy with excitement and activities. Each week for 3 weeks in our home we were getting ready for something special. Birthdays, one the week before and after Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and Day, snow storms, movie nights, people coming over, and people staying overnight all play havoc on a child's schedule. Most of the kids handled the change in schedule fairly well. For a 2 year old it can be overwhelming.

Normally Emily takes a nice 3 hour nap daily. I would put her down somewhere between 12:30 and 1 and off to sleep she would go. With the craziness of activities in December, Emily decided she didn't want to miss out on a thing. Naps became just about obsolete. If I was lucky, I could get her to take 1 nap out of a week. Now this was not from lack of trying on my part!! I would put her in bed. She would just find ways to entertain herself (like taking off all her clothes, or kicking the side of the crib into the wall). Most days, her not taking a nap didn't effect us.

But what would happen when we started the school year back up?!?!?! HELP!!!!

I NEED her to take a nap during school time. It is the time during the day I can really focus on teaching the kids without worrying that Emily is getting into something (does that sound mean of me). I had to figure out a way to get her back into her routine.

First off, I looked at the difference of her "normal" routine and what it had become. You know what I found? I was letting Miss Emily sleep until she woke. It was sometimes 9:30-10 before she would get up. I figured she was tired and needed the sleep. But then, I wanted her to go and take a nap in the afternoon (somewhere around 2-3). She wasn't ready or needed to.

So starting Friday, January 2nd I started waking Emily up. I started a little earlier, 8:30. She was a little grumpy face, but she got up. And you know what....she took a nap. Oh good. Saturday I got her up at 8. Same results. Oh, I think I am on to something. Sunday was 7:45...yahoo, another nap!!! On Monday, our first day back to school, I got Emily up at 7:30. And a great thing happened, she took her nap!! YES!! I got her back on her schedule!!!! Chalk one up for Mom : )