The child howls in the next room. He will not nap. He will not nap. Why do kids fight the nap so fiercely? I should love a rest in bed for an hour or two. So, the post will be short.
Here's what I'm reading right now:
Bloggers who become authors.
Eggers on Monty Python. What's your favorite Monty Python sketch? Confuse a cat? The ministry of silly walks?
A lurker emerges:
I've thought the same thing each time my son rebels against a nap. It's the ultimate luxury for me, and I guess when he's old enough to appreciate naps he won't be able to take one, either.
p.s.
What a great discussion about daycare! I've felt a little too unknowledgeable to participate, but I'm glad to have found such an intelligent discussion about this book.
Posted by: Suzanne | December 15, 2004 at 02:29 PM
How can one possibly choose a favorite Python sketch? Ummm...silly walks. No, dead parrot. No, Tudor bookshop. No, wait, I've got it -- Hungarian dictionary! "My hovercraft is full of eels."
I can't shed any light on the nap-resistance thing either. Mmmm, naps...
Posted by: Amanda | December 15, 2004 at 07:25 PM
There was a good one about Chinese spies in Cornwall. Then there is the crunchy frog skit.
Posted by: mjones | December 15, 2004 at 09:46 PM
We have given up fighting the nap thing and focused entirely on getting our three-year-old daughter to sleep at night. She is so funny ... she can be so tired that she is close to falling face first into her dinner (which she has actually done), but if she doesn't fall asleep before getting into her room she then gains this intense energy to fight it. I've read many people recommend letting children take a favorite book or toy to bed, but she will play with it for hours. She is also developing quite an imagination, and will tell herself these amazing stories. The only thing that helped when we were still trying naps was being as consistent as possible about the time and the routine.
Posted by: Eric | December 16, 2004 at 03:12 PM
My kids are all terrible sleepers, and gave up naps as soon as they possibly could. My oldest was the worst--would only fall asleep for a nap in the car, and we had to drive the same route every day. If I turned down a new street, he would summon up the energy to stay awake and see the sights. One day when he was about 14 mos. old, I was driving him around for his nap and looked in the rearview mirror to see him *holding his eyes open by the eyelashes.* You have never heard such ferocious lullabies as the ones I sang!
Posted by: Kristine | December 17, 2004 at 09:25 PM
Neither of my daughters napped (outside of the car, that is -- they could fall asleep in three minutes in there; don't think I didn't spend a few afternoons reading on the hood of the car so they'd sleep!) after they were a couple of weeks old. I used to feel awful when they were *sick*, and dozing all day...I'd be doing laundry or something, thinking 'This is what afternoons are like for people with kids who sleep! How fun!' Then I'd remember that they were sleeping because they were running fevers, and I'd be less enthused.
This week is also the first one during which my 3 1/2 year old has slept through the night for more than 2 in a row. I don't want to jinx it by posting it, but I have so much energy now, after all this sleep, I'm not too worried ; )
And now,
My fave Monty Python has got to be the German v. the Greek Philosophers Soccer Match.
Posted by: Tina | December 18, 2004 at 07:06 PM
Loved getting my memory jogged about all the best Monty Python sketches. (Big smile on my face.)
The nap thing. We actually had trained the kids to nap in their cribs doing the doing the consistent routine that Eric recommended. But the youngest son has gotten a taste for the car nap, and there's no turning back. He'll be three in April, so the naps will soon stop all together. That is sure to put a major cramp into my blogging.
Posted by: laura 11d | December 20, 2004 at 08:52 PM