Wow, I have several friends whose children just stop napping. Between the age of 3 or 4, some even younger and I honestly don't remember anyone complaining, but maybe that's because I have a 5 year old who still naps. I just haven't been a part of the conversation.
Well, I'd love some advice. My 2 1/2 year old started Kids Day Out today from 9-2 where a nap is included. I told my 5 year old he didn't have to nap today. I was more afraid he'd fall asleep late and then it would be a bear to wake him to pick up little brother at 2.
So we did our errands, played, ate lunch, played some more, bought some bananas and picked up brother. It was a GREAT day, until we drove home from picking up brother.
I could see he was tired on the way, but he eagerly got out of the car at pick up time. On our way home, he fell asleep. When I drove into the garage, parked and unbuckled everyone, he sleepily said, what are we going to do next?
I told him he could lay on Mommy's bed or on the couch for a rest and watch Caillou or Arthur. Okay, he said.
Little brother had been away all day and napped, so he was ready to play. Ergh, that was not at all what big brother wanted to do...which made the rest of our day grumpy, argumentative and sassafras to say the least. I was tired. He was tired and little brother wanted to play.
It's a hard age to understand reasoning...that your big brother is tired and he doesn't want to wrestle. He just wants to sit and look at a book without you jumping on him.
I think we all argued and griped and complained while trying to solve world issues like who just took whose train...for the next 3 hours. My boys are boys and they get feisty sometimes, but this was unbelievably unlike him. I knew he was tired, but I couldn't make him get that.
As the afternoon lingered, little brother got cranky too, so I turned on Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin and made dinner...quesadillas, yogurt and apples because I knew everyone would eat it with no complaints. We took a bath, had graham crackers and milk and sleep happened before 7:15.
His normal bedtime is around 8:30 with a nap, so here's hoping tomorrow is a much better day, and I can be a much better mommy and not feel like such a complete failure.
He starts a kindergarten program next week that was supposed to be 5 half days, but changed to full day Tuesday and Thursday and half day Wednesday. I'm praying he'll adjust and we'll just all go to bed early on Tuesday and Thursday nights!
