To nap or not...

Most parents of babies and toddlers can pretty much agree that nap time is important, like one of the most important things in life. I'm not laughing, this is not a joke. ha. I find myself turning down invites to certain things because it interferes with nap time. We.do.not.miss.nap. Plain and simple...or is it? Jason and I have been struggling over the past couple of weeks on whether or not Landon really needs a nap anymore. He turned 3 in August. Before now, the bear (a.k.a. Landon) came out around 11 am, we would put him down, he would sleep until we woke him up, and bam...he would would wake up ready for round 2. Not happening like this anymore. NOW, the bear is in hibernation most days. In it's place is this sweet, lovey dovey toddler...how dare we put him down for a nap?

Yesterday was one of those days. I had to take care of some business at the doctor for myself, Jason stayed home with Landon, I took Lane. I came home to this perfect little 3 year old. "Mommy! I missed you!" followed by lots of hugs and kisses. It was after noon and Jason told me that he had been so well behaved all morning, he probably would be fine without a nap. Minutes later, Jason walked out the door for work (for those that don't know, Jason works shift work). The kids and I had a great day, a lazy one, but a great one. Landon played quietly and was very content...until...

He had been in his room for about 20 minutes playing, I called out to him...no answer. I called again, nothing. I ran in there dreading the worst...he probably choked, he probably snuck out his window (ok, not really), only to find this...



Really? He was sound asleep on his bedroom floor, surrounded by toys and books. Honestly, it melted my heart. Landon has never been the kind of kid to just climb on the couch and take a nap or get so tired, he would fall asleep on the floor...I can count on one hand how many times that has happened in his life. It did melt my heart, but then reality set in...it's only 6 pm! I woke him up quickly and told him that it was beautiful outside and we were going to the park. He was groggy, but agreed it sounded like a great idea. He put on his rainboots and we headed out immediately.

We get to the park, there were about 10 other kids playing. They shared toys with Landon, he played nicely...you would never know that he had just woke up from a 10 minute nap. I played fetch with the dog, cooed with Lane, enjoyed the breeze, and watched the sun as it set. Perfect end to a quiet day (little did I know). We pack up and leave...don't even get in the door and all hell breaks loose. Bear Landon came out in full force. I still have to give this sweaty, filthy toddler a bath, I have to get Lane situated because he's crying in the living room, I've got to get this dog outside. Arrrrgh, patience. Patience is key. I keep my calm. I tell myself this is my fault because we didn't make him go down for a nap, and really...it is. I get him bathed, he screams the whole time, Lane is still in the carrier screaming the whole time...I did manage to get the dog out. haha. He's beyond tired, he's not interested in story time, he's not interested in prayers. He's mad because he doesn't want his pajamas on, I don't fight him...I leave them off. Then he's mad because he wants the pajamas on, I ignore him. He's throwing a giant fit. I pick him up and put him in bed, he's still very angry...he doesn't want me to touch him. I lay next to him and say prayers with him. He's quiet now, Lane is still screaming. I tell Landon I love him, he grunts at me. I leave him with a movie, he falls asleep within minutes.

So after much reading, researching, whatever you want to call it, I've decided...this kid needs a nap. I don't care what the professionals think, I don't care how much they think a kid is supposed to sleep, I AM the professional here, I am his mom and this bear is getting a nap! We will continue to decline invites because we can't miss nap time. Plain and simple. We nap around these parts!