It's been about ten months since Madeline has treated herself (and her hardworking mama) to a regular afternoon nap. We flew across Canada quite a few times in the space of five weeks in December and January, and I think that the travel and time zones are what did the nap in. She could still benefit from a daily dose of afternoon shut-eye, but professes not to see the logic when I try to convince her of that.
Sometimes when I'm preparing dinner, around five in the evening, I'll notice that the house has gone silent. Eeek! I know that Madeline is wiped out come evening, but if she naps at that hour she'll be up until nine or ten at night! My policy had been to immediately wake the sleeping child, and then deal with the consequences: utterly cranky child who can only be placated with her favourite unhealthy foodstuffs.
The last two times that this has happened, though, Chris and I have taken a different approach: we just put her to bed (albeit early and without dinner). It's gone quite well, though. Madeline slept straight from 5-11 pm last night, woke up and asked for her jammies (yes), snack (yes), and her bedtime stories (raincheck on that one). I think that she woke even later at night the first time. We get her changed and armed with a cup of dry Cheerios, and she dozes off again until morning. It's so much more pleasant than finishing the evening with an over-tired and cranky three year-old ...
Yay for you guys! I am SO looking forward to hugging my favorite Sister, Niece, and Brother in law. I promise to be good and take my nap when you tell me too.
Posted by: Julie | October 10, 2007 at 02:30 PM