This week the view from the nest is one of my favorite ones. I am spending time with my daughter and her family. I have 2 grandson's, both in the 2 1/2 to 3 year old range and all that entails from temper tantrums and defiance to singleminded activities, and busy adventures.
The mornings always go pretty well, and then come afternoon naps. Nicholas' opinion about naps is "NO! I want to PLAY!!!" (This is also his statement before breakfast, after breakfast, after lunch, during a diaper change, and following dinner.) Mom's thought is "Too bad. I need a break and you need quiet time." Mom wins...sort of. Most days Nicholas does not take a nap, but mom gets her quiet time.
The other day we spent the morning with 2 other mothers and their kids in a pool party, followed by lunch. The 3 kids are all within a few months of each other so there were 3 with the potential for melt-downs, a tug of war over toys, and vying for the leadership role. The kids played well for the most part and it was a nice morning but after swimming, I was sure Nicholas would be ready for a good nap.
The mornings always go pretty well, and then come afternoon naps. Nicholas' opinion about naps is "NO! I want to PLAY!!!" (This is also his statement before breakfast, after breakfast, after lunch, during a diaper change, and following dinner.) Mom's thought is "Too bad. I need a break and you need quiet time." Mom wins...sort of. Most days Nicholas does not take a nap, but mom gets her quiet time.
The other day we spent the morning with 2 other mothers and their kids in a pool party, followed by lunch. The 3 kids are all within a few months of each other so there were 3 with the potential for melt-downs, a tug of war over toys, and vying for the leadership role. The kids played well for the most part and it was a nice morning but after swimming, I was sure Nicholas would be ready for a good nap.
Jen had an appointment so I stayed with him. I love baby monitors. Listening to it during his nap was a window into his world.
Naptime started well and I was sure he'd be asleep in just a few minutes. There were lots of yawns as he hugged his baby doll and lay in the crib. A few minutes later he started telling baby all about the morning. "I went swimming. I move my arms and legs. I went swimming..." Then he started rolling around. The voice was louder. "My turn!" "No, my turn!" "My turn, my turn, my turn!" He was obviously re-living playing with the other kids earlier in the day. As the 'nap' went on, his monologue covered pretty much everything that happened in the last 24 hours; playing cars, throwing the ball in the big basketball hoop, riding his bike, Miss Maggie in her bed... no topic was ignored. 1 hour into the nap he was jumping around in his crib, 30 minutes later rolling all around still chattering away. Watching him through the baby monitor I just had to chuckle. Quiet time? And yet he was. For an hour and a half he cheerfully stayed in his crib and carried out his running monologue, just as he has for the last 3 days.
His parents would like to move him into a 'big boy bed', but I can see the difficulty with a little boy who has such a good time during his naptime. It reminds me of one of the things I love about being a grandparent.... It's not my problem!
If I remember correctly, the fact that little children get OUT of their beds during naps and at night is one reason why it's difficult to give up the crib! I so remember that! Just wait when they can climb out of the crib, though.... :-0
ReplyDeleteI think it's so neat that you got to listen in on his conversations during his "nap" time. I wonder if he's slowly outgrowing his need for an actual nap? However, in addition to mom needing a break, an afternoon "time out" gives him that time alone to rest and / or have that "creative time". Whether he actually naps or not isn't the issue. Sometimes these creative times happen best when alone - without outer distractions. Plus, he's also learning to entertain himself - and it's amazing how many kids can't.
It's so neat that you are getting this time as grandma! :)