It’s 3:00 and the house is bathed in silence.  It’s naptime and I actually have two kids napping.  Might not sound too impressive.  In fact, if you had told me I was going to blog about naptime a few weeks ago, I would have laughed and told you there would be nothing to say in a blog about naptime.  Naptime is no big deal…it’s just a part of our afternoon routine.  Oh, but now I know what the big deal is. 

Last week we visited my parents for a week.  Day 1 at Grandma and Grandpa’s the kids did not nap.  I brushed it off…it was exciting to be in a new place.  No big deal.  I put them to bed early.  Then Day 2 came and went without a nap.  Then Day 3 and 4 and 5 and 6…all came and went without naps.  Joseph and William were fine.  They played hard each day and then went to bed early each night.  But I suffered.  I never realized how much I rely on their nap for a mental break.  By Napless Day 3, I was miserable.  It’s not that I don’t want to play with my kids.  It’s not that I have so many pressing things to do that I rely on that time.  It’s greater than that.  It’s that I’m a mommy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and I need some time at some point to recharge.  I didn’t realize until last week that naptime is my recharging time.  I’m not good to anyone without a chance to recharge.   Naptime is my time.  Daxson’s working, the kids are sleeping, the house is mine.  Sometimes I blog, sometimes I clean, sometimes I read, sometimes I even nap right alongside my children.  But it’s not important what I do during that time, it’s important that I have that time. 

I know that at some point my kids will outgrow their naps.  I know that when that happens, I will listen to the wise advice handed over to me by many seasoned mommies and we will have a quiet hour every afternoon so everyone can recharge.  But I also know that until that day comes I will cherish naptime.  I will use it for my own selfish mommy time, so that I can spend the rest of the day giving 100 percent of myself to my children.  

Just a little advice from a mommy who has now experienced a week without naps…Whatever it takes, be it an afternoon nap, a Saturday out shopping, a date night with your husband…a recharged mommy is definitely worth it…so do it…fully recharge yourself and please, oh, please…don’t feel guilty.