I know this in my heart, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Lately my son, Coupe, has decided not to nap. Now, I don’t know how much you know about my history with sleeping kiddos, but it is somewhat the bane of my existence ever since my daughter, who, it felt like, never slept as a baby. I felt like I was going insane when she was about 5 months old as she would wake up every 45 minutes for about a month an half, in the middle of the night. I don’t recommend that kind of sleep schedule.
So dropping naps for her was like losing a small portion of the day I had to myself.
It was much easier when my nephew stopped napping because his playmate, my daughter, was already awake. It made sense. And honestly, when she had a playmate, she’s easier to be around because Mini is so social that without a playmate, she demanded more of my attention.
My son has napped in the afternoon much later in life than Mini ever did. But I have come to EXPECT that 1.5 – 2 hours in the afternoon to workout, get a little work done, maybe read or meditate and I love it. And kinda need it.
And when I expect to have that time, I find myself feeling angry and frustrated. Disappointed. The last thing I want to do is then take it out on him. Because of course, it’s just a new season of life for him. It’s not like he’s trying to do something that’s going to make me feel upset.
What I need to come back to is setting my INTENTION for the afternoon and realizing that it can be flexible. He’s only going to be this little for a short while. So maybe he does the workout with me (he does actually like that). Or we take that opportunity to have a snack, just the two of us before my niece, Bean, wakes up.
Setting an intention, and letting go of the attachment to the outcome is definitely a better option that setting that expectation.
Something to think about as you start your week…