Naps

This is a little random, but...

We're in NAP TRANSITION here.

Sarah was taking one nap a day, in the early afternoon. Daniel was taking 2 naps a day, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon.

Over the last month, I've been transitioning Daniel to one nap, and Sarah to NO nap.

Dropping Daniel's morning nap makes life a lot easier for us in terms of being able to go places and do things.  He will occasionally doze off in the car if we are driving somewhere in the morning, but it is short.  Then he is ready for a good long nap in the early afternoon.  He also goes to bed well at 7:15 p.m. or so because he is tired.

Sarah is napping today, but she misses her nap most days.  When she gets a nap, she is up LATE.  She shares her room with Miriam and Angela and will often keep them awake talking and yelling until 9:30 or 10, which no one likes.  If she misses her nap, she is often really grumpy by 6 p.m. but then goes to sleep easily by 7:30 p.m.

I've always been obsessive about our young children's sleep patterns. I guess it is the engineer coming out in me.  Even as babies, I try to keep them up a fair amount during the day so they sleep better at night. Of course, they DO nap a lot during the day, I just don't let them nap for hours on end during the day when I know they need to eat. 

As toddlers, I don't want them taking late naps because I do not, I DO NOT, want them awake until 11 p.m. or midnight.

My way isn't "the right way" at all.  Parents parent based on temperament. I have to admit it makes me chuckle when I read about toddlers who just fall asleep on random couches and chairs and floors because I'm very diligent about having the kids sleeping in their beds.  But some people are way more laid back and relaxed about sleep times and wake times and meal times.  I love it how differently God makes us all!

This works well for us because I am a very scheduled person. I want some assurance that the kids will go to sleep fairly well at night, and be able to get up a certain time in the mornings.

Now my big kids are a different story in terms of their sleep patterns, but the little ones...I'm the one in control (insert evil cackle...)