The End Of Daytime Naps?

I’ve long thought that daytime naps are over-rated.  I am a baby that has resisted sleeping during the day since I was born.  None of the usual ‘tricks’ worked as a certainty for my parents; rocking, the car, lullabies, my pushchair.  I just fear I miss too much.  It’s a huge gamble to take just for a bit of shut-eye.

And so yesterday I skipped my nap altogether.  It was a the weekend, both Mummy and Daddy were home, and I just didn’t fancy missing anything.  They tell me they’d rather sleep than do some of the things we do at the weekend, like going to the supermarket, but the novelty is still there for me.  I can still get away with pointing and laughing at other people in the shop, after all!

There’s a whole world out there for me to discover and if I sleep while someone nips out for groceries, I won’t get to squeeze the fruit or bounce bottles of fizzy drinks that Mummy will hastily put back before anyone notices!  I wouldn’t be able to select the hand-soap for the bathroom or the paper towel for the kitchen.  You see these things as chores, I see it as pure excitement, enthralling for every minute.  I’ve picked vanilla soap and paper towel with an elephant on the wrapper this week, if you’re interested.

My naps have been reasonably regular for the last couple of months.  I have an hour or so one side of lunch or the other.  Usually.  Yesterday, it might have been that I was actually overtired because with the clocks going back, I was up early.

My folks are trying to build in ‘quiet time,’ too.  I’m starting to get used to it already. It’s a chance to tell my favourite toys about my day so far. I have a whale and a bunny that are particular favourites at the moment and they’re both great listeners.  I spend a bit of time in my cot just chilling, and even if I don’t actually sleep, it goes some way to recharging my little batteries.

I’ll admit, I’m pretty nasty by the end of the day if I’ve not slept long enough.  The final hour before bedtime is pretty hard work for Mummy and Daddy! It’s unfortunate that it coincides with when Daddy comes home from work, but then what’s a girl to do?  Grandma used to encourage quiet time when Mummy was little – it gave her a chance to do ‘important things’ without interruption.  I can’t imagine what might be more important that playing with me, but I guess Mummy might have her own important things these days.

I still don’t nap in a cot at nursery – it’s the buggy there – so Mummy pushed me round yesterday for two hours trying to get me to nod off.  She failed, but she walked miles in the Autumn countryside!  Ha ha!  Between you and me, I don't really think I'm big enough to do away with naps altogether, but it doesn't hurt to keep you grown-ups on your toes so I’ll carry on taking a nap if I fancy and battling on through if that’s how the fancy takes me.  Thanks.

CB