How To Get Multiple Kids Down For A Nap :)

Ahhh nap time... so coveted by mothers, and yet so hated by children.

I'm not going to lie, some days I wouldn't survive without it. I love my children dearly, but more than once a week I am counting down the hours until naptime. Ok... some weeks it's everyday ;)

One thing I have learned is that if you try hard enough, the stars may align and you can get multiple children of different ages asleep at the same time.
Is it an easy feat?? Definitely not.
If you're lucky and it happens will you be dancing to "Celebrate" by Pitbull in your head?? Yes, yes you will ;) ( Surprised I know that song?... I Zumba and I love it )

So here are my tried and tested tips and advice on how I do it. Every mother every where deserves a nap time!!

NEVER Call It Nap Time
By the time your child reaches age three, the word nap becomes utterly offensive to them. This is when the term quiet time will be your best friend. Reassuring your child that it is in fact quiet time and they only have to lay there and be quiet gives them a feeling of control. By age three, kids don't always need to nap, but they still need some down time. I've found that at least half of the time, Bear will fall asleep. If he doesn't, he's at least quiet for a while.

Let Your Youngest Determine When Nap Time Is
It's good to try to get your kids asleep around the same time every day, but if you have a baby, they are somewhat running the show :) If your baby is very young and sleeping all the time, get your older ones in quiet time first. Then nurse/give the baby a bottle till they fall asleep. Hopefully by that time your older ones will be asleep and you have your baby's whole next small nap to sleep.
If your baby is older and takes one to two longer naps a day, put him/her to sleep first. I rock Miss Boo while Bear and Bunkin are watching a show. Then after she's fast asleep in her crib I put the boys down. You won't have to worry about the baby taking a quick nap and you missing it like when they're little.

Where To Brush Their Teeth
If you brush your kid's teeth before naptime, make sure you brush them no where near the babies room. You're one melt down away from waking the baby up and having to start all over again. We have tooth brushes in both bathrooms just for this. If you have to, brush their teeth in the kitchen sink. Lol

Know Where All Lovies Are
DO NOT start the process of nap time without knowing where all of your kid's beloved sleeping items are. Bunkin is extremely attached to his monkey stuffed animal, Mr. Grouper (from Bubble Guppies) stuffed animal, and a taggie blanket. He will not go to sleep with out them. Bear likes to have his puppy dog stuffed animal, but it isn't as mandatory as Bunkin's. You don't want to get them all settled and realize that one of them is missing, sparking tears and possible waking up someone. Trust me, it's not fun.

Let Your Older Ones Look At Books
I used to let Bear play quietly in his room for quiet time when Bunkin was a baby. Now, Bear and Bunkin share a room and there is NO WAY that letting them play "quietly" ever works out. It always starts a fight. I make it mandatory that they have to stay in their beds.
Depending on how tired they are, I will let them look at books as long as they are laying down. This gets them laying still and concentrating on books which speeds up making them realize how sleepy they are. I give them the warning that if I hear them, the books will be taken away and they have to lay there or go to sleep. I feel it also promotes a love of reading, which I am very passionate about.
Here are some of their favorites right now.

 

 

 

Make Triple Sure Your Kids Are Asleep

While Bear and Bunkin are quieting down and hopefully falling asleep, I sneak into the room that Miss Boo shares with my husband and I, and read my Bible. I find it's a good time to read, pray and regroup after a busy morning. I never fall asleep until I'm sure that all three kids are asleep... but sometimes they are tricky. There have been a few times where I thought that the boys were asleep.... and they weren't.
One time I fell asleep and woke up sometime later to find the boys downstairs in our kitchen with a bag of grapes, a pan of rice crispy treats, a block of cheese and a bowl of boiled eggs. Let me tell ya, they were feasting!!! There was nothing left in the bag of grapes except a few twigs. Luckily they survived because I always cut the grapes in half for them, and those ones were whole. Thank you Jesus!! So next time you're feeling bad about yourself remember, Lindsey was asleep while her kids were eating everything but the kitchen sink... including whole grapes.... a HUGE choking hazard. lol

Enjoy Yourself
Last but most certainly not least, if you happen to get all of your children to sleep.... enjoy it!!! Do whatever makes you a better mom. For me it depends on the day. Some of my favorites include

• Sleeping!!!! Yay Mommy gets a much needed nap!!!
• Writing. I can't help myself. I love to write whether it be this blog or the next book I'm working on. (The kids are actually asleep for nap right now :) )
• Reading. Right now I've been hoarding most of my library's homeschooling books. They have been both teaching and inspiring me.
• Getting ideas for what I want Bear to learn next in our homeschool preschool.
• Catching up on my shows.... Dancing With the Stars, 19 Kids and Counting, Instant Mom, House Hunters International, Bride by Design... whatever suits my fancy that day.

I hope that this could be helpful for some of you. Being a Mom is TOUGH and time for yourself is a must. I'll leave you with a few funny quotes.