The Three Year Old Nap, or lack thereof some days

Like every parent, I love naptime. That glorious 1-3 hour period where there are no little people running around, making noises, demanding to be fed, tazmanian deviling the toys, banging their heads into walls on accident and on purpose, and generally being 3 or less years old. (This is a mom’s perspective at the beginning of naptime. Talk to me at the end of the 1-3 hours and I will have much nicer things to say about the little munchkins in my care.)

Three year olds will sometimes try to tell their parents they do not need a nap. Here’s a tip to all you little rascals: throwing yourself around the room sobbing and snotting and yelling “I DON’T NEED A NAP!” at the top of your lungs does not make for a very convincing case.

So I am not looking forward to the end of naps. WV still desperately needs that nap, evidenced by the fact that when he finally conks out, I have to wake him up after a few hours or he will just keep on sleeping. But some days he tries to resist. Today is one of those days.

A half hour after putting him down, I was working at my computer and discovered today was a resist-the-nap day when I finished a phone call, and he yelled down the stairs, “Mommy, I’m up here!” Like I had been wondering all that time where my toddler who I thought was sleeping might be. Here is our conversation that followed:

Me: Wally, you need to take your nap.
WV: No, I taked a gooooooood nap.
Me: I know you didn’t because you just went up stairs a half hour ago.
WV: Oh.
Me: Alright, either you can go upstairs by yourself and nap, or I will go up with you and sing one song.
WV: You decide.
Me: I will go up with you.
WV: No, me decide.
Me: Okay, what do you decide.
WV: I will go up by myself.
Me: Alright, but you have to take a good nap.
WV: Okay, I will get a drink, then take a good nap, and then I will wake up and watch Wordworld.
Me: You have to sleep in order to watch Wordworld.
WV: I will do that.
Me: Okay, have a good nap!
WV: Okay, have a good work!

Now I hear him banging around upstairs, pretending loudly that he is taking a “goooooood nap” so he can be rewarded with a half hour TV show that I promised him. Oh well, at least he’s letting me work, and I can look forward to an early bedtime for more respite. Good ole nap time. Please don’t fail me now!