Making the Most of Naptime
Precious naptime. Ah..the quiet...the peace...Whether it be 30 minutes or 2 hours..that precious time cannot be wasted. 'The worst' is when baby falls asleep and then you realize you have a million and one things you want to do. Where to start? What takes priority? Simply deciding what to start with can take up half the naptime. Here is how I try to use naptime the best way I possibly can:
I like to make lists. I wasn't always that way, but ever since beginning a career in teaching, and then becoming a mom - lists have become extremely important in my day to day living. I've talked a little bit about how I like to make lists for each day, and the importance of planning your days. On top of this, I also make specific lists for naptimes. The three questions I ask myself as I write down a 'to-do' on the list are these:
Is this something I can do while baby is awake?
Certain items on your overall to-do list should be kept for when baby is awake. It is no use to do something while baby is sleeping, if you can easily do it either with baby or while baby is quietly playing. For example, I never do dishes while baby is sleeping. Emelyn loves to play with pots and pans and other random kitchen items, while I do dishes. When she was younger, she would love to play in her exersaucer while watching me clean up the kitchen. Another example - folding laundry. Folding laundry is such an easy chore for me to complete while sitting beside Emelyn as she plays (Often with the clothes..) Most chores, I do while Emelyn is awake. These are some things that I make sure to do while Emelyn is sleeping:
- Getting ready for the day.
- Anything on the computer. Whether it be emails, browsing, blogging, etc. etc.
- Reading and writing.
- Putting laundry in the washing machine or dryer. Our laundry is in the basement, so it is much easier for me to put a load in while Emelyn is sleeping.
- Working on my Memory Wire Bracelets.
Is this a priority above anything else for today?
I make sure to write my naptime list in order of priority. I do this because I find I will otherwise get distracted with less important things, and forget about the ones that should be done that day. I include my personal reading and other 'me' time as priorities. I need these times in order to feel rejuvenated for when Emelyn wakes up!
Is my list too overwhelming?
Are there too many items on my naptime list? Will I feel dread or stress when I hear the little cry from the nursery because I did not finish half my list? It is important to keep your naptime list to a minimum... stick with 3-5 things depending on how long your baby generally naps. If you finish those few items before baby wakes up, have a couple back up items in mind to work on. This was my naptime list for today:
As you might be able to tell, I'm not very fancy with my lists. I like them quick and easy. As you can also tell from my list, Emelyn had an extra long nap today so I had time to write this blogpost! Woohoo! :)
**Oh and by the way...sometimes naptime for baby also means naptime for mama. No harm in writing that on your list either ;)
I like to make lists. I wasn't always that way, but ever since beginning a career in teaching, and then becoming a mom - lists have become extremely important in my day to day living. I've talked a little bit about how I like to make lists for each day, and the importance of planning your days. On top of this, I also make specific lists for naptimes. The three questions I ask myself as I write down a 'to-do' on the list are these:
Is this something I can do while baby is awake?
Certain items on your overall to-do list should be kept for when baby is awake. It is no use to do something while baby is sleeping, if you can easily do it either with baby or while baby is quietly playing. For example, I never do dishes while baby is sleeping. Emelyn loves to play with pots and pans and other random kitchen items, while I do dishes. When she was younger, she would love to play in her exersaucer while watching me clean up the kitchen. Another example - folding laundry. Folding laundry is such an easy chore for me to complete while sitting beside Emelyn as she plays (Often with the clothes..) Most chores, I do while Emelyn is awake. These are some things that I make sure to do while Emelyn is sleeping:
- Getting ready for the day.
- Anything on the computer. Whether it be emails, browsing, blogging, etc. etc.
- Reading and writing.
- Putting laundry in the washing machine or dryer. Our laundry is in the basement, so it is much easier for me to put a load in while Emelyn is sleeping.
- Working on my Memory Wire Bracelets.
Is this a priority above anything else for today?
I make sure to write my naptime list in order of priority. I do this because I find I will otherwise get distracted with less important things, and forget about the ones that should be done that day. I include my personal reading and other 'me' time as priorities. I need these times in order to feel rejuvenated for when Emelyn wakes up!
Is my list too overwhelming?
Are there too many items on my naptime list? Will I feel dread or stress when I hear the little cry from the nursery because I did not finish half my list? It is important to keep your naptime list to a minimum... stick with 3-5 things depending on how long your baby generally naps. If you finish those few items before baby wakes up, have a couple back up items in mind to work on. This was my naptime list for today:
As you might be able to tell, I'm not very fancy with my lists. I like them quick and easy. As you can also tell from my list, Emelyn had an extra long nap today so I had time to write this blogpost! Woohoo! :)
**Oh and by the way...sometimes naptime for baby also means naptime for mama. No harm in writing that on your list either ;)
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