How can a day of such fun and excitement be followed so quickly by an afternoon of frustration and annoyance?
Yesterday was Halloween. We had a blast talking about trick or treating, learning to say “trick or treat,” and then spending the evening with our good friends and their daughter. We had such a blast. Ordered pizza, had cupcakes, dressed up in costumes and went out Halloweening!
And then today happened…
This afternoon’s naptime has turned into a circus parade from hell.
We got in bed at the normal time, 1:00 pm. Everything was normal. No poop before bed, though. Should have known better.
About 15 minutes after putting Kid Kadoo in his crib, he started whining about Thomas. He has a Thomas the Train that he has recently become obsessed with. I went in, gave him Thomas, and (wrongly) assumed he would fall asleep happily playing away.
Minutes later I hear the grinding of Thomas’s wheels and Boo saying, “help please.” I went in to find Thomas turned on, upside down, and stuck in the threads of Boo’s brand new throw for his bed. Awesome. Two thumbs up. I snipped Thomas out of the threads and promptly removed him from Boo’s bed. Of course this was met with quite the protest. I calmly explained to him that he could play with Thomas after nap.
About twenty minutes later, I knew this wasn’t going to be a normal afternoon nap. He started calling, “mommy please.” I let him go for about five or ten minutes. I finally went in and lo and behold, he had pooped. Insert eye roll here. Quick diaper change and back in bed.
Terrible Toddler has been in bed now for an hour and a half, and won’t stop whining, “mommy please” in his little fake whimpery voice. Granted it’s really cute, but it was only really cute the first two or three times. Now he just won’t stop and it’s agitating. I can hear him yawning in the monitor, so it’s not like he’s not tired.
My patience is so thin that it might as well be panty hose with three runs on one leg.
It’s ironic because a lot of the moms from playgroup think that my son listens to me so well. Let me just tell you why he listens to me. I am a mean mom. I lay the smack down. I don’t take sh*t from my two year old.
He’s not whining, talking or crying anymore. He’s sleeping. An hour and a half later, but he’s sleeping. How did I do it, you ask? I stormed into his room, yelled with my meanest mom voice and told him he was done and going to sleep, end of discussion. Then I stormed out of his room. I haven’t heard a peep since.
Never underestimate the importance of naptime. It is important for your child to have a rest and recharge. It is similarly important for the parent to have a rest and recharge. Whether you blog, read, watch TV, fold laundry or nap yourself, naptime is a critical part of any parent’s day. It’s time to clear your head and relax your soul. Naptime makes the yelling and frustration dissipate.
My temper is hereditary. I don’t really remember my dad having a temper, though I’ve heard it exists, but I do remember my grandma having one. I distinctly recall a fight I had with her when I was just a little bit older than Terrible Toddler. It was a fight about shoes. I didn’t want to wear black saddle shoes and she was determined to get them on my feet. We were in my bedroom, I was standing on my bed and she was standing next to me. We were both yelling at the top of our lungs. It is the one of the very clear memories I have of her.
I miss my grandma. I’m glad I inherited her temper. It is serving me well. And occasionally gets me in trouble but that’s another story for another day.
So what do I say when my friends ask me how Boo listens to me? I’m a mean mom. And I mean business — especially when it comes to naptime. I need quiet time to salvage my panty hose and regenerate my patience.
Go to sleep!
