“Are you serious? He’s done napping?” my friend asked as our sons motored trucks through the sandbox. I shrugged, sipping my coffee. “Guess so. It’s been a week and every time I put him down, he sits up and looks at me like, ‘What’s going on? I’m not tired.’” My friend shook her head, her own son only weeks younger than mine. “I dread that day.”
I dreaded it too. I loved having a blissful stretch of time to get things done without a little person at my side. But I knew those free afternoons wouldn’t last forever. You might be nervous about losing naptime because time with kids increases. But there are also 5 reasons to rejoice when naps suddenly end.
1. More Opportunities to Do Fun Things
“Oh, I can’t! My son naps at that time!” Have you said something similar to friends? I admit it’s been a good excuse if I wanted to get out of something, but I had one particular friend who always invited me on fun kid outings I wanted to attend. Even though I pushed through nap time on occasion, it didn’t usually go well because my kid got wild or cranky from not enough sleep. After he lost his naps, we could go with my friend to the painting event at the art museum and even stop at the cute café afterward for a snack. And he’d usually behave.
2. Confidence and Self-Esteem Building
When my daughter lost her afternoon nap at age 3, I signed her up for dance class. She learned how to memorize a little tap routine and she proudly showed me her steps at home. Once kids drop their midday naps, they’re usually old enough to join classes and they begin to feel like they’re part of a group. As members of a T-ball team or swim class, they’re learning what their bodies can do and enjoying the success of accomplishment. It gives them confidence! And a growing sense of self-esteem is a great consequence of losing naptime.
3. Weekend Excursions and Family Trips
Once naps stopped, I entered a whole new phase of parenting. And I liked it. “Do you want to go to Maine for the weekend?” my husband asked midsummer. We lived in Boston at the time but hadn’t spent too many nights away exploring the Northeast. But after our kids outgrew naps, we had more freedom to do things. Sure, we could’ve dragged them around, tired and irritable. But that’s no fun. And some kids sleep in the car, but ours never did. Once our kids could handle it, we used the time to make more memories seeing and discovering places as a family. Time with kids just got better!
4. More Conversations With Your Child
My son used to take three-hour naps every day. I loved it. But when they ended, he wanted to explore and discover more of his world. Together, he and I spent hours filling our book bag at the library and doing science experiments at home. We read about the planets and put together a USA floor puzzle. “Which state would you like to visit?” I asked him one afternoon as we sat on his bedroom floor. “Kentucky!” he said, pointing to a green piece. Turns out he liked the shape. But it led to other conversations about horses and Louisville Slugger baseball bats and what he could see and do in that state. When his naps ended, he became more interesting as a little person!
5. Awareness of Their Roles as Their World Gets Bigger
“We can’t forget Chompy!” my daughter cried as we packed her little preschool bag one morning. She ran up to her room to grab the stuffed alligator that her class shared. Each child had a turn with Chompy and got to tell the class the next day all about his adventures at her house. I was glad my daughter remembered the gator, but more so that she looked forward to sharing him with her classmates. She understood that another child had a turn coming and didn’t want to let him down.
As your child gets older, she learns more about her place in the family, in her school community, and even in the world. Building teamwork mentality, developing social skills like cooperation and sharing, and having accountability for one’s actions really kick in once kids lose their naps. More time with kids means more opportunities for both of you.
As your child gets older, she learns more about her place in the family, in her school community, and even in the world. Click To TweetHow will things change for you when naps end and time with kids increases?
