For the last 3 days, I have intentionally prohibited P & K from napping. They just don't need it any more and when they do fall asleep it completely spoils their night time sleep (and, therefore, mine!) The result has been worthwhile, for two consecutive days my children have slept until 7am. This is a HUGE improvement over the 5:30-5:45 wake ups we have had for years! I have even been able to wake up before them and have a quiet time. What an accomplishment!
The downside of skipping the nap is the additional hours of entertainment/activity I must provide. Because my R still needs a nap to maintain a positive attitude, quiet indoor activities for the other two are a must. Yesterday, it was paper dolls and they were a remarkable hit.
I am really not crafty, so I googled for printable paper dolls and found quite a selection at about.com. The best part of this activity was that it was very time-consuming. :-) K loves art activities and although P's attention span for completing his own is quite short, he loved watching her work. We filled a total of 90 minutes printing, selecting accessories, cutting, coloring, taping, them playing with our creations. And it was free!!!
When R woke up, he joined in the fun--and the results of our efforts are now posted on our refrigerator to serve as a source of smiles for us all.
The downside of skipping the nap is the additional hours of entertainment/activity I must provide. Because my R still needs a nap to maintain a positive attitude, quiet indoor activities for the other two are a must. Yesterday, it was paper dolls and they were a remarkable hit.
I am really not crafty, so I googled for printable paper dolls and found quite a selection at about.com. The best part of this activity was that it was very time-consuming. :-) K loves art activities and although P's attention span for completing his own is quite short, he loved watching her work. We filled a total of 90 minutes printing, selecting accessories, cutting, coloring, taping, them playing with our creations. And it was free!!!
When R woke up, he joined in the fun--and the results of our efforts are now posted on our refrigerator to serve as a source of smiles for us all.
Completely unrelated, but entertaining nonetheless, P was the source of a funny incident Sunday afternoon at the playground. While playing, he noticed a Hispanic family.
"Mommy, dat Mommy over dare is talkin' in Spanish."
We have dabbled in learning conversational Spanish and P seems especially interested in it. So, I asked him if he had tried to speak Spanish back to them.
"Not yet," he replied. Then he darted in their direction shouting, "Hey! Hey! Uno, UNO! UUU-NOOO!"
Thank heavens, the family did not seem to understand he was talking to them.
That Spanish instruction sure is paying off!
8 comments:
Love the paperdolls!! I may have to try that one!
The paper dolls idea sounds like a good one. I will have to visit that site.
I also like your no naps idea. I might have to go in that direction too.
Nicole
Love the paperdolls! We are definitely going to have to save that idea for a rainy day!
LOL - love the Spanish!
And paper dolls. That's something I've never thought of doing, but sounds like a fun idea!
We've just dropped naps for #2 and #3 which mean I ony have 2 nappers now. I am still requiring about 45minutes of rest time on their beds with books and if they fall asleep, that's fine, but I wake them up. :) We've been playing more games and coloring more and being outside more (when it's nice). I leave the tin of crayons and coloring books and paper on the table almost all day and that simple thing has been a lifesaver for me. And I, too, am a huge fan of free printable projects on the web. Check out http://www.thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html sometime. A friend recently sent it to me.
As a relatively new mother of a 2-year-old and 5-week-old daughters, I am amazed at how much planning goes into mothering! I totally almost bought a teacher's planning book so I could lay out each day what I intended to work on with my children.
And now that I have two, I'm struggling with figuring out how to spend those hours when their wake times overlap. They're worlds apart developmentally, so what on earth do I do with them to ensure that neither of them are bored?
Sorry to be so long...just thinking out loud! :0)
Maybe he'll say DOUSE next time! How cute!
I can't believe how cute those dolls were on the fridge. Glad you found a fun, quiet, activity. Hope it lasts a while!
Love these! What a fabulous idea to use their creativity and take lots of time.
My kids are thankful for their little bits of Spanish instruction, too, as it is coming in handy at school this week.
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