Wear 'em Out

One of the many mantras I live by is "wear 'em out."

This mantra came to be because I love nap time. The boys desperately need it (although Blake's nap time has turned into "quiet time"), and I benefit immensely from a few hours to recharge each afternoon.

In order to ensure quality nap time, I do all I can every day to wear our little boys out. We rarely spend mornings at home. Instead, we hit up parks and pools. We have playdates. We run errands. We take walks and ride bikes.

I want to instill active habits while they are young.

But sometimes, I wear them out a little too much, and nap time backfires on me. Our boys have both always been exclusive "bed" sleepers. However, once or twice a year, they get so exhausted that they actually drift off in the car. 

I do all I can to prevent car naps, because if they catnap in the car they won't fall back asleep at home. I make sure we're home on time. I pass snacks to the backseat. I roll the windows up and down to distract them. I talk and sing to them.

On rare occasions, none of my tactics to keep them awake work. Although short car siestas mean long afternoons for all of us, I have to admit that I love seeing their eyelashes rest on their cheeks and their thumbs firmly planted in their mouths. It means that I have done an exceptional job at wearing them out.