Today, a lot of the ladies from my mom's group started a new Bible Study (Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald). During the video, she commented about how it's not only the trivial that clutters our lives, but the important as well, and that it can be hard to be still...hard to stop. I almost laughed out loud.
See, normally when Lizzy is down for a nap, I run around trying to workout, shower, clean up the house, pay bills, etc. I often long for an excuse to just lay around reading books, browsing the internet, nap, catch up on DVR'ed tv shows, or just generally do nothing. In fact, not too long ago when Beth Anne (who I still think of as Blair, and probably always will) was sick with the flu, I think I told her on Twitter that I would love to be ordered by a doctor to stay in bed and do nothing (though I could do without the flu portion of things).
HA. HA. HA.
Since Friday, I've pretty much been ordered to do just that--rest.I'm not supposed to pick up Lizzy. I'm not really supposed to do housework...although I've broken that rule a couple of times to do dishes, and definitely hurt afterwards. I'm not supposed to exercise. I'm just supposed to lay here and read, nap, watch TV, and rest.
It's much harder than I thought it would be. For as much as I used to long for a whole week of doing nothing, I really had no idea how restless it would make me! But, I'm trying to be good and follow the rules, because other than the fact that I need to be good to my body and let it heal, I'm also sure that by next week when I'm back to go-go-going, I'll be craving those slow, quiet afternoons to read. And maybe I just need to find some sort of balance between the two--maybe one free pass each week to just read and relax during nap time rather than to achieve and accomplish.We'll see...I need to think on it some more.
I'd also love to hear from other moms--if you're home while your kiddo naps, what do you use that nap time for? Is that your time to clean the house? Is it your time to workout? Is it your time to read or take a nap? Your time to craft? To catch up on blogs? Let me please be very clear that I don't think any of those things are the "right" thing to do--I'm just curious how other moms use that time!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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I usually work out and take a shower. Today I am taking a break since I was up til 430am with a cranky ear infection baby. Yesterday I took a break because I had to take Jax to the doctor and I ended up snuggling him all afternoon while he slept off his fever.... Tomorrow I will be right back at it and working out and showering during nap time.....
ReplyDeleteI usually try to find a balance during naptime. I eat my lunch and I usually do a few things around the house like pick up toys, make the bed, throw in laundry, dust, etc. sometimes I have some work to do (30mins-1hr) as in the last few months I starting picking up a little bit of work in the same industry I was in before I had DS. And then I try to just relax (and usually read!) for a while before DS wakes up from his nap. I definitely need a break too! I got one when I was working in an office, I definitely deserve one when I'm working in my home!
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't happen EVERY day, but I try to make it happen as often as possible, and it usually does at least a few times a week. I've found it's very important that I get a little bit of quiet time to myself everyday, even if it's only 30mins to read while I'm waiting for DS to wake up!
I generally do laundry, clean the kitchen etc. that is when they actually nap. My 2 year old seems to think naps are optional while my 2 month old still likes to sleep the day away :) Sometimes I feel like I spend so much of my day trying to get the 2 year old to nap when I could had been doing other things. I try to multitask and say load the dishwasher and start a load of laundry and then sit down until one stops so that I get a little rest. I try and give myself a little quite time to read my Bible and one of the books I am ready (The Power of a Positive Mom) but that doesn't always happen because he doesn't always nap.
ReplyDeleteI am not one who really feels like I need "me" time, however when they only alone time you get is in the shower (if you're lucky) nap time can be a blessing and sometimes I let myself just sit.
Every single day is different. Sometimes I just sit. Sometimes I take a nap (only while pregnant though). I used to always run (haven't run in a while), and then shower. I almost always do work (since I work from home). I sometimes read blogs. I pretty much do a bunch of different things, but never find that naptime is long enough these days. ha.
ReplyDeleteThe last two weeks I have spent the first 30 min on the treadmill. I read for 5 min while I warm up and then actually work out for the next 25. Then I stretch and turn on my reruns of Grey's (everyday on Lifetime at 2 and 3!!). While I watch those I make my lunch and sometimes clean... most of the time I sit and be lazy unless I have something really important to do. I need the down time, my husband works until 8:30 or 9 every night so it is my one good chunk of peace during the day and I take FULL advantage :)
ReplyDeleteRyann is still a terribly light sleeper during nap time, so I'm sort of confined to my family room. Thus it is the only room I can really clean at that time. I can also do laundry, but for the most part I read blogs, write blog posts, design stuff, and waste time on pinterest :).
ReplyDeleteI'd say giving yourself a free pass once or twice a week to read or relax is an excellent idea. Or perhaps, pick a time about 20-30 minutes before Lizzy usually wakes up and say you will be productive until then, and then at that point you get to read. If she sleeps longer you get to read longer, if she wakes up early than you still feel like you accomplished something.
It is tough. I often feel like I waste naptime on the computer, but I always get sucked in. Sometimes I do craft though! Thankfully with Ryann going to MDO once a week I have that time to clean. I do sometimes shower during naptime too. This is turning into a novel...
I sew. Pretty much every day, but for me, that's work time. If I don't have something to work on, I usually straighten up a bit and then catch up on blogs, but that's rare. Last week, I actually took a nap when Noah did. It was glooooorious! :)
ReplyDeleteHe still naps 3 hours a day, so I usually get a bunch done!
I do a variety of things...pretty much everything you listed. I clean, do dishes, do laundry, blog and browse the Internet, catch up on Glee or Parenthood, craft, do house projects, and sometimes, I nap too!! I'm really lucky that a) I have a gym membership that allows me to take Isaac to daycare so that doesn't cut into naptime and b) I have a child that likes to clean so a lot of my chores can be done while Isaac is awake and 'helping'. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen Cameron still napped, I got about 2 hours where him and Kylie would both be down in the afternoon. I showered, did a little laundry, prepped dinner, and I gave myself a little time to be lazy. Now that Cameron's nap days are long gone, he has a 20-30 minute "quiet time" while K naps, and I almost always lay in bed, close my eyes or play on the Internet. It's the only break of the day and I don't want to waste it by doing work, lol!
ReplyDeleteEli naps for and hour and a half to 2 hours. I usually try to do chores for about an hour. Then, I allow myself to sit down and blog and/or read blogs. I don't get to blog in the evenings, since that's when I work, so naptime is my blog time!
ReplyDeleteIf
ReplyDelete...and this is a huge if because the babies rarely sleep in sync....
If both babies nap? I run to the couch at the speed of light and throw myself down to read. I REFUSE to do housework while they sleep.
I catch up on work stuff, emails, blogs, do laundry, wash dishes, and then I might squeeze in a nap or some other project. Never enough hours in the day!
ReplyDeleteMy boys usually nap 2-3 hours. So I tell myself to "work" for at least an hour of that, and the other hour or 2 can be used for whatever I want...whether that's lounging, napping, catching up on TV, blogging, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt varies on my mood and some days I will clean the entire time, other days I won't clean at all.
I always say I'll get things done while my daughter is napping. I usually eat lunch, read, waste time on computer, and sometimes do chores around the house:)
ReplyDeleteSince K was born, getting the kids to nap at the same time has been pretty impossible! BUT I usually use the time to shower, clean, prepare dinner, etc. One day I use to blog/goof around on the computer. Sometimes I nap too, just depending.
ReplyDeleteHope you are healing well!