Viv turned two today, and since I’ve learned so much during the past two years about good parenting, I gave her cupcakes for breakfast.
Then I ran her around the park for a couple of hours, hoping to burn off the sugar rush.
But she was still high as a kite when we got home. No hope of napping. Six hours til bedtime. What’s a mommy to do?
1. DANCE PARTY
My first go-to nap substitute is cranking up the tunes and freestyling in the living room. Viv used to let me DJ, but she’s gotten bossy lately. Today she demanded three rounds of Gangnam Style (girlfriend, that song is so 2012) only she pronounces it Gingham Style, which PSY totally anticipated when he wore this jacket:
I tried to slip some classic Disco into our dance mix, cueing up Sylvester’s “Do You Wanna Funk?” Total breakfast cupcake level error, as my daughter’s been talking about wanting to “funk” all day. Funk me.
2. CARDBOARD BOX
Luckily it was Viv’s birthday, so we had boxes galore, and as every parent knows, boxes are way better than the toys that arrived inside them. Viv made like a present, then leaped out to “surprise” me (lather, rinse, repeat) for over an hour. Then we played “It’s raining packing peanuts (hallelujah!)”
I don’t even want to hear about packing peanuts and bubble wrap being choking hazards. They are fantastic. I’m thinking about filling her crib with them.
3. BABY ANIMALS
When I was all tapped out on physical activity, we climbed into bed with my iPad to look at pictures of baby animals.
Trust me, you can kill some serious time googling baby giraffe tongue baths, baby elephants playing soccer and meerkat family portraits. It’s educational too–we discuss where the animals live, what they like to eat, and how they probably took an afternoon nap and let their mothers have a break.
Parents of little ones — what are your no-nap/slow day tricks for wiling away the hours?
I would think Cali would require all shipments to come with the potato-peanuts (rather than styrofoam.) Yes, they are “edible.”
I don’t need any more carbs 🙂
Great post! Wait, so are you saying cupcakes for breakfast are bad? This changes everything. My Dad also calls it Gingham Style, but he’s European, so…
Andy G. recently posted..Stand By Your Men
Thanks for stopping by Andy! Actually if you’re going to eat cupcakes, breakfast is the time to do it. I’m working on a bacon/egg/frosting recipe.
Fabulous, Amy, as always! Lexi stopped napping at 18 months. Funk me, too : )
Your ideas for passing the time are great – we resorted to going out (the fresh air kept me alive and at a legal level of coherence required for childcare). Happy New Year to you all!
Oof, 18 months is rough! Fresh air is good, but what did you do in January? I’m lucky that we can usually get outside, but I hate when it’s cold & dark.
18 months is so NOT FAIR! Boo! 🙁
Elliot still napping at 6.5 years and going strong. Off course, she also wakes up at 5:45 EVERY morning. Yes, that is like a slow sleep deprivation torture.
You have a girl Elliot too??!!! Us, too. 8^)
Our Ellie stopped napping at around 3.5, I believe. That has been HARD.
But at the moment, it’s our little Charlie who is throwing us for a loop (she’s Viv’s age, ahead by a month). All of a sudden (2 days ago) she’s showing some disturning signs of giving up the nap… Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
The only thing I can handle when Charlie doesn’t end up napping is to let her play (she is waaay independent, especially compared to her older sister, Ellie, who is a total Mommy Cling-On!). When C starts getting needy and whiny I then sit with her and we watch some U-Tube videos. Her favorites? The many variations of: Ten in the Bed, Wheels on the Bus, The Alligator and the Monkey (I think that’s the name… The one where the monkeys taunt the poor, hungry alligator until he rips them apart with his savage teeth- my kids even found one vid that shows the blood! so exciting -seriously), Ten Little Monkeys, etc… You get the idea.
Aside from the murderous alligator I’m not getting any thrills. My goal is to keep it to 10 min or less of watching (I do actually TRY to be a good Mama). If my wife found out I was even doing this much she’d be VERY upset, which is why I now believe the key to a good marriage is to LIE LIKE A RUG. Videos? Honey, we don’t let our children watch that sort of mind-numbing crap! As if.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIV!
Thank you! Our family has been overrun by balloons. Send help.