Ok, everyone knows how mom naps work. You’ve been busy all day making meals, cleaning floors, doing laundry and basically following the kids around while holding a trash can attempting to catch every little thing they pick up and discard on the floor as they effortlessly destroy the house. So, when you get that hallelujah moment when the skies open and rain free time on you, you jump into bed, cozy up in your blankets and fall into a blissful nap.
Haha right, I wish!
In my experience, there are actually two kinds of mom naps, and I’m not sure either one is very effective:
The “too stressed to sleep” nap:
More often than not, I fall into this category. There’s so much going on, and suddenly there’s a moment of silence, or Luis comes out of the office and quickly sends me for a much needed nap. Grateful for these mini vacations, I happily stumbled into bed and get comfy.
Then stare at the wall.
For like a long time.
No matter how convincing I am, my brain will NOT listen to itself at all. It focuses on the never-ending task list that wasn’t done today. It suddenly remembers teeny tasks that I wish I would have forgotten forever. It even focuses on the task list for next week because right now seems like the perfect time to freak out about that. Next thing I know, I am on my phone creating yet another Google Keep document to fully plan out the following year of my life.
But wait, I’m supposed to be napping! I put my phone down in disgust for wasting so much time right as the kids to burst into my room like there’s a tornado coming and the only safe place is in my bed with me.
Nap time is over.
The “too stressed to wake” nap:
While these are the better of the two evils, they don’t happen often for me so I try to give myself a little grace when they do. Again, crazy chaos has ensued for days and all of a sudden there is a break in the madness, and I have exactly 2 hours to nap, shower, fold the laundry, send off a few quick emails, clean up the table from lunch, pack a snack and get the boys off to some extracurricular activity.
Ok, Diana, just close your eyes for a few minutes and please, please, please try not to use this nap time to make another list of things to do!
I open my eyes quite proud of myself for actually dozing off for a minute.
Oh no, it’s been 2 hours!!!
I quickly jump out of bed, no time for a shower, grab the first granola bar I can get my hands on from the pantry and jump in the car off to whatever activity we are now late for, hopefully remembering to physically bring the child that is supposed to be attending said activity. I guess a shower, laundry, the emails, and those crumbs on the table will get added to the Google Keep list for tomorrow…
Remind me to never nap, it’s not helpful…
Conclusion:
Ok, I take it back, they may not always be productive, but naps are necessary. A well-timed nap can be the secret sauce that fuels your supermom capabilities. It is not a sign of weakness; it’s a testament to your relentless dedication by recharging you batteries so you can continue to conquer the chaos. Plus, in the whirlwind of motherhood, mom naps are a delightful reminder of the humor and absurdity that often accompany being, Mom!