No Rest for the Weary

I am so thankful that Danny has been a wonderful napper (with the exception of about 6 months or so last year where he fought me hard about laying down every day to rest).  Even now, at age 4.5, he still naps – not one, not two, but usually THREE hours at a stretch in the afternoon (I know, he’s amazing!!).  I still put him to bed at 8 when I put Jimmy to bed, and he just plays quietly in his bed for a few hours until he drifts soundlessly off to sleep.  It’s worked really well for us, especially since Baby T naps for 1-2 hours in the afternoon and it gives me a break to exercise, clean or rest myself.  But with an active summer coming, and full-day Kindergarten around the corner, I’ve decided he needs to start weaning off naps.  I also realized that he was always SO tired after lunch, and it was making it difficult for him to have playdates with friends because his energy level was just too low in the afternoon. So, because we still both need some downtime, I’ve been telling Danny for the last few weeks that he doesn’t have to take a nap in his bed as long as he plays by himself quietly for an hour.  This is what happened the first few times we tried this approach:

Clearly, the kid was tired!  But this last week, he’s done much better, and his evening crankiness hasn’t even gotten too bad (mine either, ha!).  It’s also allowed us to stretch our morning playdates a little longer, which is wonderful for us both to hang out with friends and not feel like he was going to turn into a pumpkin at lunchtime.  This big boy is growing up!  Only a few more months until Kindergarten – I’m not sure my heart can take it!