With my family, it's like I have to justify my day with Ava and Isaac since I don't go to "work" everyday . No doubt, I have a pretty sweet schedule:
9:00-9:30 Wake up the kids
9:30-10:15 Get them dressed, change diapers, read a book, apply various hair products
10:15-10:45 Breakfast
10:45-1:00 We do whatever--I clean, they play, then, I usually play with them for a while, check my email
1:00-1:45 Lunch and cleanup
2:00-5:00 Naptime
5:00-6:00 Dinner
6:00-8:30 Play, we've been taking them out in the evening lately. Bathtime. Usually in bed by 8:30, 9:00 at the latest, unless it's a special ocassion.
Now, I stay in bed until 9:00 (sometimes a little later :) everyday too and I get such harrassment for this. But here is some interesting background information.
Every baby book and internet site I have read indicates one to three year olds should be sleeping AT LEAST 12 hours every night. Some even said 14 hours, plus a three hour nap (I think that's a little much though). I was reading one book that said when a child does not get enough sleep at night, it costs them IQ points (Nurture Shock, 2009). Now, why, I ask you, would I wake our children up early?
On a side note, Scott says when he wakes up at 6:30 to get ready for work, Isaac and Ava usually wake up then too. We have a small house and you can hear everything. He says one of them is usually chattering away, but they go back to sleep for their needed rest.
When I peek in their room in the morning, one of the two is usually sleeping and the other one might just be laying there. This is probably my favorite time of the day. They are so happy to see me. They get the biggest smiles on their faces and bounce up-and-down in their cribs.
So there you have it. I'm not going to let myself feel guilty anymore for the sweet slumber I get to experience. Hmph.
I love to get 12 hours of sleep. I do not really get to enjoy that now that I have a paying job but it is great when I do get the extra sleep. Everyone tries to tell me that I only need 4 hours of sleep; let me tell you.... if you want me to only have 4 hours of sleep every night I want you to have to deal with me everyday. Brian will not, I am such a brat if I do not get enough sleep. I think it is great that you let them sleep in a little later. This way they can be well rested and happy instead of like the kids that the moms make sure are up at 7 am... nuts. All the kids that I know like that have to be in bed by 6 and are still grumpy. Well, the day is not over yet and most of the time the dad only got to spend one hour with the kids bf bed time.
ReplyDeletebtw..... congratulations on 4 months and 4 days of you and Scott having a new family to love and enjoy!
You don't need to justify! Those who don't have small children aren't still "working" at 8:30 or 9 at night like you are.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, all three of mine took 2 - 3 hour naps every day until just months before starting kindergarten. It was what kept me sane! LOL