Having a two week old brings lots of joy, fun, and exhaustion! While I love snuggling sleeping babies that still curl up their legs, I'm not especially fond of the night-time feedings. Even without a bath, she has soft, touchable skin and smells sweet. 
What Mama really needs is an afternoon nap. But, I also have a five and six year old (extremely active) boys that don't take an afternoon nap. They'll sit still and quiet if we turn on a movie, but I don't like them watching tv everyday. Coloring, puzzles, books, and games only keep them fight-free for so long. I usually haven't even had a good rest, yet, let alone fallen asleep. We have started a quiet Bible reading time in the morning. They've done very well sitting still, but they're not quite ready for the hour or so I'm looking for in a rest time.
So, my question to you is- how do you get rest or a nap in when you have active little ones around? What are your best tips and tricks for keeping a quiet house? What are the favorite activities that keep them calm and not arguing? Help! I need a nap!
Find more helpful hints at the backwards edition of Works for me Wednesday.
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You probably won't like my answer...
ReplyDeleteI let my son watch a video in bed with me or in his room. When my baby was a newborn I decided that an hour of TV was not near as big of a deal as an unrested mommy. I let him watch Boz or Veggie Tales or sometimes a Disney movie. It is the only thing that works.
Thanks so much for your snack idea for lunches. I'll be sure to add that to our lunch menu rotation.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you find some time to get some rest. But I agree somethings a rested mom is better than an exhausted, only running on fumes mom. So if you have to pop in a DVD to do so, let it be. I'll pray you come to the best decision soon.
My older kiddos listen to audio books everyday. We've gotten EB White Books, Winnie the Pooh, etc. at the library. They also like Bible stories on cd. They listen to the ones we've bought over and over, justifying the cost. My oldest son (5) switches the cds; they listen to 2 everyday, giving me around 90 minutes (since I don't have a newborn, the baby takes a nap and I do chores, prep. school, and relax). Because this is our routine, they do a really good job at it. My oldest girl (3) does play on her bed some with her baby doll while listening, but she stays there until the cds are done.
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